Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data

Breeding bird survey (BBS) data are typically analyzed at the route level in which the average or combined total number of individuals across the 50 stops is treated as a single observation. However, analysis at the stop level may provide information on finer-scale habitat affiliations of species wi...

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Main Authors: Gabrielle Robineau-Charette, Darroch M. Whitaker, Ian G. Warkentin
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Resilience Alliance 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/8f5f5f4b6ce64b45bf0ba38edf0c74a0
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spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8f5f5f4b6ce64b45bf0ba38edf0c74a0 2023-05-15T17:21:35+02:00 Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data Gabrielle Robineau-Charette Darroch M. Whitaker Ian G. Warkentin 2023-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doaj.org/article/8f5f5f4b6ce64b45bf0ba38edf0c74a0 EN eng Resilience Alliance https://journal.afonet.org/vol94/iss1/art4/ https://doaj.org/toc/1557-9263 1557-9263 https://doaj.org/article/8f5f5f4b6ce64b45bf0ba38edf0c74a0 Journal of Field Ornithology, Vol 94, Iss 1, p 4 (2023) boreal montane forest breeding bird survey elevation distribution elevational refugium introduced nest predator range contraction stop-level analyses Zoology QL1-991 Animal culture SF1-1100 article 2023 ftdoajarticles 2023-04-09T00:34:47Z Breeding bird survey (BBS) data are typically analyzed at the route level in which the average or combined total number of individuals across the 50 stops is treated as a single observation. However, analysis at the stop level may provide information on finer-scale habitat affiliations of species within the broader landscape, as well as changes in species distribution over time. Though once abundant, the Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) underwent a dramatic population collapse across most of the island during the 1980s and 1990s and today is most common in montane forests. The reason for this collapse is not well understood but introduced North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which colonized most forested areas on the island below ~400 m from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s, have been identified as a possible cause. To improve our understanding of changes in the elevational distribution of Gray-cheeked Thrushes, we compared stop-level BBS data from two periods. Our historic period from 1974-1984 corresponds with the initial expansion phase of introduced red squirrels, whereas that from 2000-2015 reflects a period during which the colonization of suitable habitat by squirrels was complete. We used 17 routes (850 stops) where the thrushes had been observed and there were at least 3 surveys completed during each period. Surveys during the 1970s and 1980s indicated that Gray-cheeked Thrushes were abundant at all elevations sampled by the BBS (0-450 m), with higher incidence below 100 m and above 300 m; in contrast, recent surveys indicate that the species is now essentially absent below 350 m. This finding highlights the value of historical stop-level BBS data for reconstructing changes in species distributions and is consistent with the hypothesis that red squirrels have adversely affected Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrushes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Newfoundland Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic boreal montane forest
breeding bird survey
elevation distribution
elevational refugium
introduced nest predator
range contraction
stop-level analyses
Zoology
QL1-991
Animal culture
SF1-1100
spellingShingle boreal montane forest
breeding bird survey
elevation distribution
elevational refugium
introduced nest predator
range contraction
stop-level analyses
Zoology
QL1-991
Animal culture
SF1-1100
Gabrielle Robineau-Charette
Darroch M. Whitaker
Ian G. Warkentin
Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data
topic_facet boreal montane forest
breeding bird survey
elevation distribution
elevational refugium
introduced nest predator
range contraction
stop-level analyses
Zoology
QL1-991
Animal culture
SF1-1100
description Breeding bird survey (BBS) data are typically analyzed at the route level in which the average or combined total number of individuals across the 50 stops is treated as a single observation. However, analysis at the stop level may provide information on finer-scale habitat affiliations of species within the broader landscape, as well as changes in species distribution over time. Though once abundant, the Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) underwent a dramatic population collapse across most of the island during the 1980s and 1990s and today is most common in montane forests. The reason for this collapse is not well understood but introduced North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which colonized most forested areas on the island below ~400 m from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s, have been identified as a possible cause. To improve our understanding of changes in the elevational distribution of Gray-cheeked Thrushes, we compared stop-level BBS data from two periods. Our historic period from 1974-1984 corresponds with the initial expansion phase of introduced red squirrels, whereas that from 2000-2015 reflects a period during which the colonization of suitable habitat by squirrels was complete. We used 17 routes (850 stops) where the thrushes had been observed and there were at least 3 surveys completed during each period. Surveys during the 1970s and 1980s indicated that Gray-cheeked Thrushes were abundant at all elevations sampled by the BBS (0-450 m), with higher incidence below 100 m and above 300 m; in contrast, recent surveys indicate that the species is now essentially absent below 350 m. This finding highlights the value of historical stop-level BBS data for reconstructing changes in species distributions and is consistent with the hypothesis that red squirrels have adversely affected Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrushes.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Gabrielle Robineau-Charette
Darroch M. Whitaker
Ian G. Warkentin
author_facet Gabrielle Robineau-Charette
Darroch M. Whitaker
Ian G. Warkentin
author_sort Gabrielle Robineau-Charette
title Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data
title_short Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data
title_full Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data
title_fullStr Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data
title_full_unstemmed Change in altitudinal distribution of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data
title_sort change in altitudinal distribution of newfoundland gray-cheeked thrush (catharus minimus minimus) revealed through historical stop-level breeding bird survey data
publisher Resilience Alliance
publishDate 2023
url https://doaj.org/article/8f5f5f4b6ce64b45bf0ba38edf0c74a0
genre Newfoundland
genre_facet Newfoundland
op_source Journal of Field Ornithology, Vol 94, Iss 1, p 4 (2023)
op_relation https://journal.afonet.org/vol94/iss1/art4/
https://doaj.org/toc/1557-9263
1557-9263
https://doaj.org/article/8f5f5f4b6ce64b45bf0ba38edf0c74a0
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