Home-range size of an Andean Bird :assessing the role of physical condition

Space-use patterns are a key aspect of the ecology and distribution of species. Hence, identifying the factors that determine the variation in size of territories and home-ranges has been a central objective of studies on population ecology. Space use might vary in response to extrinsic factors like habitat quality and available space and to intrinsic factors like physical condition and individual behavior (aggressiveness). However, the role of these factors has been poorly documented in high-elevation species of birds. In this study, we report the home-range size of a Neotropical Andean bird (Arremon assimilis) and evaluate the role of physical condition in explaining variation in home-range size among individuals. We mapped and estimated the home ranges of 14 territorial males in the Cerros Orientales of Bogotá, Colombia, using minimum convex polygons (MCP) and 95% kernel density estimators (KDE). The mean home-range size estimated for the 100% MCP was 0.522 0.305 ha (range = 0.15-1.18 ha), whereas the 95% KDE estimation was 0.504 0.471 ha (range = 0.13-1.88). We calculated the real mass index of each bird as a proxy of physical condition to assess whether individuals in better physical condition had larger home-ranges. Because we found no relation between physical condition and home- range size, we conclude that space use in this species might depend more on ecological factors such as habitat quality or neighbor density than on individual traits

• Autores: Castaño Galvis, María Isabel
• Tipo de recurso: Trabajo de grado de pregrado
• Fecha de publicación: 2018
• Institución: Universidad de los Andes
• Repositorio: Séneca: repositorio Uniandes
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.uniandes.edu.co:1992/39802
• Acceso en línea: http://hdl.handle.net/1992/39802
• Palabra clave: Ecología de pinzones; Pinzón picofino; Biología
• Rights: openAccess
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/