Golden-cheecked Warbler in Central America Pine-oak Forest Ecoregion

Ana José Cóbar-Carranza1, Efraín Castillejos-Castellanos2, Manolo

García Vettorazzi1, and Claudia Macias Caballero2. 1Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala . 2Pronatura Sur A.C.

2016 Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped

Vireo Symposium Austin Texas January 2016

GCWA migrates through the mountains of eastern Mexico along the Sierra Madre Oriental in the states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Queretaro, Veracruz and Chiapas.

•  When arrive to winter grounds, It spends winter in temperate forests of Chiapas (Mexico), Guatemala, Salvador Honduras & Nicaragua.

Timeline GCWA Studies in winter grounds….

1990-1993

Pronatura Sur studies winter ecology of GCWA in Highlands of Chiapas

1999

SalvaNatura starts birds monitoring in pine-oak forest (Montecristo, El Salvador)

Defensores de la Naturaleza establishes conservation project for GCWA in Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve (Guatemala)

2000-2003

Pronatura Sur (México) and defensores de la Naturaleza (Guatemala) studies distribution and ecology of GCWA in winter grounds

Defensores de la Naturaleza facilitate a regional workshop for GCWA Conservation in winter grounds. First protocol.

2001 2003

The Alliance was established during mesoamerican society for biological conservation meeting in Chiapas

2004

The Alliance develop a standar protocol for a regional monitoring of GCWA

2006-2010

First regional proyect. The Alliance apply standard protocol to monitoring GCWA in winter grounds (TPWD)

Standard Methodologies & Regionals Monitoring Projects

Increase knowledge about GCWA in winter grounds

What we know…..

•  Habitat use

•  Populations tendencies of GCWA

•  Potential distribution of GCWA in the Central America Pine-oak Forest Ecoregion

•  Mixed species flocks dynamic

ECOLOGY  AND  MONITORING  OF  GOLDEN-­‐CHEEKED  WARBLERS  THROUGHOUT  THEIR  WINTER  RANGE

Institutional collaboration among •  Pronatura Sur (Mexico). •  Defensores de la Naturaleza (Guatemala). •  SalvaNATURA (El Salvador). •  Fundacion-Gaia, ALAS, The Nature Conservancy &

MARENA (Nicaragua). •  Fundación EDUCA, The Nature Conservancy, Centro

Zamorano de Biodiversidad & SERNA (Honduras). •  The Nature Conservancy-Texas & Zoo Conservation

Outreach Group (USA).

•  With the support of Section 6 Endangered Species Act funds (U.S.F.W.S.), administered by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.  

 

Methodology

•  Four-­‐year  project   (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010).  

•  Each  winter  from  November  to  February  •  5 teams in  5  countries  (Chiapas-­‐Mexico,  Guatemala,  El  Salvador,  Honduras  

and  Nicaragua). •  5  localiHes  per  country.  •  Each  locality  studied  5  mixed  foraging  flocks  of  insecHvorous  birds.  •  Protocol  included  2  observers  following  each  flock  for  4  h  in  the  morning  

and    describing  vegetaHon  in  area  occupied  by  flock.  •  AOer  four  seasons,  we  have  data  from  over  600  flocks    

(440  Golden-­‐cheeked  Warblers  records).    

Why do we study mixed foraging flocks

•  GCWA has a special behavior when arrives to winter grounds.

•  GCWA join mixed

foraging flocks during the morning to search food into the forests.

Golden Cheeked Warbler Townsend´s Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler Hermit Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler Slate-throated Redstart

•  Applied Multiple regression - 19 variables

Efect of habitat characteristics

–  midlevel encino cover (2-10 m) (P=0.000, R2= 11.9%)

–  Tree Maximum height (P=0.005, R2= 2.0%)

–  Canopy encino cover (alto, > 10 m) (P=0.007, R2= 1.0%)

RESULTS

Tree where GCWA were first sighted

   

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

pine roble encino Quercus sp. sweetgum broadleaf

tree taxon

ind

ivid

ual

s

male typefemale typeall

Population Tendencies Table. GLM analysis of absolute abundance of GCWA per migration season

Es8mator   Standard  Error   Z  Value   Pr(>|z|)  Intercept   1.0335   0.0981   10.54   0.0000  Season  07-­‐08   0.1880   0.1241   1.52   0.1297  Season  08-­‐09   0.2160   0.1276   1.69   0.0906  Season  09-­‐10   0.0175   0.1332   0.13   0.8954  

