Tiberio C. Monterrubio-Rico

Present use and characteristics of Thick-billed Parrot nest sites in northwestern Mexico

Abstract Thick-billed Parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) nest sites were studied during a six-year period (1995–2000) at six nesting areas in the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. Nests were found in 187 snags or live trees of seven species, which averaged 75.2 cm dbh. Most nests were in snags (59%), and only two nests occurred in trees or snags under 40 cm dbh. Most nests occurred in Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii; 32.6%), and Mexican white pine (Pinus ayacahuite; 21.9%). Nest-site characteristics observed in the study were compared with those reported in the literature 20 yrs ago by Lanning and Shiflett (1983), and important differences were found in the percentages of tree species used. Decline of the Thick-billed Parrot seems to be related to large-scale logging over a wider historical breeding range. Commercial timber harvesting appears to affect nest site availability by leaving few snags and pine trees large enough for parrots to nest in.

Reduced current distribution of Psittacidae on the Mexican Pacific coast: potential impacts of habitat loss and capture for trade

Ecological niche models provide useful predictions of species distributions, but may fail to detect reductions in distribution due to factors other than habitat loss, such as hunting or trade. From 2001 to 2009, we conducted field-surveys along the Mexican Pacific coast to obtain presence–absence data for nine Psittacidae species. We applied Genetic Algorithm for Rule set Prediction (GARP) ecological niche modeling, using field-survey presence data to determine the potential current distribution of each species, and incorporated absence data to delineate extirpation areas. All parrot species showed a reduced current distribution, ranging from 9.6 to 79% reduction of estimated original distribution. The threatened and endemic species of Amazonaoratrix, Amazonafinschi, and Forpuscyanopygius suffered the greatest distribution reduction, higher than previously estimated by habitat-based models, suggesting that capture for trade may have caused extirpation of these species. The greatest extent of current distribution was occupied by Aratingacanicularis, Amazonaalbifrons and Aramilitaris, which continue to occur throughout most of their original distribution. Amazonaauropalliata, Aratingastrenua, and Brotogerisjugularis also occur throughout their restricted distribution in coastal Chiapas, and show a relatively small distribution reduction, but had the highest proportion of modified lands within their current distributions. Our results highlighted the regions of coastal Guerrero, northern Nayarit, and southern Sinaloa where parrot species have been extirpated even though GARP models predicted suitable habitat available. Ideally distribution models should be verified in the field to determine conservation priorities, and efforts should be directed to maintain populations of species with greatest distribution reductions.

The Endangered yellow-headed parrot Amazona oratrix along the Pacific coast of Mexico

The yellow-headed parrot Amazona oratrix is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List but little is known about its distribution, particularly along the Pacific coast of Mexico. We used ecological niche models, with presence records from museum collections and historical sightings, overlain on vegetation maps, to predict the historical range of the yellow-headed parrot along the Pacific coast of Mexico. We compared this with the current range of the species, estimated with ecological niche models using presence–absence data from surveys during 2003–2008. We estimate that the range of the yellow-headed parrot along Mexico’s Pacific coast has contracted by 79%. The current range may now cover only 18,957 km 2 , in three main areas. At one of these, a small isolated area on the coast of Jalisco, the species may be vulnerable to extirpation or genetic endogamy. There is a lack of conserved tropical semi-deciduous forest, which provides optimal habitat for reproduction of this parrot, within the current range of the species. Only the south, along the coast of Oaxaca, has extensive areas of this habitat. There are only three, small, protected areas within the species’ current range. Conservation strategies need to be implemented to restore connectivity between the three main areas of the current range of the yellow-headed parrot on the Pacific coast of Mexico.

GREGARIOUS NESTING BEHAVIOR OF THICK-BILLED PARROTS (RHYNCHOPSITTA PACHYRHYNCHA) IN ASPEN STANDS

Abstract We studied Thick-billed Parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) nest-site density and social nesting behavior from 1998 to 2001 in Madera, Chihuahua, Mexico. The species formed high-density nesting clusters; 45 nesting attempts (30%) involved nesting pairs sharing nest trees, with a maximum of three nesting pairs per tree. The majority of nest trees were live or dead quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides). Clusters contained a mean of 11.5 breeding pairs (5 nests/ha). The highly social nesting behavior of Thick-billed Parrots may have important implications for management and conservation of their breeding habitat.

Distributional and Ecological Records of the Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine (Sphiggurus mexicanus) from Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract We report seven new records of the threatened Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine Sphiggurus mexicanus (formerly Coendou mexicanus) in southwestern Michoacán, Mexico. These records extend northwardly the known distribution of S. mexicanus along the Pacific coast into Michoacán, and constitute the first known occurrences in temperate pine and pine-oak forests. Although additional distributional data are needed, populations of S. mexicanus in western Michoacán may prove important for conservation planning and management of this threatened species.

