Composition of avian assemblage in a protected forested area in Haiti: Evidence for recent decline of both forest-dependent and insectivore species

Effects of Deforestation on Foraging Behavior, Ectoparasites, and Adult Survival in the Vulnerable La Selle Thrush, Turdus swalesi, in Haiti

“…The presence of 42 migratory and resident bird species was previously recorded in the area [33], including several endemic ones, as well as exotic mammals such as the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata), feral domestic cats (Felis catus), stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), and rats (Rattus spp.). Although Parc La Visite is officially a protected area, the forest ecosystem in the park is threatened by human activities such as agriculture, livestock and logging (see [30,33] for details).…”

“…Access to the study area was limited to the rugged mountain road running from Port-au-Prince through Furcy and Ca Jacques (see [23]). The surrounding vegetation mainly consists of deciduous wooded lots, considered as the main type of habitat for La Selle Trush, with coniferous trees, Pinus spp., being the most dominant tall trees (see [33]) for a detailed account of the local vegetation). The presence of 42 migratory and resident bird species was previously recorded in the area [33], including several endemic ones, as well as exotic mammals such as the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata), feral domestic cats (Felis catus), stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), and rats (Rattus spp.).…”

“…The surrounding vegetation mainly consists of deciduous wooded lots, considered as the main type of habitat for La Selle Trush, with coniferous trees, Pinus spp., being the most dominant tall trees (see [33]) for a detailed account of the local vegetation). The presence of 42 migratory and resident bird species was previously recorded in the area [33], including several endemic ones, as well as exotic mammals such as the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata), feral domestic cats (Felis catus), stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), and rats (Rattus spp.). Although Parc La Visite is officially a protected area, the forest ecosystem in the park is threatened by human activities such as agriculture, livestock and logging (see [30,33] for details).…”

“…In addition, starting on the third session, we used camera traps (Moultrie (Bristol, UK) M8000i) that remained active 24 h d −1 in order to both increase the recapture rate of banded individuals and to document variation in diel activity of La Selle Thrushes. The number of cameras increased from 5 to 17 from the third to the last session, as additional funding became available to purchase additional units during the course of the study (see [33] for details). Each single camera was attached to a robust tree in areas where the vegetation was not too dense.…”

“…Each single camera was attached to a robust tree in areas where the vegetation was not too dense. Camera-trap parameters (shutter sensitivity, height above the ground, and distance of detection range) were set so as to maximize the probability that ground-dwelling bird species, such as the La Selle Thrush, present in the study area would be detected (see [33] for details). In order to avoid multiple photographs of the same individual over short time periods, we programmed each camera trap on a 30 s delay between trigger events, with one picture per detection event.…”