More than just Night Parrots: A baseline bird survey of Pullen Pullen Reserve, south-western Queensland

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
A.S. Kutt ◽  
◽  
S.G. Kearney ◽  
P.L Kern ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Population Fluctuations ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Riparian Woodlands ◽  
Bird Survey

The birds of arid environments often exhibit nomadism, seasonal breeding and population fluctuations that respond to highly variable weather patterns. In this study we present data from a baseline bird survey in Bush Heritage Australia’s Pullen Pullen Reserve in south-western Queensland. We conducted seasonal surveys (October–November 2018, May 2019) in 40 sites representing Spinifex (Triodia spp.) grasslands, a complex of Mitchell Astrebla spp./chenopod grasslands and Georgina Gidgee Acacia georginae riparian woodlands, using a standardised 2-ha census. A total of 85 species was recorded in the standardised sites, as well as an additional 16 species recorded opportunistically. Twenty-six species (31%), many of which were nomadic, were recorded from only one of the surveys. Bird abundance and species richness were highest in the post-wet-season survey (May 2018), and there was strong variation in the composition of the bird species between the three habitats surveyed. These data provide a baseline to continue monitoring and to understand the resident and more peripatetic elements of this arid bird community, which should be surveyed regularly to investigate the role of changing management and the long-term influence of global environmental change.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal patterns of bird species diversity in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil: implications for conservation

2006 ◽  
Vol 66 (2a) ◽  
pp. 393-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. C. Figueira ◽  
R. Cintra ◽  
L. R. Viana ◽  
C. Yamashita
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
The Other ◽  
Resident Species ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Bird Survey ◽  
Bird Species Diversity ◽  
Habitat Generalists

Analysis of a three-year bird survey in the pantanal of Poconé revealed that most of the resident and seasonal birds are habitat generalists, using two or more habitats. In this study, previously sampled habitats were ranked in relation to species richness and stability (as measured by the ratio of seasonal to resident species). In all, nine habitats were grouped into three categories; results are as follows: 1) forests: more species-rich and more stable; 2) cerrado: intermediate levels; and 3) aquatic: less species-rich and less stable. The number of seasonal species remained relatively constant in forests throughout the year, while increasing in the other habitats during the dry season. The abundance of resident species seems to be related to species use of multiple habitats. Although many species were found to be habitat generalists, we discuss possible consequences of habitat loss and other human impacts on efforts to conserve this important bird community.

scholarly journals Fire effects on the composition of a bird community in an amazonian Savanna (Brazil)

2005 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 683-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Cintra ◽  
T. M. Sanaiotti
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Byrsonima Crassifolia ◽  
Mist Net

The effects of fire on the composition of a bird community were investigated in an Amazonian savanna near Alter-do-Chão, Pará (Brazil). Mist-net captures and visual counts were used to assess species richness and bird abundance pre- and post-fire in an approximately 20 ha area. Visual counts along transects were used to survey birds in an approximately 2000 ha area in a nearby area. Results using the same method of ordination analysis (multidimensional scaling) showed significant effects of fire in the 20 ha and 2000 ha areas and strongly suggest direct effects on bird community composition. However, the effects were different at different spatial scales and/or in different years, indicating that the effects of fire vary spatially and/or temporally. Bird community composition pre-fire was significantly different from that found post-fire. Using multiple regression analysis it was found that the numbers of burned and unburned trees were not significantly related to either bird species richness or bird abundance. Two months after the fire, neither bird species richness nor bird abundance was significantly related to the number of flowering trees (Lafoensia pacari) or fruiting trees (Byrsonima crassifolia). Since fire is an annual event in Alter-do-Chão and is becoming frequent in the entire Amazon, bird community composition in affected areas could be constantly changing in time and space.

scholarly journals Evidence of change in a low-elevation forest bird community of Hawai'i since 1979

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle H. Reynolds ◽  
Richard J. Camp ◽  
Bonnie M. B. Nielson ◽  
James D. Jacobi
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Natural Area ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Forest Bird ◽  
Bird Survey ◽  
Elevational Range ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Avian Disease

We evaluated the abundance and distribution of low-elevation forest birds on windward Hawai'i Island during August 1993-February 1994, and present evidence of changes in the species composition of the forest bird community since 1979. Endemic Hawaiian birds occurred in native-dominated forests as low as 120 m elevation. Non-native species were detected at all survey locations. We observed non-native Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola, previously unrecorded in Puna. Variable circular plot surveys of Kahauale'a Natural Area Reserve indicated the disappearance of two native species ('I'iwi Vestiaria coccinea and 'O'u Psittitostra psittacea), and two non-native additions (Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea and Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelana) to the study area since the Hawai'i Forest Bird Survey conducted in 1979. We present evidence that native 'Elepaio Chasiempsis sandwichensis has experienced a decrease in population density and an elevational range contraction since 1979. Surveys indicate Puna's forest bird community has had increasing aliens and declining native species since 1979. The persistence of some native bird species within the range of avian disease vectors such as Culex quinquefasciatus in forests below 1,000 m elevation presents an important enigma that requires additional study.

