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- Title
LEAST GREBE (TACHYBAPTUS DOMINICUS) BREEDING OUTSIDE ITS RANGE: IMPORTANCE OF ARTIFICIAL HABITATS FOR A SPECIES OF WATERBIRD.
- Authors
ORTEGA-ALVAREZ, RUBÉN
- Abstract
Human activities have reduced availability of suitable habitats for waterbirds across the globe. The least grebe ( Tachybaptus dominicus) is a waterbird that has been negatively affected by human alterations of aquatic habitats. In Mexico, the least grebe is a protected species which breeds year-round in coastal habitats at the Pacific and Atlantic slopes. Throughout June 2011, the species was recorded breeding in a small, artificial mid-stream pond within a temperate forest in Central Mexico, which represents a very unusual observation. Disturbance of its original breeding area might have forced it to move long distances to locate suitable habitat. The artificial pond was covered by vegetation and had abundant food, thus serving as adequate breeding habitat, despite being located outside the range of the species. As suggested by this and other records from northern and southern central Mexico, artificial bodies of water might represent important breeding refuges for the least grebe. Thus, managing habitats created by humans could satisfy human needs and benefit wildlife. The integration of native vegetation in artificial bodies of water (i.e., jagueyes) could offer attractive resources for waterbirds. Exploring the effectiveness of bodies of water created by humans to provide suitable habitats for wildlife could assist in the conservation of birds.
- Subjects
TACHYBAPTUS; BIRD breeding; BIRD habitats; ARTIFICIAL habitats; WATER birds; BIRD classification; ANIMAL species
- Publication
Southwestern Naturalist, 2013, Vol 58, Issue 3, p357
- ISSN
0038-4909
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1894/0038-4909-58.3.357