Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T15:25:40.508Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Brood parasitism leads to zero recruitment in the globally endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2020

MELINA ATENCIO*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución & IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, Int. Güiraldes s/n (1428) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
JUAN CARLOS REBOREDA
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución & IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, Int. Güiraldes s/n (1428) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
BETTINA MAHLER
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución & IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, Int. Güiraldes s/n (1428) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
*
*Author for correspondence; email: [email protected]

Summary

The Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata is an ‘Endangered’ passerine from southern South America. For the past three years a management plan for Yellow Cardinals has been implemented in Argentina, in which rescued individuals from the illegal cage bird trade were released back into suitable habitats within their population of origin. We studied the reproductive success of a mixed population of released and wild Yellow Cardinals in La Pampa province, Argentina, during the reproductive season of 2019. The population was highly parasitized by the brood parasitic Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis. The frequency of parasitism was 100% and the intensity of parasitism was 4.5 ± 3.4 (mean ± SD) eggs per parasitized nest (range 1–13). No Yellow Cardinal chicks were recruited in the monitored nests, mainly as a consequence of Shiny Cowbird parasitism. The unusually high rate of parasitism led to a poor outcome of the reintroduction programme and indicates the need to update the conservation actions that have been carried out for the Yellow Cardinal so far. Shiny Cowbird abundance varies within the distribution of Yellow Cardinals, related to habitat modification and farming activities. Thus, further research on habitat suitability and assessment of Shiny Cowbird abundance should be incorporated into future strategies for the conservation of the Yellow Cardinal.

Resumen

Resumen

El Cardenal Amarillo Gubernatrix cristata es un paseriforme endémico del sur de América del Sur. En los últimos tres años, se ha llevado a cabo un plan de manejo para Cardenales Amarillos en Argentina, en el cual los individuos rescatados del tráfico ilegal de aves de jaula fueron liberados en ambientes adecuados dentro de sus poblaciones de origen. Estudiamos el éxito reproductivo de una población mixta de Cardenales Amarillos liberados y silvestres en La Pampa, Argentina, durante la temporada reproductiva de 2019. La población fue altamente parasitada por el parasito de cría Tordo Renegrido Molothrus bonariensis. La frecuencia de parasitismo fue del 100% y la intensidad de parasitismo fue de 4,5 ± 3,4 (promedio ± DS) huevos por nido parasitado (rango 1–13). No se reclutaron pichones de Cardenal Amarillo en los nidos monitoreados, principalmente como consecuencia del parasitismo por parte del Tordo Renegrido. Estas tasas de parasitismo inusualmente altas han provocado resultados poco exitosos en el programa de reintroducción y llaman a una actualización en las acciones de conservación que se han estado llevando a cabo para el Cardenal Amarillo hasta ahora. La presión de parasitismo de Tordos Renegridos varía a lo largo de la distribución del Cardenal Amarillo, relacionado a la modificación de hábitat y actividades agropecuarias. Por lo tanto, llevar a cabo más trabajos de investigación en temas de aptitud de hábitat, así como considerar la abundancia de Tordos Renegridos deberían ser incorporados como estrategias futuras para la conservación del Cardenal Amarillo.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of BirdLife International

