Home Range Size and Habitat Use By Long-tailed Manakins (Chiroxiphia linearis) in Cloud Forest Ecosystems of Costa Rica
HOME RANGE SIZE AND HABITAT USE BY LONGTAILED MANAKINS (CHIROXIPHIA LINEARIS) IN CLOUD FOREST ECOSYSTEMS OF COSTA RICA
Ryan A. Malloy and Robert J. Cooper
D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources,
University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
Abstract: Home range size and habitat use by many nearctic migrants and North American breeding birds have been well studied; however, far less is known about many neotropical resident birds. We examined home range size and habitat use by Long-tailed Manakins (Chiroxiphia linearis) in cloud forest ecosystems in Costa Rica. Home ranges were quantified using three different techniques, and habitat use was determined at 2 scales, second and third order (Johnson 1980). Results showed that home range size differed significantly between 2 of the 3 home range estimators, and that third order habitat selection varied depending on which home range estimator was used. Care must be taken when selecting one home range estimator over another, as we show that both home range estimates and habitat selection classifications can be affected by the which tool is used.
Literature Cited Johnson, D.H. 1980. The comparison of usage and availability measurements for evaluating resource preference. Ecology 61:65-71.
