TROPHIC ECOLOGY OF INSECTIVOROUS BRIDS IN A NATURAL PROTECTED AREA IN SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, MÉXICO

Abstract

In order to determine the hunting techniques, food substrates and segregation behaviors of bird life in the Biosphere Reserve Sierra del Abra-Tanchipa, San Luis Potosí, México, bird monitoring was performed during the summer of 2013, using the technique of intensive search with focal selection and assessing the information about hunting techniques and food substrates, through an analysis of simple correspondence and segregation behaviors, with conglomerate analysis. A total of 21 species, 18 genera and eight families were recorded, in addition to 42.6 % and 53.3 % of inertia in the hunting techniques and food layers, respectively. With regard to the segregation behaviors, the species with highest interaction in ecological niches was Icterus cucullatus (e=0.331) and those with the lowest participation were Tiaris olivaceus, Tharupis episcopus, Myarchus tuberculifer, Icterus galbula, Camptostoma imberbe (e=0.117). Frequency indexes showed greater use of the Branches and Collection technique. The analysis of behaviors and substrates did not indicate a significant difference between species with regard to their use (p-Value<0.001).