- No significant differences between migration season

-  The abundance of GCWA is stable

Figure.  Absolute  abundance  of  GCWA  per  migraHon  season

Table. GLM analysis of absolute abundance of GCWA by country and migration season Country   Es8mator   Standard  Error    z  Value   Pr(>|z|)  GUATEMALA  Intercept   0.4055   0.3333   1.22   0.2238  Season  07-­‐08   0.3677   0.4336   0.85   0.3964  Season  08-­‐09   0.4055   0.3849   1.05   0.2921  Season  09-­‐10   0.3567   0.4216   0.85   0.3976  HONDURAS  Intercept   1.1451   0.2132   5.37   0.0000  Season  07-­‐08   0.6466   0.2575   2.51   0.0120*  Season  08-­‐09   1.3563   0.2487   5.45   0.0000*  Season  09-­‐10   0.7156   0.2601   2.75   0.0059*  MÉXICO  Intercept   1.3499   0.1361   9.92   0.0000  Season  07-­‐08   0.0249   0.1732   0.14   0.0376*  Season  08-­‐09   -­‐0.4336   0.2086   -­‐2.08   0.8855  Season  09-­‐10   -­‐0.1067   0.1943   -­‐0.55   0.5828  NICARAGUA  Intercept   0.1823   0.4082   0.45   0.6552  Season  07-­‐08   0.0800   0.4935   0.16   0.8712  Season  08-­‐09   0.6650   0.4880   1.36   0.1729  Season  09-­‐10   -­‐0.1067   0.1943   -­‐0.55   0.5828  EL  SALVADOR  Intercept   0.9555   0.2773   3.45   0.0006  Season  07-­‐08   -­‐0.0800   0.4003   -­‐0.20   0.8415  Season  08-­‐09   -­‐0.2624   0.4494   -­‐0.58   0.5593  Season  09-­‐10   -­‐0.3677   0.4336   -­‐0.85   0.3964  

•  In Mexico the season 2007-2008 a higher number of GCWA was recorded (season 2007-2008 No. GCWA= 41, χ=26.2 ± 5) and more monitoring sites were surveyed.

•  In Honduras the season 2006-2007 showed the lowest number of GCWA in comparison to other seasons (season 2006-2007 No. GCWA= 19, χ=26.3 ± 2.6).

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE 55 monitoring sites 44 presence of S. chrysoparia is reported

Country   Monitoring  site   No.  GCWA/  flock   Status  

México  

Reforma   3  

Very  common  

Sierra  Morena   1.5  Laguna  Cochi   1.1  Arcotetes   1  Moxviquil   1  Tres  Picos   1  Buenos  Aires   1  

Guatemala  Cubulco   1.4   Very  common  San  Jerónimo   0.95   Common  San  Lorenzo  Mármol   0.8  

Honduras  Uyuca   2.43  

Very  common  La  Tigra   1.61  La  Muralla   1  

El  Salvador   Parque  Nacional  Montecristo   1.05   Very  common  El  Manzano   0.75   Common  

Nicaragua   Miramar   0.5   Common  

Potential Distribution

Less probability More probability

Record of presence

Variables: - Altitud - 19 bioclimatic var.

Central America Pine Oak Ecoregion GCWA potential habitat

Countries  Potential habitat (km2)   %  

Guatemala   21,552.8   40  Honduras   15,553.12   29  México   12,768.91   24  Nicaragua   3,684.56   7  El Salvador   402.14   1  TOTAL   53,961.53  

Challenges for the future

•  Determine population density of GCWA –  Are there changes in population of GCWA

in the monitoring sites?

•  Characterize the habitat of the GCWA –  Which are the key species of the habitat?

–  Which are determining factors in the habitat (plant species richness, structure, others) to ensure the presence and abundance of GCWA?

Acknowledges:

•  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Section 6 grant program (Endangered Species Act fund) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the grants for fieldwork

•  Neotropical Migratory Conservation Act grant for the analysis

•  Pronatura‐Sur in México, Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza in Guatemala,SalvaNATURA in El Salvador and FUNDECI/GAIA in Nicaragua

•  Members of the Alliance for the Conservation of Pine‐Oak Forests in Mesoamerica.

THANKS!!

Foto Carlos Funes.