scholarly journals Environmental Determinants Influencing Seasonal Variations of Bird Diversity and Abundance in Wetlands, Northern Region (Ghana)

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Collins Ayine Nsor ◽  
Edward Adzesiwor Obodai
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Bubulcus Ibis

The study assessed major environmental determinants influencing bird community in six wetlands over a 2-year period. A combination of visual and bird sounding techniques was used to determine the seasonal variations in bird abundance, while ordination techniques were performed to determine the influence of environmental factors on bird assemblage. A total of 1,169 birds from 25 species and 885 individuals from 23 species were identified in the wet and dry season, respectively. The shallow close marshes supported the greatest number of birds (P<0.05) compared to the riparian wetlands. Bird diversity was significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season (F=4.101,P<0.05). Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) and marsh warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) were the most abundant. Using the IUCN “Red List” database guide, we noted that 96.2% of birds identified were least concern (LC). The yellow weaver bird (Ploceous megarhrynchus) was the only vulnerable species (VU) and represented 3.8%. From the three variables tested, bushfire and farming practices were the major threats and cumulatively explained 15.93% (wet season) and 14.06% (dry season) variations in bird diversity and abundance. These findings will help wetland managers design conservation measures to check current threats on birds from becoming vulnerable in the future.

scholarly journals Birds surveyed in the harvested and unharvested areas of a reduced-impact logged forestry concession, located in the lowland subtropical humid forests of the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Check List ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Felton ◽  
Bennett A. Hennessey ◽  
Annika M. Felton ◽  
David B. Lindenmayer
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Font Size ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Logging Effects ◽  
Logged Forest ◽  
Reduced Impact Logging

As part of a larger study of reduced-impact logging effects on bird community composition, we surveyed birds from December to February during the 2003-2004 wet-season within harvested and unharvested blocks of the La Chonta forestry concession, Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The logged forest was harvested using reducedimpact logging techniques between one and four years previously. During point count surveys, we identified 5062 individual birds, belonging to 155 species, and 33 families. We provide a list of bird species found within the harvested and unharvested blocks of the concession for the benefit of other researchers assessing the responses of Neotropical avifauna to disturbance, and to facilitate increased understanding of the diverse bird assemblages found within the lowland subtropical humid forests of Bolivia. 

Abundance and species composition of amphibians, small mammals, and songbirds in riparian forest buffer strips of varying widths in the boreal mixedwood of Alberta

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1784-1800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J Hannon ◽  
Cynthia A Paszkowski ◽  
Stan Boutin ◽  
Jordan DeGroot ◽  
S Ellen Macdonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Buffer Strips ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Managed Landscapes

Forested buffer strips are left along water bodies after forest harvesting to protect water quality and fish stocks, but little is known about their utility as reserves for forest species in managed landscapes. We report on changes in terrestrial vertebrate communities from pre- to post-harvest in experimentally created buffer strips (20, 100, 200, and 800 m wide) in a boreal mixedwood forest in Alberta, Canada. We trapped anuran amphibians and small mammals and spot-mapped bird territories around 12 lakes (4 treatment levels, 3 replicates) before and after harvesting. Changes in small mammal or amphibian abundance were not detected for any treatment relative to controls; however, these species are habitat generalists that used and even bred in clearcuts. Total bird abundance did not change after harvesting, with the exception of crowding in 20-m buffers 1 year post-harvest. Species composition did not change for amphibians and small mammals after harvest, but forest-dependent bird species declined as buffer width narrowed from 200 to 100 m and narrower. We concluded that 20–100 m buffers would not serve as reserves for forest songbirds in managed landscapes, but that 200 m wide strips conserved the pre-harvest passerine bird community, at least up to 3 years post-harvest.

scholarly journals Composition and structure of bird communities in vegetational gradients of Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAURICIO N. GODOI ◽  
FRANCO L. SOUZA ◽  
RUDI R. LAPS ◽  
DANILO B. RIBEIRO
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Composition And Structure

ABSTRACT The informations of bird species distribution in different habitats and the structure of their communities are crucial for bird conservation. We tested the differences in composition, richness and abundance of birds in different phytophysiognomies at Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil, and we demonstrated the variations in richness and abundance of birds between different trophic groups. Sampling was conducted between July 2011 and June 2012 in 200 point counts arranged in the study area. A total of 3350 contacts were obtained belonging to 156 bird species. Woodland savannas, seasonal forests and arboreal savannas had higher bird abundance and richness, while riparian forests, clean pastures and dirty pastures had smaller values of these parameters. The bird community was organized according to local vegetational gradient, with communities of forests, open areas and savannas, although many species occurred in more than one vegetation type. The insectivorous, omnivorous, frugivorous and gramnivorous birds composed most of the community. These data showed how important environmental heterogeneity is to bird communities. Furthermore, the presence of extensive patches of natural habitats, the small distance between these patches and the permeability of pastures, with high arboreal and shrubby cover, are indicated as important factors to maintain the bird diversity.

