Factors affecting population dynamics of Eurasian woodcocks wintering in France: assessing the efficiency of a hunting-free reserve

Duriez, Olivier; Éraud, Cyril; Barbraud, Christophe; Ferrand, Yves

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2004.07.002

Cited by 43 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Hunting is restricted in time, but it is also necessary to regulate this activity in space, limiting it exclusively to zones that are not frequently used by great bustards and other endangered steppe-land birds like little bustards, harriers or sandgrouses. These kind of restrictions have been implemented successfully at some areas (Madsen 1998a, b;Duriez et al 2005;Stafford et al 2007;Casas 2008) and would certainly improve the conservation of the steppe-land birds in our study area. Motorcyclists, helicopters and aeroplanes are moderately common and show the highest rates of disturbances per hour of activity; thus, they should be considered harmful and their traffic restricted or prohibited in important bird areas.…”

Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Disturbances to great bustards (Otis tarda) in central Spain: human activities, bird responses and management implications

et al. 2009

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We investigated the effects of human activities on the behaviour of great bustards (Otis tarda) in a Special Protection Area in central Spain. We recorded 532 disturbances, at a rate of 0.93 disturbances per hour, a high value compared to other studies. Escape (flight/running) was observed more often than alert. Flight was more frequent than running. Car traffic and walkers were the main sources of disturbance. Motorcyclists, dogs, helicopters and aeroplanes were also harmful in relation to their abundance and time of permanence. Farming and shepherding produced few disturbances and usually did not cause a flight response. These activities are thus considered compatible with the conservation of the great bustards. Hunting caused an increase in the frequency of disturbance on weekends and holidays with respect to working days. We propose access restrictions to car traffic and helicopters/ airplanes and hunting limitations in those areas more frequently used by the species.

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Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Disturbances to great bustards (Otis tarda) in central Spain: human activities, bird responses and management implications

et al. 2009

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“…NHAs cannot be fully isolated; thus, translocated individuals can move in and out of these protected areas. Because hunting is expected to increase mortality (Calvert & Gauthier, 2005;Duriez et al 2005;Sandercock et al, 2011; see Kokko, 2001 for results on compensatory mortality), the definition of environmental quality in mixed conservation areas should be partially based on the dichotomy between hunting and non-hunting. Hereafter, we refer to spatial differences in environmental quality within mixed conservation areas as the differences in environmental characteristics between HAs and NHAs that influence demographic rates (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival and movement of translocated houbara bustards in a mixed conservation area

Hardouin

Hingrat²,

Nevoux

et al. 2015

Animal Conservation

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For endangered species that are hunted, the establishment of mixed conservation areas including both hunting zones and sanctuaries to complement translocation actions (i.e. reinforcement) can improve both hunting yields and population sustainability. However, the effects of this type of management on the demography of the exploited species are not well understood. We used multi-event capturerecapture modelling in a population of captive-bred houbara bustards Chlamydotis undulata translocated into a mixed conservation area in Morocco. The specific management practice of our system (hunting regime varying in time and space) led to a quasi-experimental situation that allowed the differentiation of 'natural' from 'hunting-induced' mortality and movement between areas. The analysis uncovered strong asymmetries in both movement and survival that were not only due to direct hunting effects. Firstly, movement probabilities were higher from the sanctuary to the hunting areas than vice versa, even in years without hunting. Secondly, in addition to a direct effect of hunting on mortality in hunting areas, our results uncovered permanent differences in both areas (even outside the hunting period). Overall, our results were consistent with predictions under a source-sink dynamic model but illustrated that mixed conservation areas should not merely be treated as homogeneous systems with spatially heterogeneous hunting pressure but rather as fully heterogeneous systems. The patterns observed may be related to (1) the choice and design of hunting and sanctuary areas by managers, which might not be neutral with respect to habitat quality, or (2) indirect consequences of hunting via an effect on local growth rate and density.

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“…Avian predators would be the main risk for birds flying or foraging in open spaces; for example, among the species found in our woodcock surveys, Falco peregrinus is an important predator of woodcock in winter (Drewitt & Dixon 2008), and Accipiter gentilis (Widén 1987), Accipiter nisus (Hoodless & Hirons 2007), Buteo buteo (Reif et al 2001), and Strix aluco (Hoodless 1995) are known to include woodcock into their diet, although they generally only represent a small proportion of the prey. The fox have been reported as a woodcock predator in our study area (Braña & del Campo 1980) and Duriez et al (2004b) attributed most cases of predation in fields during the night to terrestrial predators such as foxes, feral cats or mustelids. We also found high predation rates and similar predator identity in our study population, with 6 out of 22 tagged woodcocks consumed by carnivorous mammals (5) and birds (1).…”

Section: Al 2004mentioning

confidence: 68%

Habitat Change and Timing of Dusk Flight in the Eurasian Woodcock: A Trade-Off between Feeding and Predator Avoidance?

Braña

Prieto

González‐Quirós

2010

Annales Zoologici Fennici

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Braña, F., Prieto, L. & González-Quirós, P. 2010: Habitat change and timing of dusk flight in the Eurasian woodcock: a trade-off between feeding and predator avoidance? -Ann. Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) over-wintering in northern Spain follows a pattern of daily movement from diurnal sites in woodlands to nighttime sites in grazed fields, congruent with previous reports on other European populations. Fields have a much higher abundance and biomass of earthworms, the main prey of woodcock, than woodlands, but are only used by birds at night, when they emerge about 30 minutes after sunset. Emergence time was quite uniform among fortnightly periods except for the second half of November when it was earlier, probably reflecting extended activity resulting from the higher energy requirements of migrating birds. Woodcock emergence time relative to sunset was negatively related to illumination, so that birds moved earlier when the sky was overcast. Also, birds tended to move earlier at low air temperatures, a pattern which is to be predicted since woodcock have higher energy requirements at low temperatures because of the increased cost of thermoregulation. Emerging late, at low light intensity, avoids exposure to raptors but results in reduced energy gains and therefore the timing of moving to feeding fields may be modified by energy considerations. We discuss the idea that there is a divergent spatio-temporal gradient of food and safety between woodlands and fields and, therefore, that predation risk is an important determinant of the timing of evening emergence of over-wintering woodcock. Thus, their daily activity cycle would reflect a trade-off between feeding and predator avoidance. Special features of the visual fields of the woodcock, allowing detection of predators at long distances, and chemoreceptors in the bill enabling detection and capture of prey by probing using non visual cues, comprise adaptations that facilitate successful feeding at night with reduced predation risk.

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Factors affecting population dynamics of Eurasian woodcocks wintering in France: assessing the efficiency of a hunting-free reserve

Cited by 43 publications

References 20 publications

Disturbances to great bustards (Otis tarda) in central Spain: human activities, bird responses and management implications

Disturbances to great bustards (Otis tarda) in central Spain: human activities, bird responses and management implications

Survival and movement of translocated houbara bustards in a mixed conservation area

Habitat Change and Timing of Dusk Flight in the Eurasian Woodcock: A Trade-Off between Feeding and Predator Avoidance?

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