Survival estimates of bird species across altered habitats in the tropical Andes

Abstract

The probability of long‐term persistence of a population is strongly determined by adult survival rates, but estimates of survival are currently lacking for most species of birds in the tropical Andes, a global biodiversity hotspot. We calculated apparent survival rates of birds in the Ecuadorian tropical Andes using a moderately long‐term (11 yr) capture–recapture dataset from three habitats that varied in how much they had been modified by human activities (native forest, introduced forest, and shrubs). We fit mark–recapture models for 28 species with habitat as a covariable. For all species, recapture rates between sampling sessions were low and varied from 0.04 for Rainbow Starfrontlets (Coeligena iris) to 0.41 for Stripe‐headed Brushfinches (Arremon assimilis) when averaged across all occupied habitats. Annual survival rates varied from 0.07 for Black‐crested Warblers (Margarornis squamiger) to 0.75 for Violet‐throated Metaltails (Metallura baroni). We found no significant differences in survival rates either among habitats or species grouped by habitat specialization. Because we found similar survival rates in native forest and human‐modified habitats, our results support those of recent studies concerning the potential value of secondary habitats for the conservation of some species of birds in the tropics. However, our conclusions are tempered by the uncertainty around the estimates of survival rates. Despite the relatively long‐term nature of our study, obtaining survival estimates for bird species in this region was challenging, and either more years of study or modification of field protocols may be needed to obtain more precise survival estimates.

Temporal stability in species richness but reordering in species abundances within avian assemblages of a tropical Andes conservation hot spot

“…(<2-3 m), with isolated taller trees mainly along small creeks that crossed our sampling area. There has been little change in the structure of the vegetation in all habitat types over the period of this study (Tinoco et al, 2019).…”

“…For instance, across habitats comparisons have shown that temporal composition change is higher in disturbed or successional environments compared to undisturbed habitats (Kampichler et al, 2014;Stegen et al, 2013). (Tinoco et al, 2019), suggesting that local vegetation dynamics have not strongly influenced observed changes in assemblage evenness. As local assemblages are highly connected to dynamics of the regional species pool, it is possible that changes in the native forest are a result of land-use change operating beyond the boundaries of the Mazán reserve (Latta et al, 2011).…”

Habitat alteration modifies the structure and function of mixed‐species flocks in an Andean landscape

“…For instance, Cranioleuca antisiensis is a species that is common in exotic forests of the region (Latta et al, 2011), and increased in abundance in the flocks found in areas with exotic trees. Myothlypis corona is a native forest species in the region (Tinoco et al, 2019), whose abundance in flocks was positively associated with native forest‐like conditions (high abundance of native trees and high canopy cover). Anairetes parulus is a species that thrives in shrubby habitats, and increased in abundance in flocks found in shrubby areas.…”

“…For instance, Cranioleuca antisiensis is a species that is common in exotic forests of the region (Latta et al, 2011), and increased in abundance in the flocks found in areas with exotic trees. Myothlypis corona is a native forest species in the region (Tinoco et al, 2019) (Goodale et al, 2015)) could be sensitive to habitat disturbance (Mammides et al, 2015), and the decline or loss of those species can reduce flocking propensity and even cause flock breakdown (Mammides et al, 2018;Rutt et al, 2020;Sridhar & Sankar, 2008). S3)…”

MATORRALERO NUQUIRRUFO Atlapetes latinuchus, LONGEVIDAD

“…En las dos ocasiones estaban acompañados por individuos sin anillas metálicas. En la zona se han marcado aves con diferentes propósitos y diferentes tipos de anillas (Hartmann et al, 2014;Tinoco et al, 2019), y para esta especie se ha establecido una probabilidad baja de recaptura con redes de niebla (Tinoco et al, 2019). Dadas las características de la anilla (Fig.…”