Riparian corridors enhance movement of a forest specialist bird in fragmented tropical forest

Abstract

Riparian corridors and fencerows are hypothesized to increase the persistence of forest animals in fragmented landscapes by facilitating movement among suitable habitat patches. This function may be critically important for forest birds, which have declined dramatically in fragmented habitats. Unfortunately, direct evidence of corridor use has been difficult to collect at landscape scales and this limits support for corridors in conservation planning. Using telemetry and handheld GPS units, we examined the movement of forest birds by translocating territorial individuals of barred antshrikes (Thamnophilus doliatus; a forest specialist) and rufous-naped wrens (Campylorhynchus rufinucha; a forest generalist) 0.7-1.9 km from their territories in the highly fragmented tropical dry forest of Costa Rica. In each translocation, the directly intervening habitat comprised 1 of 3 treatments: forested riparian corridor, linear living fencerow, or open pasture. Antshrikes returned faster and with greater success in riparian corridors relative to pasture treatments. This species also traveled more directly in riparian corridor treatments, detoured to use forested routes in the other 2 treatments, and did not use fencerows even when they led directly to their home territories. By contrast, wrens were more likely to use fencerows when returning, and return time and success were equivalent among the 3 treatments. Both species crossed fewer gaps in tree cover during riparian corridor treatments than in fencerow or pasture treatments. We conclude that antshrikes, which may be representative of other forest specialists, use forested corridors for movement in this landscape and that fencerows are avoided as movement conduits.