The Behavioural Ecology, Local Population Dynamics and Conservation of the Bearded Reedling &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Panurus Biarmicus&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; in “El Hondo Natural Park” (SE Spain)

Ignacio García Peiró

doi:10.11648/j.eeb.20170202.12

Abstract

The behavioural ecology of the Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus in wild using data available from mist-netting has received little attention. One of such aspects is to evaluate if flock composition and structure vary among reed successional stages and facilities dispersal among near wetlands in small and semi-isolated populations by analysing mist-netting capture events. This study shows that mist-netting events comprised catches of solitary birds or small groups in samples from small to moderate size. Overall mean frequency of each flock result in a population of low aggregation at low densities and being lower than reported from bigger central Spanish populations. A majority of birds of these flocks are transients, characterized by have shorter wing lengths and smaller body masses compared to which attain higher body masses and longer wing lengths. Residents have the ability to settle in unmanaged sparse habitats in the periphery of the wetlands and the possibility to undertake longer flights outside wetlands is greater due to a higher condition and performance. Since a high overnight mass loss of birds has been verified in this study, I hypothesize that Bearded Reedlings move in short-times elapsed from sunset (before arriving at the roosts) to sunrise, so earlier surveys carried out in wetlands might give inadequate results to monitoring Bearded Reedling’s populations, demanding alternative methods to survey them properly. Due to the occurrence of such residents, the importance of saltmarshes with reed sparse-patches in the periphery of wetlands results in a key factor for the dispersal of this species.

Highlights

It is broadly assumed that social status may be determined by sex, age [1] body size and body condition [2]
The subspecific status and distribution in Eurasia of the Bearded Reedling remained controversial on early [43, 44] but today is currently assumed as polytypic species in the Western Palearctic [17] and corresponding to the Paradoxornithidae Family
This study reveals that Bearded Reedling at El Hondo, as an example of a semi-isolated wetland complex, is basically a solitary and nomadic bird or conform small flocks of small to moderate size similar to another findings [28]

Summary

Introduction

It is broadly assumed that social status may be determined by sex, age [1] body size and body condition [2]. In social birds matching a group-system in some part of the year it has been proved that some species have a double diet: seed-based [3,4,5] and invertebrate-based [6]. Some birds are termed "resident", staying at the site for long-periods and being recaptured on some occasions. The majority of social birds are "transients", staying for short periods and often only being caught once. Transients are more mobile than residents which make only short-range [3, 6]. Residents are consistently heavier than transients in absence of predators [7] and preys reduce its abundance in the proximity of predators [8]

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