Waterbird demography as indicator of wetland health: The French-wintering common snipe population

• Published in: Biological conservation 2013-08, Vol.164, p.123-128
• Main Authors: Péron, Guillaume, Ferrand, Yves, Leray, Gilles, Gimenez, Olivier
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; breeds; Capture–recapture; Climate change; Common snipe; Conservation; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Data acquisition; data collection; Demecology; Demographics; demography; Drainage; Environment and sustainable development; Environmental Sciences; Estimates; Exploitation and management of natural biological resources (hunting, fishing and exploited populations survey, etc.); Flyway approach to conservation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gallinago gallinago; General aspects; indicator species; Indicators; Leslie matrix; Monitoring; Multistate model; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; population size; Recruitment; Survival; Sustainable harvest; uncertainty; water birds; wetland conservation; Wetlands
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.04.015

•In an elusive and mobile species of wader bird, we use ringing data to build a mechanistic population model.•We argue that in species with similar characteristics this approach is more effective than census data.•For the French wintering snipe (Gallinago gallinago) population, we provide an updated estimate of yearly survival.•We then use age-ratios to conclude that the population is stable on average, although more data would reduce uncertainty. The population dynamics of waterbirds constitute an indicator of wetland conservation status. However, waterbird population censuses are difficult to implement because the individuals are very mobile within their range, and some species are elusive or breed in remote areas. Therefore, demographic models based on the estimation of survival and breeding success appear as a reliable alternative to population censuses. Here we present this model-based approach in the case of the French-wintering snipe population (Gallinago gallinago), which breeds mainly in Northern and Eastern Europe. Using a multi-state model to accommodate the mobile nature of waterbirds, we estimate snipe survival using a joint analysis of capture–recapture and ring-recovery data. Then, we use matrix population models to estimate the minimum recruitment rate required to maintain the population at its current size and derive a chart for using age-ratio of ringed birds as indicator of population trend. Although we call for more data collection in order to reduce uncertainty, we conclude that occasional declines are likely after years with poor breeding success, but that the French-wintering snipe population is on average stable. Individual-based monitoring data and population modeling make it possible to use waterbirds as indicator species at the flyway scale.