First Records of Jaguar (Panthera onca) from the State of Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract In May 2010, we documented the presence of jaguars (Panthera onca) in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, by means of six photographs obtained with camera traps and a skull collected in the field. The photographs show an adult female and a subadult cub. These records were from tropical semi-deciduous forest in a transitional area between the Sierra Madre del Sur and the Pacific Coast. These records constitute the first evidence of the jaguar in Michoacán. Additional research is needed to confirm whether the records correspond to a resident population of jaguar rather than to wandering individuals. Resumen En mayo del 2010, documentamos la presencia de jaguares (Panthera onca) en el estado de Michoacán, México, a través de seis fotografías obtenidas con trampas cámara y un cráneo encontrado en el campo. Las fotografías enseñan a una hembra adulta y una cría subadulta. Estos registros se encontraron del bosque tropical subcaducifolio en una zona transicional entre la Sierra Madre del Sur y costa del Pacífico. Estos registros constituyen la primera evidencia del jaguar en Michoacán. Se requiere investigación adicional para confirmar si los registros corresponden a una población de jaguares residentes o a individuos errantes.

Use of remote cameras to evaluate ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) population parameters in seasonal tropical dry forests of central-western Mexico

Abstract The ocelot is one of the most studied felid species in the neotropics yet most of our current knowledge comes from tropical rain forests and protected areas. Therefore, we lack a comprehensive understanding on how the species abundance varies in terms of ecological parameters across its full distribution range. This is particularly true for the species population in the Northern Hemisphere, as data of ocelot populations occurring in tropical dry forests are scarce. In this study, we focused on: a) generating population data (density and sex ratios), based on camera-trapping, for ocelot occurring in the vast and understudied tropical dry forest of the western Pacific of Mexico. b) Comparing the variation in species abundance and density across its distribution range, including a larger set of studies from the Northern Hemisphere, contrasting parameters between rain forests and tropical seasonal ecosystems and re-examining the assumed relationship between precipitation and ocelot abundance. Overall, we identified 17 ocelots in our study sites and estimated an average density of 23.7 individuals (ind) per 100 km2 with a female to male ratio >1. No significant differences in ocelot density was found between seasonal tropical forests and rain forests studies (Wilcoxon test, W=71, p=0.7675). Moreover, we found no support for the relation between ocelot density and precipitation (only when restricting our analysis to rain forest data the fit of the regression model was close to be significant, R2=0.2463, p=0.07107). Our results indicate that tropical seasonal ecosystems and dry forest in particular, may present ocelot population with similar levels of abundance than tropical rain forests. We observed that precipitation is a poor predictor of ocelot abundance. In our study, we observed that overall local ecological factors (e.g. prey abundance and interspecific interactions) influenced the spatial and temporal abundance of ocelots.

Mammals large and medium of the municipality of Victoria, Biosphere Reserve Sierra Gorda, Guanajuato, Mexico

Conservation of mammals in central Mexico is vital, because of their complex functional roles in ecosystems locally. The aim of this study is to determine the richness and abundance of medium and large size mammals in the different vegetation types in the municipal ity of Victoria, Guanajuato. Between 2007 and 2013 five localities of the municipality were surveyed by placing camera traps along random sites on wildlife trails. With a sampling effort of 9803 trap-days we recorded 18 species of mammals of six orders, highlighting three wild felidae (bobcat, cougar and jaguarundi). The pine-oak forest contained the highest richness with 17 species, whereas in the submontane scrub 16 species were registered. These results increase our understanding of the regional patterns of mammal richness and distribution for areas of central Mexico, and are particularly relevant for the design of management plans for the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.

CracidMex1: a comprehensive database of global occurrences of cracids (Aves, Galliformes) with distribution in Mexico

Abstract Cracids are among the most vulnerable groups of Neotropical birds. Almost half of the species of this family are included in a conservation risk category. Twelve taxa occur in Mexico, six of which are considered at risk at national level and two are globally endangered. Therefore, it is imperative that high quality, comprehensive, and high-resolution spatial data on the occurrence of these taxa are made available as a valuable tool in the process of defining appropriate management strategies for conservation at a local and global level. We constructed the CracidMex1 database by collating global records of all cracid taxa that occur in Mexico from available electronic databases, museum specimens, publications, “grey literature”, and unpublished records. We generated a database with 23,896 clean, validated, and standardized geographic records. Database quality control was an iterative process that commenced with the consolidation and elimination of duplicate records, followed by the geo-referencing of records when necessary, and their taxonomic and geographic validation using GIS tools and expert knowledge. We followed the geo-referencing protocol proposed by the Mexican National Commission for the Use and Conservation of Biodiversity. We could not estimate the geographic coordinates of 981 records due to inconsistencies or lack of sufficient information in the description of the locality. Given that current records for most of the taxa have some degree of distributional bias, with redundancies at different spatial scales, the CracidMex1 database has allowed us to detect areas where more sampling effort is required to have a better representation of the global spatial occurrence of these cracids. We also found that particular attention needs to be given to taxa identification in those areas where congeners or conspecifics co-occur in order to avoid taxonomic uncertainty. The construction of the CracidMex1 database represents the first comprehensive research effort to compile current, available global geographic records for a group of cracids. The database can now be improved by continuous revision and addition of new records. The CracidMex1 database will provide high quality input data that could be used to generate species distribution models, to assess temporal changes in species distributions, to identify priority areas for research and conservation, and in the definition of management strategies for this bird group. This compilation exercise could be replicated for other cracid groups or regions to attain a better knowledge of the global occurrences of the species in this vulnerable bird family.