Niche switching and leapfrog foraging: movement ecology of sympatric petrels during the early breeding season

Despite the extent of subsistence farmland in Africa, little is known about endangered species that persist within them. The Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is regionally endangered in southern Africa and at least 20% of the population breeds in the subsistence farmland area previously known as the Transkei in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. To understand their movement ecology, adult Cape Vultures (n = 9) were captured and fitted with global positioning system/global system for mobile transmitters. Minimum convex polygons (MCPs),and 99% and 50% kernel density estimates (KDEs) were calculated for the breeding and non breeding seasons of the Cape Vulture. Land use maps were constructed for each 99% KDE and vulture locations were overlaid. During the non-breeding season, ranges were slightly larger(mean [± SE] MCP = 16 887 km2 ± 366 km2) than the breeding season (MCP = 14 707 km2 ± 2155 km2). Breeding and non-breeding season MCPs overlapped by a total of 92%. Kernel density estimates showed seasonal variability. During the breeding season, Cape Vultures used subsistence farmland, natural woodland and protected areas more than expected. In the non-breeding season, vultures used natural woodland and subsistence farmland more than expected, and protected areas less than expected. In both seasons, human-altered landscapes were used less, except for subsistence farmland.Conservation implications: These results highlight the importance of subsistence farm land to the survival of the Cape Vulture. Efforts should be made to minimise potential threats to vultures in the core areas outlined, through outreach programmes and mitigation measures.The conservation buffer of 40 km around Cape Vulture breeding colonies should be increased to 50 km.

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Investigating Home Range, Movement Pattern, and Habitat Selection of Bar-headed Geese during Breeding Season at Qinghai Lake, China

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani8100182 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 182 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ruobing Zheng ◽

Lacy Smith ◽

Diann Prosser ◽

John Takekawa ◽

Scott Newman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Movement Ecology ◽

Movement Pattern ◽

Qinghai Lake ◽

Important Species ◽

Central Asian ◽

Anser Indicus ◽

Selection Of

The Bar-headed Goose is the only true goose species or Anserinae to migrate solely within the Central Asian Flyway, and thus, it is an ideal species for observing the effects of both land use and climate change throughout the flyway. In this paper, we investigate the home range, movement pattern, and habitat selection of Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) during the breeding season at Qinghai Lake, which is one of their largest breeding areas and a major migration staging area in the flyway. We identified several areas used by the geese during the breeding season along the shoreline of Qinghai Lake and found that most geese had more than one core use area and daily movements that provided insight into their breeding activity. We also observed the intensive use of specific wetlands and habitats near Qinghai Lake. These data provide interesting insights into the movement ecology of this important species and also provide critical information for managers seeking to understand and respond to conservation concerns threatening Bar-headed Geese, such as landscape and habitat changes.

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Factors influencing Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) foraging movement patterns during the breeding season

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2014-0051 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 92 (10) ◽

pp. 885-891 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

S.T. Walter ◽

P.L. Leberg ◽

J.J. Dindo ◽

J.K. Karubian

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

Body Condition ◽

Colony Size ◽

Movement Ecology ◽

Movement Patterns ◽

Breeding Period ◽

Egg Hatching ◽

Seabird Species ◽

Brown Pelicans ◽

Pelecanus Occidentalis

During the breeding season, seabird foraging behaviors are driven by a combination of individual- and external-based factors. This study evaluated how two individual-based factors (body condition and sex) and two external factors (nest stage and colony size), and their interactions, were related to movement. To do so, we used movement data obtained from 22 GPS-tag-equipped Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis L., 1766) breeding in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In Brown Pelicans, the post-egg-hatching phase imposes increased foraging demands on breeding adults relative to the prehatching phase. This study demonstrates that the progression of the breeding period affects the nature and intensity of the relationship between individual-based factors and movement patterns. In particular, birds in relatively lower condition traveled greater distances during foraging trips during the energetically demanding posthatching phase, but not during the incubation stage. Contrary to many seabird species studied to date, neither colony size nor sex appeared to affect Brown Pelican movement patterns. Our results suggest that nest stage is the most important factor influencing foraging movements, and that it may modulate relationships between condition and movement. More refined measures of body condition and foraging behavior will allow further insights into the movement ecology of this seabird.

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Gone with the wind: Seasonal trends in foraging movement directions for a central-place forager

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/czoolo/60.5.604 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 60 (5) ◽

pp. 604-615 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Jesús Hernández-Pliego ◽

Carlos Rodríguez ◽

Javier Bustamante

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Foraging Strategy ◽

Central Place ◽

Prey Abundance ◽

Gone With The Wind ◽

Prey Distribution ◽

Foraging Movement ◽

Lesser Kestrel ◽

Foraging Flight

Abstract Lesser kestrels Falco naumanni are migratory central-place foragers that breed in dynamic arable landscapes. After arriving from migration, kestrels have no knowledge of the distribution of crops, and consequently prey, around their colony. The energy demand of pairs increases as breeding season progresses, but at the same time prey abundance, and their knowledge on prey distribution, also increases. Wind can have a strong influence on flight cost and kestrels should try to reduce energy expenditure when possible. When prey abundance is low, kestrels have little knowledge of prey distribution, and pairs have no chicks, they could reduce foraging flight cost by leaving the colony with tailwinds. When prey is abundant, knowledge on prey distribution has increased, and chick demand is high, kestrels should fly to the most favorable foraging patches. We analyzed foraging trips directions in a lesser kestrel colony along the breeding season and in relation to wind speed and direction. We recorded 664 foraging trips from 19 individuals using GPS-dataloggers. We found that outward flights direction changed from uniform to a concentrated distribution along the season, as prey abundance and individual experience increased. We also found a temporal trend in the angular difference between outward flights and wind directions, with low values early in the season and then increasing as expected, but again low values at the end, contrary to expectation. Results suggest changes in kestrels foraging strategy along the season in relation to wind. Kestrels depart more with tailwinds in exploratory flights early in the season, while there is a spurious coincidence in direction to preferred foraging patches and dominant wind direction at the end.

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Effect of Melatonin Implantation to Sperm Donor Rams on Post-thaw Viability and Acrosomal Integrity of Sperm Cells in the Breeding and Non-breeding Season

Reproduction in Domestic Animals ◽

10.1046/j.1439-0531.2001.d01-40.x ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 36 (3-4) ◽

pp. 211-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

A Kaya ◽

M Aksoy ◽

N Baspınar ◽

C Yıldız ◽

MB Ataman

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

Sperm Cells ◽

Sperm Donor ◽

Acrosomal Integrity

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Observation on the breeding biology of Polypedates teraiensis (Dubois, 1987) (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae)

Science Vision ◽

10.33493/scivis.17.01.05 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 25-32

Author(s):

Jacinta Lalchhanhimi ◽

Lalremsanga H.T.

Keyword(s):

Sexual Dimorphism ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Sound Production ◽

Reproductive Function ◽

Breeding Biology ◽

Tree Frog ◽

University Campus ◽

Morphometric Measurements ◽

Advertisement Calls ◽

Males And Females

The breeding biology of tree frog, Polypedates teraiensis was studied during the breeding season at Mizoram University Campus. It was found that sound production by male during the breeding season was primarily a reproductive function and advertisement calls attract females to the breeding areas and announce other males that a given territory is occupied. The aim of this study was to provide the detailed information on the breeding behaviour and the advertisement calls of Polypedates teraiensis. The morphometric measurements of the amplecting pairs (males and females) for sexual dimorphism along with clutch sizes were also studied.

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