The seasonal role of field characteristics on seed-eating bird abundances in agricultural landscapes

Current Zoology
Emmanuel ZufiaurreDavid Bilenca

Abstract

In temperate agroecosystems, avian responses in abundance and distribution to landscape attributes may be exacerbated by the coupling of natural seasons and farming practices. We assessed the seasonal roles of field type, field use in the surroundings, and distance from a field to the nearest woodlot on the abundance of seed-eating birds in a 225,000 km2study area in the Pampas of central Argentina. During spring-summer and autumn of 2011-2013, we randomly selected 392 fields and used transect samples to collect data on abundance and presence of seed-eating bird species. We recorded a total of 11,579 individuals belonging to 15 seed-eating bird species. We used generalized lineal mixed models to relate bird abundance to field type, field use in the surroundings, and distance to the nearest woodlot. In spring-summer (breeding season) most bird responses were associated with their nesting requirements. Species that build their nests in trees, such as eared dovesZenaida auriculata, picazuro pigeonsPatagioenas picazuro, and monk parakeetsMyiopsitta monachus, were more abundant in fields closer to woodlots, whereas grassland yellow-finchesSicalis luteola, which nest at areas with tall grasses, were more abundant in fields with lives...Continue Reading

References

Mar 10, 2001·Brazilian Journal of Biology = Revista Brasleira De Biologia·Y Oniki, E O Willis
Jul 19, 2002·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·P F DonalM F Heath
Sep 16, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Douglas C MortonJeff Morisette

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