Opposing population trajectories in two Bustard species: A long-term study in a protected area in Central Spain

In conservation biology, population monitoring is a critical step, particularly for endangered groups, such as steppe birds in European agro-ecosystems. Long-term population monitoring allows for determination of species population trends and also provides insights into the relative roles that envir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bird conservation international 2019-06, Vol.29 (2), p.308-320
Main Authors: CASAS, FABIÁN, MOUGEOT, FRANÇOIS, ARROYO, BEATRIZ, MORALES, MANUEL B., HERVÁS, ISRAEL, GARCÍA DE LA MORENA, ELADIO L., FAGAN, WILLIAM F., VIÑUELA, JAVIER
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abundance
Agricultural ecosystems
Agricultural land
Animal populations
Biomonitoring
Birds
Common Agricultural Policy
Conservation biology
Ecological monitoring
Habitats
Otididae
Otis tarda
Polls & surveys
Population status
Protected areas
Provinces
Research Article
Researchers
Species
Steppes
Sympatric populations
Tetrax tetrax
Trends
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Summary:In conservation biology, population monitoring is a critical step, particularly for endangered groups, such as steppe birds in European agro-ecosystems. Long-term population monitoring allows for determination of species population trends and also provides insights into the relative roles that environmental variability and human activities have on priority species. Here, we compare the population trends of two sympatric, closely related farmland bird species, the Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax and Great Bustard Otis tarda, in a protected area of Central Spain, which is their main stronghold in Europe. Over 12 years of monitoring, the abundance of Little and Great Bustards shifted in opposite directions in our study area. Little Bustard abundance decreased significantly (both males [-56%], and harder-to-detect females [-55%]), while Great Bustard abundance increased significantly (1,800%). Future surveys should be more precise and frequent for Little Bustards to facilitate evaluation of their population status and trends. We recommend annual surveys in 2–3 important locations by region throughout the breeding range for Little Bustards, while for Great Bustard the current regional monitoring programmes would be sufficient.
ISSN:0959-2709
1474-0001
DOI:10.1017/S0959270918000254