Small owls in relation to habitat structure: occurrence of Tropical Screech-owl (Megascops choliba) and Ferruginous Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) in the mountain forests of central Argentina

Agostina S. Juncosa-Polzella; Francis Merlo; Miguel F. Cura; Valentín Zárate

doi:10.56178/eh.v35i2.440

Articles Published 01 December 2020 https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v35i2.440

Small owls in relation to habitat structure: occurrence of Tropical Screech-owl (Megascops choliba) and Ferruginous Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) in the mountain forests of central Argentina

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl forest structure landscape nocturnal raptors predators presence-absence Tropical Screech-Owl

Agostina S. Juncosa-Polzella Centro de Zoología Aplicada Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales (UNC), Rondeau 798, 5000 Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina

Francis Merlo Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (CONICET – UNC), Rondeau 798, 5000 Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina

Miguel F. Cura Centro de Zoología Aplicada Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales (UNC), Rondeau 798, 5000 Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina

Valentín Zárate Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET - UNaM), Bertoni 85, 3370 Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina

Abstract

Owls are top predators poorly studied in the Neotropics. Their occurrences can be affected by forest structure and landscape features. We report Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba) and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) detections in relation to habitat characteristics in central Argentina. During the spring of 2019, we surveyed 250 ha of mountain forest, measured habitat characteristics in presences/absences sites, and estimated owls’ densities. M. choliba (0.16 individuals/ha) was positively associated with snag whereas G. brasilianum (0.05 individuals/ha) was positively associated with proportions of small trees. Our results suggest that these habitat characteristics might be important covariates when studying these two species.

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References

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Barros OG y Cintra R (2009) The effects of forest structure on occurrence and abundance of three owl species (Aves: Strigidae) in the Central Amazon forest. Zoologia 26:85-96.
Batisteli AF, Costiuc MY, Santiéff IZ, Costa RO, Sarmento H y Pizo MA (2020) Breeding biology of the Creamy-bellied Thrush (Turdus amaurochalinus) in southeast Brazil. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 55:1-9.
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Burnham KP y Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical information-theoretic approach. Segunda edición. Springer, New York.
Cabido M, Zeballos SR, Zak M, Carranza ML, Giorgis MA, Cantero JJ y Acosta AT (2018) Native woody vegetation in central Argentina: Classification of Chaco and Espinal forests. Applied Vegetation Science 21:298-311.
Campioni L, Sarasola JH, Santillán M y Reyes MM (2013) Breeding season habitat selection by Ferruginous Pygmy Owls (Glaucidium brasilianum) in central Argentina. Bird Study 60:35-43.
Carey AB, Horton SP y Biswell BL (1992) Northern spotted owls: influence of prey base and landscape character. Ecological Monographs 62:223-250.
Carrera JD, Fernández FJ, Kacoliris FP, Pagano L y Berkunsky I (2008) Field notes on the breeding biology and diet of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) in the dry Chaco of Argentina. Ornitología Neotropical 19:315-319.
Cerasoli M y Penteriani V (1992) Effectiveness of censusing woodland birds of prey by playback. Avocetta 16:35-39.
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Gavier GI y Bucher EH (2004) Deforestación de las Sierras Chicas de Córdoba (Argentina) en el período 1970-1997. Academia Nacional de Ciencias 101:1-27.
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Menq W y Anjos L (2015) Habitat selection by owls in a seasonal semi-deciduous forest in southern Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology 75:143-149.
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How to cite

Agostina S. Juncosa-Polzella, Francis Merlo, Miguel F. Cura, Valentín Zárate (2020). Small owls in relation to habitat structure: occurrence of Tropical Screech-owl (Megascops choliba) and Ferruginous Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) in the mountain forests of central Argentina. El Hornero, Vol. 35 No. 2 (2020), 87-93. https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v35i2.440

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[1] Amaral FK (2007) Composição e abundância de corujas em Floresta Atlântica e sua relação com variáveis de habitat. Tesis de maestría, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre.

[2] Barros OG y Cintra R (2009) The effects of forest structure on occurrence and abundance of three owl species (Aves: Strigidae) in the Central Amazon forest. Zoologia 26:85-96.

[3] Batisteli AF, Costiuc MY, Santiéff IZ, Costa RO, Sarmento H y Pizo MA (2020) Breeding biology of the Creamy-bellied Thrush (Turdus amaurochalinus) in southeast Brazil. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 55:1-9.

[4] Borges SH, Henriques LM y Carvalhaes A (2004) Density and habitat use by owls in two Amazonian forest types. Journal of Field Ornithology 75:176-182.

