title: No Habitat Selection during Spring Migration at a Meso-Scale Range across Mosaic Landscapes: A Case Study with the Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola).
abstract: Success of migration in birds in part depends on habitat selection. Overall, it is still poorly known whether there is habitat selection amongst landbird migrants moving across landscapes. Europe is chiefly covered by agro-forestry mosaic landscapes, so migratory species associated to either agricultural landscapes or woodland habitats should theoretically find suitable stopover sites along migration. During migration from wintering to breeding quarters, woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) tagged with PTT satellite-tracking transmitters were used to test for the hypothesis that migrants associated to agro-forest habitats have no habitat selection during migration, at a meso-scale level. Using a GIS platform we extracted at a meso-scale range habitat cover at stopover localities. Results obtained from comparisons of soil covers between points randomly selected and true stopover localities sites revealed, as expected, the species may not select for particular habitats at a meso-scale range, because the habitat (or habitats) required by the species can be found virtually everywhere on their migration route. However, those birds stopping over in places richer in cropland or mosaic habitats including both cropland and forest and with proportionally less closed forest stayed for longer than in areas with lower surfaces of cropland and mosaic and more closed forest. This suggests that areas rich in cropland or mosaic habitat were optimal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, E20014 Donostia-S. Sebastián, Spain.
authors.forename: Ariñe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.affiliation: GEOFOREST Group, IUCA, Department of Geography and Land Management, University of Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, E33208 Gijón, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Ibon
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Telletxea
authors.affiliation: Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, E33208 Gijón, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ibáñez
authors.affiliation: Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, E33208 Gijón, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Díez
authors.affiliation: Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, E33208 Gijón, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Joseba F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tobar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, E20014 Donostia-S. Sebastián, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arizaga
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005060:Europe; D065928:Forests; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil