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Medientyp:
E-Artikel
Titel:
Colonial Breeding of the Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) in Northeastern Brazil
Beteiligte:
Bucher, Enrique H.
Erschienen:
Association for Tropical Biology, 1982
Erschienen in:
Biotropica, 14 (1982) 4, Seite 255-261
Sprache:
Englisch
ISSN:
0006-3606;
1744-7429
Entstehung:
Anmerkungen:
Beschreibung:
Eared doves (Zenaida auriculata) migrate into the semi-arid Brazilian northeast toward the end of the wet season; there they breed in huge colonies of millions of birds and then disperse. Colonial breeding is clearly restricted to the thornscrub formation known as "Caatinga," and only occurs during the four-month period following the end of the rainy season. During their stay in the area, the doves depend primarily on Croton spp. seeds which are abundant but are an extremely clumped and unpredictable resource due to the extreme irregularity of the rainfall. Colonies are markedly short-lived and well-synchronized; the adults stay for about 60 days-long enough to complete only one successful breeding. Although the wooded vegetation would clearly permit nesting in trees, nests are built only on the ground; this practice is interpreted as an adaptation for speed in breeding. I suggest that cared doves might perform a sort of "itinerant breeding," in which individuals attempt to nest again in a different locality where a favorable seed production has occurred, following the geographical movement of the wet season. Because of the dependence of the Caatinga eared dove populations on Croton productivity patterns, it is suggested that the management policy aimed toward conservation of the species should not rely solely on protection of the breeding colonies but should also take into account the complex interrelationship among climatic irregularity, land use, and Croton seeds productivity.