Space use by Black-Necked Stilts Himantopus mexicanus in the San Francisco Bay Estuary

[摘要] WeexaminedspaceusebyBlack-neckedStiltsHimantopusmexicanusintheSanFranciscoBayestuary,USA,tobetterunderstandhowshorebirdsusetheirPacificFlywaylandscape.TheseeffortsareparticularlyimportantintheSanFranciscoBayestuarywhereongoinglarge-scalerestorationprojectsarerapidlychangingthemosaicofwetlandhabitats.Weradio-marked59stiltsandtrackedindividualsforuptofourmonthsandfoundnodifferenceinhomerangesizebysexorbetweenNorthandSouthBaysubrogions.Wedidfinddifferencesinhomerangesizebycapturesite.Meanhomerangewas283.5haandmovementfromcapturesiteswas4.5km.Weusedclusteranalysistocalculatenumberoffocalareasforindividualsandfoundthatoverallspacerequirementswerelargerforstiltswithmultiplecentresofactivity.Birdswithmultipleuseareaswereoftenthosethatbredinvegetatedmarshesandmovedintosaltpondswhentheirnestsfailedorafterchickshatched.IntheSouthBaysubregion,saltpondusewasgreaterthanavailabilityincoreusehomerangeareasdespitecomprisingthelargestproportionofavailablehabitat.Tidalsaltmarshrestorationfromformersaltpondsmayreduceavailablehabitatofinvertebratepreyspeciesthatdependonhypersalinehabitats;retentionofsomeshallow,mid-salinitymanagedpondsmaymitigatethisloss.Abetterunderstandingofthespaceuseandhabitatrequirementsofstiltswillprovideformorespecifichabitatandmanagementrecommendationsinareastargetedforwetlandrestoration,contributingtobetterconservationofshorebirdpopulationsalongthePacificFlyway.

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] Wetlands