Open AccessDeclining woodland birds in North America: should we blame Bambi?
Author(s) -
Chollet Simon,
Martin JeanLouis
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
diversity and distributions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.918
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1472-4642
pISSN - 1366-9516
DOI - 10.1111/ddi.12003
Subject(s) - songbird , understory , woodland , ecology , geography , foraging , odocoileus , population , population decline , breeding bird survey , habitat , biology , demography , canopy , sociology
Abstract Aim We evaluate the possible link between increasing deer populations and declines in woodland birds. Location North American continent. Methods We used a group of 73 forest bird species that had been tested for their sensitivity to the impact of overabundant deer on forest understory. We used Breeding Bird Survey data to assess population trends for these 73 songbird species between 1966 and 2009, a period of marked continent‐wide increases in white‐tailed ( O docoileus virginianus ) and mule or black‐tailed ( O docoileus hemionus ) deer. Results We show a continent‐wide link between increase in deer populations and declines in forest–songbird species‐dependent on understory for nesting and/or foraging. Main conclusions Increasing deer populations may actually play an important and underestimated role in the decline of North American songbirds.