Body Condition in Birds in Two Landscapes of the Upper Magdalena Valley, Colombia

The body condition (BC) is the sum of factors such as the state of energy reserves, the degree of health and the physiological wear of an individual. Despite its importance and the existence of a wide range of methodologies to measure it, in the Neotropic there are few works that value this variable in contrast to environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to analyze the BC during the years 2012-2013 of 13 bird species in two intervened landscapes in the tropical dry forest, located in the north of Tolima and the southwest of Huila in the region of the upper Magdalena Valley (UVM). The BC of species was assessed using the scaled mass index (SMI), using morphometric data such as wing chord, tarsal length and body mass. Significant differences were found in the SMI between landscapes and climatic seasons in the species Formicivora grisea, Saltator striatipectus, Sporophila schistacea and Basileuterus rufifrons. It was concluded that environmental variables evaluated affect the BC of some species but not the avifauna in general, mainly due to the effect of these variables on the availability of resources, the necessary energy spending to obtain them and the sensitivity of species to environmental changes.

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Distribution of bird species richness at a regional scale in tropical dry forest of Central America

Journal of Biogeography ◽

10.1046/j.1365-2699.2001.00575.x ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 651-662 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Thomas W. Gillespie ◽

Hartmut Walter

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Central America ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Bird Species Richness

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Diversidad de aves en fragmentos de bosque seco tropical en paisajes ganaderos del Departamento de Córdoba, Colombia

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v65i4.26313 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 1625

Author(s):

Jose Alejandro Vergara Paternina ◽

Jesús Ballesteros Correa ◽

Carlos González Charrasquiel ◽

Juan C. Linares Arias

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Shannon Index ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Secondary Forests

In Colombia the tropical dry forest is one of the most threatened and least known ecosystems; these have been impacted by different transformation processes and habitat fragmentation, which have affected bird conditions and survival. This research evaluated the influence of landscape elements (forest and pastures with different tree covers) on bird diversity in the tropical dry forest of Córdoba, Colombia. The study was developed within an extensive livestock landscape to characterize the avifauna in four habitat types formed by fragments of secondary forests with different tree cover: secondary forest, pastures with high tree cover, pastures with low tree cover and only pastures. The influence of tree cover on bird diversity was evaluated with monthly samplings in 200 m long transects (per habitat), with two observation intervals (6:00 - 9:00 and 15:00-18:00), from September 2011 to May 2012. A total of 6 667 individuals belonging to 180 species and 48 families of birds were registered. The most abundant species were Columbina talpacoti (5.37 %), Brotogeris jugularis (5.14 %), Tyrannus melancholicus (4.81 %) and Bubulcus ibis (4.80 %). The most abundant family was Tyrannidae (16.4 %), followed by Psitacidae (9.0 %) and Columbidae (8.2 %). The family with the highest number of species was Tyrannidae with 28 species, followed by Accipitridae and Icteridae with 10 species each. The greatest species richness was present in the secondary forest habitat, followed by the pastures with high tree cover, and pastures with low cover. The lowest abundance and species richness was found in pastures without tree cover with significant differences between the habitats (Fisher, p <0.05). According to the Shannon index, the diversity of birds was higher in the secondary forests. In contrast, the lowest diversity was found in pastures without tree cover. The greatest species richness occurred in the months of October and November. In the rest of the sampling period, the number of recorded species and individuals showed some stability. The importance of trees presence in extensive livestock areas was evidenced because they help to contain an important diversity of bird species, and they also generate connectivity among fragments of secondary forests in the cattle landscape.

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Avifaunal characterization of Corral de Piedra Palustrine Wetland, Nicoya, Costa Rica

UNED Research Journal ◽

10.22458/urj.v9i2.1898 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Roberto Vargas-Masis ◽

Lilliana Piedra-Castro ◽

Juan Bravo-Chacón

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Special Importance ◽

Bird Conservation ◽

Resident Species ◽

Bird Richness

Wetlands maintain high biodiversity and provide important habitat for many bird species, but now have strong pressure from anthropogenic activities. Birds in wetlands are important indicators of environmental changes and our goal was to characterize the bird community in the wetlands Palustrine Corral de Piedra as a mechanism for conservation of tropical dry forest of Costa Rica. We used point counts to describe bird richness and abundance in open (lakes and flooded grasslands) and wooded areas. We described habitat use and microhabitats, trophic guilds, biogeographic distribution and status in Costa Rica. We recorded 83 species of resident birds belonging to 36 families, of which 65 are resident species and 18 have some migratory status in Costa Rica. Secondary consumer species of small vertebrates corresponded to 45,8% and primary consumers were 25,3%. The birds mainly used trees for perching but use emergent shrubs, floating vegetation and water. We found a large number of Egrets, Flycatchers and Hawks playing important roles as pollinators, seed dispersers and predator is adding significant value to the ecological dynamics of forests and lakes in the area. Corral de Piedra has special importance as a site for the establishment of migratory birds and large number of resident species of conservation concern. We consider that joint efforts between residents and researchers are an important tool for bird conservation in the region.

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Seasonal and temporal variation in scaled mass index of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus)

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v132i4.2015 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 132 (4) ◽

pp. 368-377 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emma J. Nip ◽

Barbara Frei ◽

Kyle H. Elliott

Keyword(s):

Ambient Temperature ◽

Body Mass ◽

Body Condition ◽

Seasonal Variability ◽

Time Of Day ◽

The Body ◽

Food Sources ◽

Poecile Atricapillus ◽

Evolutionary Response ◽

Scaled Mass Index

Avian body mass reflects a trade-off between risk of starvation and predation, and may vary with ambient temperature, age, and time of day. Seasonal variability in body mass is a common occurrence in northern temperate regions, including adaptive fattening. Previous evidence suggests that seasonal variability is less pronounced in tree-feeding bird species, as their food sources during winter are less limited and variable compared to ground-foraging species. We determined fat scores of tree-feeding Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) captured year-round between 2004 and 2015 (n = 4248) in southern Quebec, to test the relative strength of possible drivers of variability in chickadee body mass, including time, date, and year of capture, age, and temperature. First, we demonstrated that scaled mass index (SMI) was the body condition index, out of four possible indices tested, which most strongly correlated with fat scores measured in the field. We used SMI subsequently as our estimator of body condition to avoid observer effects associated with fat scores. Similar to other studies, time of capture significantly affected SMI, in which birds captured later were heavier, indicating that chickadees experience overnight weight loss and subsequent weight gain from foraging throughout the day. SMI was constant from April to November, then peaked in late winter, but was not influenced by daily temperature after accounting for month and year. SMI was not significantly affected by age. We concluded that adaptive fattening is an evolutionary response to risk of starvation in winter, rather than a proximal response to immediate ambient temperature.

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Avian community characteristics and demographics reveal how conservation value of regenerating tropical dry forest changes with forest age

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.5217 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e5217 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Steven C. Latta ◽

Nathan L. Brouwer ◽

Danilo A. Mejía ◽

Maria M. Paulino

Keyword(s):

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Buffer Zone ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Neotropical Migrants ◽

