Landscape characteristics influence morphological and genetic differentiation in a widespread raptor (Buteo jamaicensis)

Landscape-scale population genetic structure in vagile vertebrates was commonly considered to be a contradiction in terms whereas recent studies have demonstrated behaviour and habitat associated structure in several such species. We investigate whether landscape features influence morphological and genetic differentiation in a widespread, mobile raptor. To accurately describe genetic differentiation associated with regional landscape factors, we first investigated subspecies relationships at a continental scale. We used 17 microsatellite loci and five morphological measurements to investigate differentiation between eastern and western subspecies of red-tailed hawks ( Buteo jamaicensis ) and to identify patterns between differentiation and habitat within western North America. Bayesian and frequency-based analyses of microsatellite data revealed clear distinctions between B. j. borealis (eastern) and B. j. calurus (western) samples. Furthermore, hawks sampled in Texas were stouter than those collected from the Rocky Mountains and farther west. Among western samples, birds from the Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, and Washington were significantly different in morphology than those from Oregon and California. We identified a pattern of isolation by distance among western breeding sites around the Sierra Nevada. Given the long-range dispersal capabilities of raptors, this pattern suggests that population-specific habitat preferences, corresponding with habitat breaks between eastern and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, and/or regionally variable population densities limit migration between the Mediterranean habitat of central California and the xeric habitats of southern California and interior west. We suggest habitat preferences and regionally disparate population densities may play a role in shaping genetic structure in vagile avian taxa.     

Development of 19 microsatellite loci for Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) and other buteos

We developed 26 Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) microsatellite primers from CA, AAT, CATC and GAGAA enriched genomic libraries. Primers were tested in 357 Swainson's hawks from western North America as well as seven other Buteo species. These markers will have broad application in investigations of Buteo population structure and genetic diversity.     

Where do Swainson's hawks winter? Satellite images used to identify potential habitat

During recent years, predictive modelling techniques have been increasingly used to identify regional patterns of species spatial occurrence, to explore species–habitat relationships and to aid in biodiversity conservation. In the case of birds, predictive modelling has been mainly applied to the study of species with little variable interannual patterns of spatial occurrence (e.g. year‐round resident species or migratory species in their breeding grounds showing territorial behaviour). We used predictive models to analyse the factors that determine broad‐scale patterns of occurrence and abundance of wintering Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni). This species has been the focus of field monitoring in its wintering ground in Argentina due to massive pesticide poisoning of thousands of individuals during the 1990s, but its unpredictable pattern of spatial distribution and the uncertainty about the current wintering area occupied by hawks led to discontinuing such field monitoring. Data on the presence and abundance of hawks were recorded in 30 × 30 km squares (n = 115) surveyed during three austral summers (2001–03). Sixteen land‐use/land‐cover, topography, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) variables were used as predictors to build generalized additive models (GAMs). Both occurrence and abundance models showed a good predictive ability. Land use, altitude, and NDVI during spring previous to the arrival of hawks to wintering areas were good predictors of the distribution of Swainson's hawks in the Argentine pampas, but only land use and NDVI were entered into the model of abundance of the species in the region. The predictive cartography developed from the models allowed us to identify the current wintering area of Swainson's hawks in the Argentine pampas. The highest occurrence probability and relative abundances for the species were predicted for a broad area of south‐eastern pampas that has been overlooked so far and where neither field research nor conservation efforts aiming to prevent massive mortalities has been established.     

Can a ‘wintering area effect’ explain population status of Swainson's hawks? A stable isotope approach

It has been suggested that declines in breeding populations of Swainson's hawks ( Buteo swainsoni ) in California, Oregon, and Nevada may be due to differential mortality of hawks on their wintering grounds. Although massive mortality incidents reported on the wintering grounds partially support this suggestion, there are no data showing differential use of wintering areas by breeding populations of Swainson's hawks. We used stable-hydrogen isotope analysis of feathers to determine whether large flocks of hawks wintering in Argentina consisted of a mixture of individuals from across the North American breeding range or consisted of individuals from discrete breeding populations. We found that flocks of wintering Swainson's hawks consisted of a mixture of individuals. The lack of connectivity between populations of breeding and wintering hawks suggests that high wintering mortality, either natural or human-induced, is unlikely to have direct consequences on a single breeding area in North America. The demographic effects of winter mortality should be 'diluted' across the entire breeding range of Swainson's hawks.     

Does variation between dry and wet seasons affect tropical forest mammals' occupancy and detectability by camera traps? Case study from the Udzungwa Mountains,Tanzania

The increasing use of camera trapping coupled to occupancy analysis to study terrestrial mammals has opened the way to inferential studies that besides estimating the probability of presence explicitly consider detectability. This in turn allows considering factors that can potentially confound the estimation of occupancy and detection probability, including seasonal variations in rainfall. To address this, we conducted a systematic camera trapping survey in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania by deploying twenty camera traps for 30 days in dry and wet seasons and used dynamic occupancy modelling to determine the effect of season on estimated occupancy and detection probability for species with >10 capture events. The sampling yielded 7657 and 6015 images in dry and wet seasons, respectively, belonging to 21 mammal species. Models with no season dependency and with season‐dependent detectability were best supported, indicating that neither colonization nor extinction varied with seasons and hence occupancy did not vary. Only bush pig (Potamochoerus larvatus) showed a significant decrease in detectability from dry to wet seasons. Our study indicates that seasonal variation in rainfall may have limited effect on occupancy and detectability of resident mammals in Udzungwa rainforests; however, it remains a factor to consider when designing future studies.