[5] Burnham KP y Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical information-theoretic approach. Segunda edición. Springer, New York.

[6] Cabido M, Zeballos SR, Zak M, Carranza ML, Giorgis MA, Cantero JJ y Acosta AT (2018) Native woody vegetation in central Argentina: Classification of Chaco and Espinal forests. Applied Vegetation Science 21:298-311.

[7] Campioni L, Sarasola JH, Santillán M y Reyes MM (2013) Breeding season habitat selection by Ferruginous Pygmy Owls (Glaucidium brasilianum) in central Argentina. Bird Study 60:35-43.

[8] Carey AB, Horton SP y Biswell BL (1992) Northern spotted owls: influence of prey base and landscape character. Ecological Monographs 62:223-250.

[9] Carrera JD, Fernández FJ, Kacoliris FP, Pagano L y Berkunsky I (2008) Field notes on the breeding biology and diet of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) in the dry Chaco of Argentina. Ornitología Neotropical 19:315-319.

[10] Cerasoli M y Penteriani V (1992) Effectiveness of censusing woodland birds of prey by playback. Avocetta 16:35-39.

[11] Claudino RM (2013) Como a fragmentação da Mata Atlântica no sudoeste de Minas Gerais afeta aspectos da ecologia de população e assembleia de corujas (Aves: Strigiformes). Tesis de maestría, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto.

[12] Cockle K, Martin K y Wiebe K (2011) Selection of nest trees by cavity‐nesting birds in the Neotropical Atlantic forest. Biotropica 43:228-236.

[13] Enríquez PL y Rangel-Salazar JL (2001) Owl occurrence and calling behavior in a tropical rainforest. Journal of Raptor Research 35:107-114.

[14] Gavier GI y Bucher EH (2004) Deforestación de las Sierras Chicas de Córdoba (Argentina) en el período 1970-1997. Academia Nacional de Ciencias 101:1-27.

[15] Graham MH (2003) Confronting multicollinearity in ecological multiple regression. Ecology 84:2809-2815.

[16] Hausleitner D (2006) Inventory methods for owl surveys. Standards for Components of British Columbia’s Biodiversity No. 42. Ministry of Environment for the Resources Information Standards Committee, British Columbia.

[17] Ibarra JT, Martin KM, Drever C y Vergara G (2014) Occurrence patterns and niche relationships of sympatric owls in South American temperate forests: a multi-scale approach. Forest Ecology and Management 331:281-291.

[18] König C, Weick F y Becking JH (2008) Owls of the world. Segunda edición. Christopher Helm, London.

[19] Larson MD y Holt DW (2016) Using roadside surveys to detect short‐eared owls: A comparison of visual and audio techniques. Wildlife Society Bulletin 40:339-345.

[20] MacKenzie DI, Nichols JD, Sutton N, Kawanishi K y Bailey LL (2005) Improving inferences in population studies of rare species that are detected imperfectly. Ecology 86:1101-1113.

[21] Menq W y Anjos L (2015) Habitat selection by owls in a seasonal semi-deciduous forest in southern Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology 75:143-149.

[22] Narosky S y Yzurieta D (2010) Aves de Argentina y Uruguay: guía de identificación. Vázquez Mazzini, Buenos Aires.

[23] QGIS Development Team (2019) QGIS Geographic Information System. Open Source Geospatial Foundation, Beaverton. (URL: http://www.qgis.org).

[24] R Core Team (2019) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Viena. (URL: http://www.R-project.org).

[25] Rivera-Rivera E, Enríquez PL, Flamenco-Sandoval L y Rangel-Salazar JL (2012) Ocupación y abundancia de aves rapaces nocturnas (Strigidae) en la Reserva de la Biosfera Selva El Ocote, Chiapas, México. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 83:742-752.

[26] Sarasola JH, Grande JM y Bechard MJ (2018) Conservation status of Neotropical raptors. Pp. 373-394 en: Sarasola JH, Grande JM y Negro JJ (eds). Birds of Prey: Biology and Conservation in the XXI Century. Springer, Cham.

[27] Schaaf AA, Tallei E, Politi N y Rivera L (2019) Cavity-tree use and frequency of response to playback by the Tropical Screech-Owl in northwestern Argentina. Neotropical Biology and Conservation 14:99-107.

[28] Sergio F, Marchesi L y Pedrini P (2008) Density, diet and productivity of Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) in the Italian Alps: the importance of Microtus voles. Bird Study 55:321-328.

[29] Zuur AF, Ieno EN, Walker NJ, Saveliev AA y Smith GM (2009) Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R. Springer, New York