Bird Conservation ◽

Secondary Forests ◽

Mature Forest ◽

Forest Sites ◽

Understory Shrubs

Expansion of secondary forests following the abandonment of agriculture may have important implications for bird conservation, but few studies have examined the dynamics of this process. We studied bird use of a chronosequence of differently-aged abandoned pastures regenerating to dry forest to better understand how the value of these habitats to birds changes over time. In a five year study on Hispaniola, we recorded 7,315 net captures of 60 species of landbirds in sites that began the study at two, five, 10, and 20 years post-abandonment, and in mature native dry forest. Twenty-five species made up 97% of all net captures. Highest capture rates were in the two youngest sites. These early-successional habitats had many over-wintering Neotropical migrants; among residents, granivores and frugivores predominated. In contrast, both the twenty-year-old and mature forest sites had few migrants, more resident insectivores and omnivorous species, and a greater proportion of endemics. Age and sex ratios, body condition and site persistence suggest early successional sites were sub-optimal for most over-wintering migrants, but habitat improved with age for three migratory species; results for permanent residents varied among species. Remnant trees and understory shrubs in the agroecological matrix likely contributed to avian diversity in regenerating dry forest sites, and proximity to mature forest also likely affected the diversity and abundance of birds in regenerating habitat. Our study shows that regenerating forests do not fully compensate for loss of mature dry forest habitat, even after 24 years of regeneration; natural restoration of complex microhabitats in dry forest sites converted to agriculture may take decades or longer. The highest value of regenerating forests may be as habitat for some over-wintering Neotropical migrants, and in creating a buffer zone that enhances biodiversity conservation by re-integrating these lands into the protected tracts of mature forest needed by the islands more unique and endemic bird species.

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Validating distribution models for twelve endemic bird species of tropical dry forest in western Mexico

Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1002/ece3.3160 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (19) ◽

pp. 7672-7686 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Miguel A. Ortega-Huerta ◽

Jorge H. Vega-Rivera

Keyword(s):

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Distribution Models ◽

Western Mexico

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Pre-mating herbage intake and the reproductive performance of north Country Cheviot ewes in different levels of body condition

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s000335610000578x ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 149-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

R. G. Gunn ◽

W. F. Smith ◽

A. J. Senior ◽

E. Barthram ◽

D. A. Sim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

The Body ◽

Ovulation Rate ◽

Corpora Lutea ◽

Mating Period ◽

The North ◽

Herbage Intake ◽

Low Sensitivity ◽

Body Condition Scores

ABSTRACTOver 4 years, a flock of mature North Country Cheviot ewes was grazed on different swards between weaning in August and mid October to achieve a range of condition scores at 5 weeks before mating (post-weaning period). During the subsequent 5 weeks before a synchronized mating (pre-mating period), all ewes were grazed on a perennial ryegrass/white clover sward, provided at high (H) or low (L) herbage masses (1600 to 2100 or 1200 to 1400 kg dry matter (DM) per ha, respectively). Ovulation rate was derived from the number of corpora lutea in 101 ewes slaughtered after first mating. Conception and lambing rates were derived from the number of lambs born to first mating of 406 ewes. In 2 out of the 4 years, 79 ewes were used to estimate herbage intake.There was no effect of post-weaning management on reproductive performance. Herbage intake and reproductive performance were examined in relation to the body condition of the ewes at 5 weeks before mating. On an H herbage mass pre-mating, herbage intake in the period immediately prior to mating was greatest in ewes in low body condition and declined significantly with increasing condition. On an L herbage mass pre-mating, herbage intake did not vary significantly with condition. Ovulation rate was low in ewes in low body condition (scores =≤·25) at 5 weeks before mating, increased significantly with increasing condition up to scores 2·50/2·75 but did not change significantly above such intermediate scores. Conception and lambing rates increased significantly with increasing body condition up to scores 2·50/2·75 and then decreased significantly as condition increased above these levels. These effects of body condition were greater on an L herbage mass pre-mating than they were on an H herbage mass. Ewes in the intermediate body condition scores of 2·50 and 2·75 at 5 weeks before mating had a low sensitivity to contemporary nutrition pre-mating. Such condition levels are therefore considered to be above the range of condition in the North Country Cheviot breed within which reproductive response is affected by contemporary nutrition pre-mating.The lower reproductive performance of ewes in high body condition (scores 3=3·00) at 5 weeks before mating was related to an increase in estimated ova and embryo loss and may be associated with a reduced herbage intake.

