BREEDING TERRITORY STABILITY OF RESIDENT SPARROWS IN THE CENTRAL MONTE DESERT, ARGENTINA

M. CECILIA SAGARIO; VICTOR R. CUETO

ORNITOLOGIA NEOTROPICAL

NEOTROPICAL ORNITHOLOGICAL SOC

Lugar: ALEMANIA; Año: 2014 vol. 25 p. 113 - 118

1075-4377

Long-term pair bonds and stable territories are common in the tropics, while rare in North-temperate birds. This may be because tropical species are able to maintain territories and pairs through time given their residency and high survival. In contrast, birds in temperate North America would frequently find territory vacancies and mate deaths because species are commonly migrant and with high mortality during winter. In temperate South America, both life history traits and territorial stability are poorly known. We studied territorial stability for Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), Ringed Warbling-Finch (Poospiza torquata), and Many-colored Chaco-Finch (Saltatricula multicolor) in the central Monte Desert, Argentina. These sparrows have resident populations and high inter-annual survival so we tested the prediction that both territory locations and pairs are stable. Overall, we recorded high territory and mate fidelity for all three species, with territory locations less than 50 m apart between years. Our results and observations suggest that these species might be at least socially monogamous, with long-term pair bonds, and stable territories, as it is commonly observed in tropical species of the Neotropic. This study contributes to the knowledge of the many times assumed similarities between tropical and South-temperate birds, but that have seldom been tested.