Open AccessApparent survival and cost of reproduction for White-lined Tanager (Tachyphonus rufus, Thraupidae) in the northern Atlantic Rainforest, Brazil
Author(s) -
Phoeve Macário,
Mauro Pichorim,
Paul F. Doherty,
Guilherme Santos Toledo-Lima,
Tonny M. Oliveira-Júnior,
Thanyria Pollyneide França Câmara,
Shirley Macjane Melo,
João Lucas S. Silveira,
Juliana Calábria de Araújo,
Leonardo Fernandes França
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0185890
Subject(s) - biology , seasonal breeder , reproduction , ecology , abundance (ecology) , habitat , rainforest , annual cycle , vital rates , demography , population , population growth , sociology
Understanding latitudinal variation in avian life-history traits has been a focus of many demographic studies around the world. However, we still know little about annual or intra-annual demographic variation within tropical regions or about how factors such as breeding season and precipitation influence demographic rates. In this study, we estimated intra-annual apparent survival of the White-lined Tanager ( Tachyphonus rufus ) using capture-mark-recapture data from northeastern Brazil. We tested whether survival varied seasonally (breeding vs. non-breeding), with rainfall, by age and residence status in our study area. Intra-annual apparent survival was correlated with the reproductive cycle, being lower during the breeding (0.65 ± 0.16 SE) vs. the non-breeding season (0.97 ± 0.05 SE). The annual apparent survival (~0.6) was relatively low for a tropical species. In both years, we observed highest abundance in spring (November, 3.1–3.7 birds/ha) and lowest abundance in autumn-winter periods (May-August, 1.1–1.4 bird/ha). The low survival during the breeding season probably reflects the trade-off between survival and reproduction and the cost of reproduction. Our findings represent an advance in the understanding of the demography of tropical birds because we did not find a predicted high annual apparent survival, and we elucidated some aspects of intra-annual variation in survival. Further exploration of latitudinal variation in demographic traits, especially in diverse, but poorly known habitats is needed to fully vet and develop life history theories.