Habitat Linkages and the Conservation of Tropical Biodiversity as Indicated by Seasonal Migrations of Three-Wattled Bellbirds

• Published in: Conservation biology 2004-04, Vol.18 (2), p.500-509
• Main Authors: POWELL, GEORGE V. N., BJORK, ROBIN D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biodiversity conservation; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Conservation biology; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Forest habitats; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Habitat conservation; Lowlands; Montane forests; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Procnias tricarunculata; Protected areas; Rain forests; Sloping terrain
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00044.x

Using radiotelemetry, we discovered that the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata), one of Central America's largest frugivorous birds, has the most complex migratory pattern yet recorded for a tropical species. The annual migration cycle included 2- to 5-month stopovers in four distinct life zones: two middle-elevation and two lowland sites separated by as much as 200 km. We captured and radio-tagged bellbirds during 4 years between July and September in middle-elevation forest fragments of the Pacific slope, 6 km from Monteverde in the Tilaran mountain range of north-central Costa Rica. These habitats, which exist almost exclusively as small, isolated fragments on private farms, are poorly represented (