Patterns of habitat selection by wintering and breeding granivorous birds in the central Monte desert, Argentina

L. MARONE; J. LOPEZ DE CASENAVE; V. R. CUETO

REVISTA CHILENA DE HISTORIA NATURAL

Socidad de Biología de Chile

Lugar: Santiago de Chile; Año: 1997 vol. 70 p. 73 - 81

0716-078X

We report on 6-yr patterns of habitat occupancy by wintering- and breeding-granivorous birds over two habitats in the central Monte desert, Argentina: an open forest and a shrubland, both with abundant grass cover. We examine the hypothesis that the pattern of habitat occupancy changes seasonally in a way that is consistent with the distinct habitat requirements of wintering (i.e., mostly food) and breeding birds (i.e., food but also nesting sites). The seasonal change was widely corroborated for the whole guild, which did not distinguish between habitats in winter but was significantly more abundant in the open forest in spring. Similar changes were apparent for several individual species as well. Seed availability during 1993 and 1994, measured over two mesohabitats, usually did not differ between open forest and shrubland; whereas nest-site availability (i.e., trees and tall thorny shrubs) was quite greater in the open forest. This evidence suggests that the seasonal modification of habitat occupancy here reported may reflect changes in the template of what constitutes a suitable habitat for wintering- and breeding-granivorous birds inhabiting the Monte desert.