Back to Search Start Over

Integrated Assessment of Survival, Movement, and Reproduction in Migratory Birds: A Study on Evaluating Reinforcement Success

Authors :
Guilin Hu
Lijia Wen
Huashan Dou
Yumin Guo
Source :
Animals, Vol 14, Iss 21, p 3128 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Conservation managers increasingly employ reinforcement techniques to bolster declining populations by reintroducing non-wild individuals born in captivity into natural habitats, but success rates remain modest. In this study, the success is evaluated of reinforcement efforts using satellite tracking and field observation data collected between 2010 and 2021. It focuses on 13 non-wild individuals, as follows: seven red-crowned cranes Grus japonensis, two white-naped cranes Antigone vipio, and four demoiselle cranes Anthropoides virgo, as well as five wild individuals including two red-crowned cranes and three white-naped cranes. The assessment criteria included survival, movement, and reproduction, utilizing a comprehensive scoring method. The scoring process indicates that more timely field observation records and the movement pattern scoring combining models and trajectories can improve the accuracy of estimation. From the results, although wild individuals generally achieve higher scores across these metrics, statistical differences were not significant possibly due to limited sample size. Notably, non-wild individuals frequently displayed residence, nomadic, or abnormal migration. In addition, field observations underscored the benefits of pairing non-wild individuals with their wild counterparts to enhance migration success. So in order to enhance migration success, it is advisable to release non-wild individuals approaching sexual maturity in proximity to wild subadult flocks during the breeding or summering periods. Additionally, during the overwintering phase, these individuals should be released in areas where wild populations are concentrated.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20762615
Volume :
14
Issue :
21
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Animals
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.b9a4952b347943c983d5b688d5cbf058
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14213128