Nest site characteristics and reproductive success of burrowing owls (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in Durango, Mexico

Sep 20, 2026

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Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia is a threatened species across much of its North American range. Nest-site characteristics and reproductive success were compared across two breeding seasons in the southern Chihuahuan desert of Durango, Mexico. Reproductive success was strongly associated with the presence of the Prosopis–Hilaria grassland association. Nesting success was not linked to burrow type, distance to the nearest adjacent nest, soil texture, or number of perches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

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Material and Methods

Study Area

Methods

Results

Rev. Bíol. Trop., 41 (1): 143-148, 1993 Nest site charaderistics and reproductive success of burrowing owls (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in Durango, Mexico Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrella' and Alfredo Ortega-Rubio'Instituto de Ecología A.P. 18-845. México 11800 D.E México. 1 Present address: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas de Baja California Sur, Apartado Postal 128, La Paz 2300 B.C.S., México. (Rec. 23-Vl-1991. Acep. 26-VI-1992) Abstract: The burrowing owl, Athene cunicularia, is a threatened red species in most of its North American distributíon. Nest-site characteristícs and reproductive success were compared for two breeding seasons in the southem Chihuahuan desert, Durango, Mexico. Reproductive success is highly correlated with the presence of the Prosopis Hilaria grassland association. The following factors were not associated with nesting success: burrow type, distance to the nearest adjacent nest, soil texture and number of perches. Key words: Athene cunicularia, burrowing owls, nesting habitat characteristics, México, reproductive success. Studies on nest-site selection by birds of prey indicate tilat raptors select nest sites according 10 physical characteristics of the habitat. such as 1Opography and perch availability. and according to biotic features. such as ecosystem maturity. prey abundance, and interspecific competition (Southern and Lowe 1968. Bock and Lepthien 1976, Janes 1985) . Burrowing owIs (Athene cunicularia) in Canada and the United States of America generally nest in and, . open country with grasslands (Coulombe 1971, Martín 1973, Green and Anthony 1989). Population declines have occurred in recent decades through much of the owl's range (Zam 1974, Powers and McIntosh 1975, Collins 1979) apparently due to habitat destruction or modification and to the control of burrowing mammals (Best 1969, Butts 1973). In Mexico, no information is available regarding the status, breeding ecology, nest-site characteristics or habitat use of this species. This study considers nest-site characteristics and reproductive success during two breeding seasons in the southern portion of the Chihuahuan desert, Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study aTea: We worked in the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve (260 29'-260 52' N, 1030 58'-103032' W). In Mapimí, 9 vegetation types have been recognized by Martinez and MoreDo (1977), with Larrea tridentata . Fouquieriasplendes, Prosopis glandulosa, Jatropha dioica, Agave sp., Opuntia spp. and Hilaria muti ca as dominant species. The study area Hes between 1,000 and 1,350 m elevation. Mean monthly temperature varíes between a mínimum of 11°C in January February and a maximum of 28°C during summero Precipitation is highly variable, with an annual mean of about 230 mm (Barbault and Halffter 1981). About 80% of the precipitation falls during fue summer (June tú September). Livestock grazing is the principal human activity in the area, but this activity apparently has not yet strongly modified the habitat (Barral 1988). Metbods: OwIs and their burrows were 10-cated by intensively searching on an area of 20,00 ha from March through July in 1985 144 REVISTADE BIOLOGIATROPICAL and 1986. Surveys were inüially random and stand condition maps of the reserve were posteriorly used to garantee that al potential breeding habitats had been searched. Every nes! burrow occupied by a breeding pair was visited at least once a week. For each nest we recorded the kind of burrow used, the surounding vegetation type, soil texture, number of suitable perches within 40 m of the burrow, distance to permanent water, distance ID the nearest occupied burrow and the number of young fledged. We classified the surunding vegetation types into 7 minor vegetal associations dominated by different species. Soils were classified according ID texture. Burrow types were classified according to the animal species having constructed them. We determined the number of young at each nest-burrow during the pos

FAQs

Which habitat feature was most strongly correlated with reproductive success?

Reproductive success was highly correlated with the presence of the Prosopis–Hilaria grassland association.

What factors were not associated with nesting success?

Nesting success was not associated with burrow type, distance to the nearest adjacent nest, soil texture, or the number of perches.

How did nesting success and productivity compare between 1985 and 1986?

Nesting success was similar in both years (55% in 1985, 65% in 1986). Productivity was slightly higher in 1986 but not significantly.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick