Where do Amazonian waterbirds go when the rivers flood?

Methods

Summary

This project will combine demographic and movement data of waterbirds in a very biologically diverse habitat. Movements of two species will be documented for two specific locations in the Peruvian Amazon. All exposed river sand bars and beaches within 50km of the field research locations will be monitored to obtain information on reproductive success and habitat use by river obligate species.

At our field site in Cocha Cashu Biological Station (EBCC), a mark-recapture effort on skimmers was started in 2014. For 2017-18, we will continue to band skimmers and will initiate a mark-recapture study on large-billed terns. A total of 50 black skimmers and  large-billed terns will be captured and have darvic bands place on the left and right tarsus of the terns and skimmers. A susbset of these captured birds will have trackers deployed to document regional and long distance movements over the annual cycle.

Another aspect of this project is to develop information on black skimmer navigation and microhabitat choice of particular tributaries to understand important influences upon individual movements. Environmental data in combination with movement data will be used to develop models of movement within and outside of the Amazon.

Challenges

This is a challenging project in many ways- from trying to get to field sites to capturing birds. It takes two days by river to get to our field site in Manu National Park; and capturing skimmers is a challenge because we are never quite sure where they will forage in relation to where they nest. Thankfully, we ironed out many of the critical capture issues in a previous field season.

Pre Analysis Plan

I plan to combine environmental data with movement information and analyze the information using time geography and other landscape ecology techniques to determine important habitat use areas and to document movement routes within the Amazon and migration out of the Amazon.