Home‐ranges, population densities, vocal behavior, and post‐fledging movements of Cipo Canasteros ( Asthenes luizae , Furnariidae), a rock‐specialist endemic of the highlands of eastern Brazil

Abstract

Cipo Canasteros (Asthenes luizae, Furnariidae) have a fragmented and limited range restricted to the campos rupestres (rupestrian grasslands) habitat in the Brazilian highlands of the Espinhac ßo Range, and little is known about their behavior, ecology, and population biology. From March 2009 to November 2010, we monitored birds (24 banded and 22 radio-tracked) at two study sites at Serra do Cip o in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to estimate their home-range sizes and population density, and describe their habitat use, natal dispersal behavior, and vocal behavior. We found an average density of 8.7 paired adults/ km² in our study areas or 22.9 paired adults/km 2 when considering only used habitats. The sex ratio was male-biased (males/total adults = 0.68), adults exhibited high site fidelity, home-ranges averaged 4.0 ha (fixed kernel 95%) or 3.5 ha (95% minimum convex polygon) in size, and both sexes defended territories yearround. We recorded four main types of songs, including two uttered more often during the breeding season. We monitored the natal dispersal of two males and one female who moved maximum distances of 1238 m, 780 m, and 1056 m, respectively, from natal areas. Our results confirm that Cipo Canasteros are restricted to the rocky-outcrop habitat of the campos rupestres. In part due to their habitat specialization, Cipo Canasteros are considered Near Threatened, but other factors contributing to their demographic fragility include the small number, and probably low survival, of females and low reproductive success due to predation and brood parasitism by cowbirds. Given these threats, along with their specialized habitat and restricted range, the future conservation of Cipo Canasteros will likely depend on the extent to which their campos rupestres habitat can be conserved. RESUMEN.Rango de hogar, densidad poblacional, comportamiento vocal y movimientos posteriores a la salida del nido en Asthenes luizae (Furnariidae), un especialista de rocas end emico de las tierras altas de BrasilAsthenes luizae (Furnariidae) tienen una distribuci on fragmentada y restringida al h abitat de campos rupestres de las tierras altas de la cordillera de Espinhac ßo. Se conoce poco sobre su comportamiento, ecolog ıa y biolog ıa poblacional. Desde Marzo de 2009, hasta Noviembre de 2010, monitoreamos aves (24 con anillos y 22 con radio transmisores) en dos sitios de estudio en Serra do Cip o en el estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, con el fin de estimar el tamaño de sus rangos de hogar, la densidad poblacional y describir el uso de h abitat, comportamientos de dispersi on y comportamiento vocal. Encontramos una densidad promedio de 8.7 parejas de adultos/km 2 en nuestros sitios de estudio o 22.9 parejas de adultos/km 2 cuando consideramos solo los h abitat utilizados. La raz on sexual estuvo sesgada hacia los machos (machos/adultos totales = 0.68), los adultos tuvieron alta fidelidad de sitio, los rangos de hogar promediaron 4.0 ha (kernel fijado en 95%) o 3.5 ha (95% pol ıgono m ınimo convexo) en tamaño y ambos sexos d...

Geographic range and conservation of the Cipo CanasteroAsthenes luizae, an endemic furnariid of Brazilian sky islands

“…Cipo Canastero is the only bird endemic to campos rupestres that is restricted to rocky outcrops (Freitas et al 2019b). The other endemic birds of the mountaintops of eastern Brazil use a wider range of habitat types within the campo rupestre complex (Hoffmann 2006, Freitas and Rodrigues 2012, authors’ pers.…”

“…The sky islands are much smaller in the Central (10% of the total area) and North (5%) portions of the distribution, and the populations found in these areas may be severely threatened due to a possible small population size and high degree of isolation (> 50 km). This is especially relevant because Cipo Canasteros seems to have low dispersal ability (Costa 2015, Freitas et al 2019b).…”

“…During the field expeditions, we recorded the location points of observed individuals using a handheld GPS receiver (nominal error c.5 m). These birds were found based on their frequent vocalisation used for territorial defence (Freitas et al 2019b). We discarded localities closer than c.180 m to each other considering the minimum distance between individual territories (Freitas et al 2019b).…”

“…These birds were found based on their frequent vocalisation used for territorial defence (Freitas et al 2019b). We discarded localities closer than c.180 m to each other considering the minimum distance between individual territories (Freitas et al 2019b). We checked the geographical coordinates of published records using satellite images from Google Earth (available at https://www.google.com/earth).…”

“…In the sky-island archipelagos formed by the mountain tops of eastern Brazil, there are nine endemic birds, including four ovenbirds (Furnariidae), two species of the Cinclodes genus and two of the Asthenes genus, all with a unique distribution, ecology, and evolutionary history (Chaves et al 2015). The poorly known Cipo Canastero Asthenes luizae is strongly associated with rocky outcrops in higher elevations of the Espinhaço Range, to which it is endemic (Vasconcelos et al 2008, Gomes and Rodrigues 2010, Costa 2015, Costa et al 2019, Freitas et al 2019b). Cipo Canastero was only described in 1990 based on one population discovered in Serra do Cipó, central Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil (Pearman 1990, Vielliard 1990).…”