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Migration and Staging Patterns of the Wryneck (Jynx Torquilla) at Eilat, Israel

Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1560/ijee.57.3.247 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 57 (3) ◽

pp. 247-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Reuven Yosef ◽

Piotr Zduniak

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Bird Species ◽

Condition Index ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

The Body ◽

Body Condition Index ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Long Distance ◽

Stopover Site ◽

The Mean

The wryneck is an unusual representative of PalearcticPicidaein that it is a long-distance migrant, whose populations have declined across Europe in the last century. Israel is at the eastern extremes of the known wryneck migration routes in the spring, which are little studied. Hence, we studied the species migration patterns and staging at Eilat, the southern tip of Israel being a very important stopover site for many migratory bird species. During 28 springs and 25 autumn migration seasons in the years 1983-2010, a total of 588 wrynecks were trapped.The mean number of birds recorded per spring season was 18.32 (SE = 2.12) and only 3.00 ± 0.71 per autumn season. The analysis performed for spring passage showed that the mean proportion of juveniles to all birds to which ages were assigned was 48.9 ± 5.2%. Furthermore, we did not find any differences in the dates of ringing, wing length, body mass or body condition index of juvenile and adults. We retrapped 97 (18.9%) wrynecks during the spring. The average proportion retrapped per season was 18.3 ± 2.9% and the average stopover was 4.8 ± 0.4 days. Recaptured birds were in better body condition than at first capture, and the body condition index gained significantly during their stay at the stopover site. The low conservation priority accorded to these habitats — and ignored in spite of many studies from the reagion — highlights the importance of the preservation of priority areas such that avian and other migrations can continue with minimal human impact.

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The influence of diets enriched with vitamin E and Hadox drug on the meat productivity of quails

Kormlenie sel'skohozjajstvennyh zhivotnyh i kormoproizvodstvo (Feeding of agricultural animals and feed production) ◽

10.33920/sel-05-2003-05 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 51-68

Author(s):

R. Temiraev ◽

M. Farnieva

Keyword(s):

Vitamin E ◽

The Body ◽

Free Oxygen Radicals ◽

Local Production ◽

North Caucasus ◽

Metabolic Processes ◽

Biological Value ◽

The North ◽

Wide Range ◽

Meat Productivity

In recent decades, the quail industry has become a promising direction in industrial poultry farming in our country. The basis of full-fledged compound feed of meat poultry is grain cereals (corn, barley, sorghum, etc.) and legumes (soy, peas, castor-oil plant, etc.). However, due to the high concentration of lipids in the grain of some of these crops and compound feed in general if storage in conditions are violated, feeding them to quails in large quantities can lead to the accumulation of peroxides in them and activation of lipid peroxidation processes in the body. The mechanism of action of antioxidants is to activate the body’s anti-radical defense, because these drugs are able to effectively prevent “oxidative stress” by neutralizing free oxygen radicals. Without antioxidants due to the high activity of free radicals in the bird’s body the processes of oxidation of phospholipids of cell membranes are activated, which leads to the destruction of the structure of the DNA molecule and gene mutations. Therefore, natural and synthetic feed preparations of antioxidants, which differ in synergism of action with a wide range of dietary additives on metabolic processes, have become more actively used in poultry nutrition. The purpose of the research was to study the influence of barley-sorghum-soy-type diets enriched with antioxidant preparations Hadox and vitamin E on meat productivity, nutritional and biological value of meat, the state of metabolism in the body of quails reared for meat. Under the conditions of the North Caucasus the expediency of joint feeding of feed antioxidants vitamin E and Hadox to quails grown for meat has been experimentally proved and scientifically justified, when using diets based on barley grain, sorghum and soy of local production, to increase meat productivity, increase their nutritional and biological value of meat and intensify metabolic processes. Thus, in order to increase the economic effectiveness of quail meat production in the North Caucasus the formulation of compound feed based on barley, sorghum and soy of local production should be input together the antioxidant preparations vitamin E at the dose of 25 thousand IU/t of feed and Hadox at the dose of 150 g/t of feed.

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