The Influence of Road Verges on the Use of Nearby Small Shrubland Remnants by Birds in the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Fortin ◽  
Graham W. Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Road Verge ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Road Verges ◽  
Number Of Individuals

In the Kellerberrin District of the Western Australian wheatbelt, about 60% of the remnants of native vegetation are smaller than 10 ha. We studied the variation in bird abundance in 13 small remnants (range 0·03–6·71 ha) of shrubland isolated in farmland by distances of 70–600 m from the nearest native vegetation, a road verge. Overall, 31 species were recorded in the remnants and nearby road verges, and species richness varied from 7 to 15 at individual sites. Regression analysis showed that the structural attributes of verges and the number of birds found in verges were more often significant predictors of variation in the number of individuals of the most common 19 species censused in remnants than were the structural attributes in the remnants themselves. The diversity of all bird species and the richness of species dependent on native vegetation decreased significantly with the distance of remnants from road verges. For a group of 10 species of small passerines, species richness, species turnover, and variation in the number of individuals between consecutive censuses all were negatively related to the distance between remnants and road verges. For five of these 10 species, there were fewer individuals in remnants than in adjacent road verges when the distance between them exceeded 110 m. However, for less-isolated remnants (≤110 m), only one species showed a significant difference in abundance. It is concluded that these small shrubland remnants are primarily used by birds moving to and from adjacent areas of native vegetation, in this case road verges. The value of small remnants of vegetation as parts of the conservation network decreases with their isolation, and is strongly linked to the use of road verges by the shrubland bird community.

scholarly journals Monitoring of Kilum-Ijim forest bird communities: initial findings

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip F. Forboseh ◽  
Ernest C. Keming ◽  
Clement L. Toh ◽  
Innocent N. B. Wultof
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
The Status ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
The Relationship

The Kilum-Ijim forest is an excellent example of the ornithological riches of the Cameroon montane forest biome. The forest is also important to over 200,000 people who exert enormous pressure on the ecosystem. In 1995, the Kilum-Ijim Forest Project began systematic monitoring of birds, with the intention of using them as indicators of the overall condition of the forest, as well as monitoring the status of individual species. Analyses of data collected in 1999–2000 demonstrated some clear differences in habitat use, suggesting suites of bird species may be indicators of changes in vegetation. However, beyond this, little is known about the response of birds to habitat modifications, or the relationship between bird abundance and diversity of other organisms at Kilum-Ijim. It is argued that the objective of assessing changes in vegetation could be more satisfactorily pursued through direct measurement of structural changes in habitats. We highlight the necessity for a shift in the programme objectives to place greater emphasis on monitoring endemic and threatened bird species for their own status and on assessing changes in the bird community as a function of changes in the vegetation.

scholarly journals Testing the Likeable, Therefore Abundant Hypothesis: Bird Species Likeability by Urban Residents Varies Significantly with Species Traits

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 487
Author(s):  
Lillian Collins ◽  
Grant D. Paton ◽  
Sara A. Gagné
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Habitat Availability ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Behavioral Traits

The urbanization of landscapes filters bird communities to favor particular species traits, driven in part by the changes that homeowners make to the amount and quality of habitat in yards. We suggest that an ultimate driver of these proximate mechanisms underlying bird community change with respect to urbanization is the likeability of species traits by urban residents. We hypothesize that bird species likeability, modulated by species traits, influences the degree to which homeowners alter the availability and quality of habitat on their properties and thereby affects species population sizes in urbanized landscapes. We refer to this new hypothesis as the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis. The Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis predicts that (1) bird species likeability varies with species morphological and behavioral traits, (2) homeowners use trait-based likeability as a motivator to modify habitat availability and quality on their properties, and (3) residential habitat availability and quality influences species populations at landscape scales. We tested the first prediction of the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis using a survey of 298 undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who were asked to rank their preferences for 85 forest generalist and edge/open country songbird species grouped according to 10 morphological and behavioral traits. Survey respondents preferred very small, primarily blue or black species that are insectivorous, aerial or bark foragers, residents, and culturally unimportant. On the other hand, respondents disliked large or very large, primarily yellow or orange species that forage on the ground and/or forage by flycatching, are migratory, and are culturally important. If the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis is true, natural resource managers and planners could capitalize on the high likeability of species that are nevertheless negatively affected by urbanization to convince homeowners and residents to actively manage their properties for species conservation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document