Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Punta Banda Estuary (Baja California, Mexico) As An Avifauna Habitat

1988; Instituto Salvatierra; Volume: 14; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.7773/cm.v14i4.614

2395-9053

A. Escofet, D.H. Loya-Salinas, J.I. Arredondo,

Marine and coastal plant biology

Monthly qualitative observations of the birds present in the Punta Banda Estuary (Baja Ca!ifornia, Mexico) in seven different habitats and five observation sites were undertaken behveen September 1984 and August 1985.Forty-nine marine and 20 terrestrial species were recorded, and classified into five and seven functional groupsrespectively.Considering the habitats, the largest number of species (30) was recorded in lower marsh and mud-flats, followed by high marsh (27), dunes (23) water surface within the dike ( 22) mid-marsh ( 21), and water surface outside the dike (18).Considering the observation sites, the largest number of species was recorded at the head of the estuary (44), followedby the intermediate sites (40, 33 and 18), and in the mouth (12).Little or no similarity was found between groups of species recorded in each habitat and observation site.The number of species was higher in fall and winter than during spring and summer; only the May-July and March-April assemblages were similar.Four of the recorded species are considered in danger of extinction (Ralks longirostris levipes, Stema antilkuum browni, Pelecanus occidentalis califomicus, and Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi).Bird species diversity in the Punta Banda Estuary is tightly linked to habitat diversity as well as to habitat specificity shown by birds.60% of the species were recorded in only one or two types of habitats.Beta Richness showed that seven species are added to the biota when each different habitat is considered.Regional Richness was 44 species higher than Local Richness.The predictable consequencesof any reduction in habitat diversity should be given priority consideration in planning the development of the region.