Title: European starling (Sturnus vulgaris): population density and interactions with native species in Buenos Aires urban parks
Abstract:The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) was introduced in Argentina by 1987. Starlings are secondary cavity nesters and may constitute a threat to other cavity nesters. We estimated the density of st...The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) was introduced in Argentina by 1987. Starlings are secondary cavity nesters and may constitute a threat to other cavity nesters. We estimated the density of starlings in Buenos Aires city urban parks and examined the relationships between some habitat charac- teristics and the presence and abundance of starlings. We also evaluated the interactions between star- lings and native species, by observations during foraging and nesting. Because starlings may use Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus) dome-shaped nests, we also located and observed them. Starlings were recorded in 293 transects distributed in 20.8 km 2 corresponding to 103 Buenos Aires public-access parks, in which 447 individuals were recorded. We found that the relative population density for starlings in parks of Buenos Aires (individuals/ha ± SD) was 2.21 ± 0.09. Starling presence was positively associ- ated with the park area and number of palms and negatively with the number of trees. A positive signifi- cant association between starling density and number of tipu trees was also found. Neither the presence nor the abundance of starlings was associated with the park's avian species richness. Although starlingsRead More
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 24
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