On the habitat use and foraging ecology of the Yellow-headed Brushfinch (Atlapetes flaviceps), an endemic species of conservation concern from Colombia | Uso de hábitat y ecología de forrajeo del atlapetes de anteojos (Atlapetes flaviceps), una especie endémica de Colombia de importancia para la conservación
2022
Botero-Delgadillo, Esteban | Bayly, Nicholas J. | Sanabria-Mejía, Jeyson | Caicedo, Pilar | Escudero-Páez, Sandra
Natural history information is one of the major knowledge gaps in Neotropical ornithology. Several range-restricted and threatened species in the region are still poorly known, hindering the design of effective conservation programs. Here, we used direct observations collected at 7 localities throughout the Tropical Andes to describe habitat use and foraging ecology of the Yellow-headed Brushfinch (Atlapetes flaviceps), a species of conservation concern and endemic to Colombia. Our observational records (n = 174) indicate that this species mainly occurs in secondary forests and landscape mosaics that include patches of native vegetation and agricultural areas, but it seems to be frequently associated with the presence of regenerating vegetation in early successional stages. We found that the species' diet was mainly composed of fruits and invertebrates, although other items are occasionally included. Although our data suggest the possibility of an association between habitat type and the activity recorded, as well as temporal variation in foraging behavior, this requires more research. Our observations support the idea of this species being tolerant to human-altered habitats, but this needs to be confirmed by measuring habitat-specific productivity and survival. The results presented here not only increase knowledge of this poorly known endemic but can be useful for the subsequent implementation of management strategies aimed at increasing the availability of high-quality habitat.
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