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arturi, M. (2005) Situación ambiental en la ecorregión espinal. Pp. 241246 in Brown, A., Martinez Ortiz, U., Acerbi, M. and Corcuera, J., eds. La situación ambiental Argentina 2005. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina.Google Scholar
Azpiroz, A. B. (2015) Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) Parasitism records for three globally threatened species from the South American Pampas. Wilson J. Ornithol. 127: 746752.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beier, C. and Fontana, C. (2019) Breeding biology of the endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata in Brazil. Rev. Bras. Ornitol. 27: 4452.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BirdLife International (2020) Species factsheet: Gubernatrix cristata. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13/01/2020.Google Scholar
Brittingham, M. C. and Temple, S. A. (1983) Have cowbirds caused forest songbirds to decline? Bioscience 33: 3135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, A. D. and Pacheco, S. (2006) Propuesta de actualización del mapa de ecorregiones de la Argentina. Pp. 2830 in Brown, A. D., Martínez Ortiz, U., Acerbi, M. and Corchera, J., eds. La situación ambiental Argentina 2005. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Fundación Vida Silvestre.Google Scholar
Cabrera, A. L. (1976) Regiones fitogeográficas argentinas. Pp. 185 in Kugler, W. F., ed. Enciclopedia Argentina de agricultura y jardinería, Segunda Edición, Vol. II. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Acme.Google Scholar
Cruz, A., Lopez-Ortiz, R., Ventosa-Febles, E. A., Wiley, J. W., Nakamura, T. K., Ramos-Alvarez, K. R. and Post, W. (2005) Ecology and management of Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) and endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds (Agelaius xanthomus) in Puerto Rico. Ornithol. Monogr. 57: 3844.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeCapita, M. E. (2000) Brown-headed Cowbird control on Kirtland‘s Warbler nestingareas in Michigan. Pp. 333341 in Smith, J. N. M., Cook, T. L., Rothstein, S. I., Robinson, S. K. and Sealy, S. G., eds. Ecology and management of cowbirds and their hosts. Austin, USA: University of Texas Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De la Colina, M. A., Mahler, B. and Reboreda, J. C. (2011) Differences in morphology and colour pattern of Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) eggs found in nests of two hosts. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. Lond. 102: 838845.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deredec, A. and Courchamp, F. (2007) Importance of the Allee effect for reintroductions. Ecoscience 14: 440451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Domínguez, M., Reboreda, J. C. and Mahler, B. (2015) Impact of Shiny Cowbird and botfly parasitism on the reproductive success of the globally endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata . Bird Conserv. Internatn. 25: 294305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Domínguez, M., Pizzarello, G., Atencio, M., Scardamaglia, R. C. and Mahler, B. (2019) Genetic assignment and monitoring of Yellow Cardinals. J. Wildl. Manag. 83: 13361344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Domínguez, M., Lapido, R., Gorrindo, A., Archuby, D., Correa, E., Llanos, F., Reales, F., Piantanida, F., Marateo, G., Meriggi, J., Andreani, L., Encabo, M., Gomez Vinasa, M. L., Bertini, M., Perelló, M., Banchs, R., Crignoli, S., Verón, S. and Mahler, B. (2020) A citizen science survey discloses the current distribution of the endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata in Argentina. Bird Conserv. Internatn. 112.Google Scholar
Hanley, D., Lopez, A. V., Fiorini, V. D., Reboreda, J. C., Grim, T. and Hauber, M. E. (2019) Variation in multicomponent recognition cues alters egg rejection decisions: a test of the optimal acceptance threshold hypothesis. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 374: 20180195.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hartmann, S. A., Oppel, S., Segelbacher, G., Juiña, M. E. and Schaefer, M. H (2017) Decline in territory size and fecundity as a response to carrying capacity in an endangered songbird. Oecologia 183: 597606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IUCN/SSC (2013) Guidelines for reintroductions and other conservation translocations. Version 1.0. Gland Switzerland: IUCN Species Survival Commission.Google Scholar
Krabbe, N., Juina, M. and Sornoza, A. F. (2011) Marked population increase in Pale-headed Brush-finch Atlapetes pallidiceps in response to cowbird control. J. Ornithol. 152: 219222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Letty, J., Marchandeau, S. and Aubineau, J. (2007) Problems encountered by individuals in animal translocations: Lessons from field studies. Ecoscience 14: 420431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, T. E. and Geupel, G. R. (1993) Nest monitoring plots: methods for locating nests and monitoring success. J. Field Ornithol. 64: 507519.Google Scholar
Matteucci, S. (2012) Ecorregión Espinal. Pp. 349390 in Morello, J., Matteucci, S., Rodriguez, A. F. and Silva, M. E., eds. Ecorregiones y complejos ecosistémicos argentinos. Buenos Aires, Argentina: FADU.Google Scholar
Mermoz, M. E., Cruz, A., Chace, J. F. and Reboreda, J. C. (2020) Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis Gmelin, 1788). Pp. 97104 in Downs, C. T. and Hart, L. A., eds. Invasive birds: global trends and impacts. Oxfordshire, UK: CAB International, in press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morello, J., Matteucci, S. D. and Rodríguez, A. F. S. (2012). Ecorregiones y complejos ecosistémicos argentines. Buenos Aires, Argentina: FADU.Google Scholar
Oppel, S., Schaefer, H., Schmidt, V. and Schroder, B. (2004) Cowbird parasitism of Pale-headed Brush-finch Atlapetes pallidiceps: Implications for conservation and management. Bird Conserv. Internatn. 14: 6375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ortega, C.P. (1998) Cowbirds and other brood parasites. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press.Google Scholar
Osborne, P. E. and Seddon, P. J. (2012) Selecting suitable habitats for reintroductions: variation, change and the role of species distribution modelling. Pp. 73104 in Ewen, J. G., Armstrong, D. P., Parker, K. A. and Seddon, P. J., eds. Reintroduction biology. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, K. A., Ewen, J. G., Seddon, P. J. and Armstrong, P. D. (2013) Post-release monitoring of bird translocations: why is it important and how do we do it? Notornis 60: 8592.Google Scholar
Pidgeon, A. M., Radeloff, V. C. and Mathews, N. E. (2006) Contrasting measures of fitness to classify habitat quality for the Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata). Biol. Conserv. 132: 199210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pulliam, H. R. (1988) Sources, sinks, and population regulation. Am. Nat. 132: 652661.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reales, F., Sarquis, J. A., Daradanelli, S. and Lammertink, M. (2019) Range contraction and conservation of the endangered Yellow Cardinal. J. Nat. Conserv. 50: 125708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, S. K., Rothstein, S. I., Brittingham, M. C., Petit, L. J., Grzybowski, J. A., Martin, T. E. and Finch, D. M. (1995) Ecology and behavior of cowbirds and their impact on host populations. Pp. 482-460 in Martin, T. E. and Finch, D. M., eds. Ecology and management of neotropical migratory birds. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Rothstein, S. I. and Cook, T. L. (2000) Cowbird management, host population limitation, and efforts to save endangered species. Pp. 323332 in Smith, J. N. M., Cook, T. L. S., Rothstein, I., Robinson, S. K. and Sealy, S. G., eds. Ecology and management of cowbirds and their hosts. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seddon, P. J. (1999) Persistence without intervention: assessing success in wildlife re-introductions. Trends Ecol. Evol. 14: 503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seddon, P. J. (2013) Letter to the Editor: The new IUCN guidelines highlight the importance of habitat quality to reintroduction success – Reply to White et al. Biol. Conserv. 164: 177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segura, L. N., Perelló, M., Gress, N. H. and Ontiveros, R. (2019) The lack of males due to illegal trapping is causing polygyny in the globally endangered Yellow Cardinal, Gubernatrix cristata . Rev. Bras. Ornitol. 27: 4043.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sutherland, W. J., Armstrong, D. and Butchart, S. H. M. (2010) Standards for documenting and monitoring bird reintroduction projects. Conserv. Lett. 3: 229235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar