Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13157/arla.64.2.2017.ra3
Authors: Raphaël MUSSEAU, Sonia BESLIC and Christian KERBIRIOU
E-mail: r.musseau@biosphere-environnement.com
Published: Volume 64.2, July 2017. Pages 325-345.
Language: Spanish
Original Title: Importancia de los humedales intermareales para el ruiseñor pechiazul Cyanecula svecica namnetum endémico de la costa francesa e implicaciones de conservación en el contexto del cambio global
Keywords: coastal zone management, diet, energy expenditure, home range, marshland passerines, moult and trophic resources
Summary:
Coastal specialised
species have naturally restricted distribution areas and may be drastically
affected by fragmentation or loss of their habitats due to ongoing changes,
such as artificialisation, shoreline erosion, rising water levels or
colonisation by invasive species. In this context we characterise the land occupation
strategies of a Western Atlantic French coastal endemic bird: the Bluethroat Cyanecula svecica namnetum. Our study
focuses on a key period of the life cycle of this species: the post-breeding
moult. Capture and recapture sessions in intertidal habitats have allowed us to
retrieve 26% of local breeders during their moulting period. The modeling of
moult kinetics revealed that moult of flight feathers takes 37-50 days. A
radio-tracking survey of moulting birds revealed exploitation by individuals of
both the lowest and tallest vegetal
formations of intertidal sites and exploitation of small home ranges
(0.42-1.34
ha), typical of locations where trophic resources tend to be abundant and
predictable. Analyses of droppings highlighted that Coleoptera, Aranea and
marine crustaceans (Amphipoda) contributed most of the prey biomass consumed, amphipods
being particularly selected by birds in active moult. Our results underline the
importance of intertidal wetlands in terms of trophic opportunities to
compensate for the energy costs of moult for the Bluethroat. Given the global
changes already dramatically affecting coastal habitats, we emphasise that
special attention should be given to the conservation of intertidal wetlands
for marshland passerines of conservation concern such as the Bluethroat, and
that restoration of adjacent coastal terrain is a promising development.
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