Madagascar plover
| Madagascar plover | ||||||||||
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| Charadrius thoracicus | ||||||||||
| ( Richmond , 1896) |
The Madagascar plover ( Charadrius thoracicus ) is a small (37 g) monogamous wader from the Charadriidae family . It comes from western Madagascar and is native to the shores of lagoons , coastal meadows and salt marshes . These plovers nest mainly in open grasslands and dry Wadden Sea around alkaline lakes. The species is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN due to its poor breeding success, low rate of reproduction, and poor adaptation to increasing habitat loss , which means a decline in populations.
description
Adult males and females have sexually monomorphic plumage, but females are slightly heavier than males and have longer wings, suggesting slight sexual dimorphism . The breeding plumage of the Madagascar plover consists of a white forehead bordered by a black bar and black headband, and a white headband just above it. An additional black band runs behind the eye around the back of the neck, along with a thick black band across the upper chest. The rest of the face is white. Adult specimens weigh 31–43 g, with females weighing an average of 37.8 g and males 36.4 g. The plumage is gray-brown from the coat over the scapular feathers to the rump. The two central tail feathers are gray / brown, the outer lighter with darker distal bands and white tips. The underside is white with a ruffled underbelly and concealed tops. The bill, legs and eyes are black during the breeding season. Outside the breeding season, the appearance of the species is more dull, with the black markings being more brown. Downy young weigh about 7.1 g and have a lime-green beak that turns brownish black towards the tip, with brown eyes and dull lime-green legs.
Vocalizations
The bird call consists of a short "pip" that is repeated every 2-3 seconds and a single "pipipipreeeet" that is repeated quickly 3 to 6 times. Adults call during the breeding season as they join groups, fly, alert and visit chicks. The alarm call is a "qui qui qui qui" while the wings flap. When the danger is over, a "tick tick" can be heard.
distribution and habitat
The Madagascar plover is the only plover species endemic to Madagascar and occurs mainly on the west and south coast from Andriamandroro to Tapera . It is estimated that this population occupies 139 km² and breeds from the Mahavavy Delta in the north to Fort-Dauphin in the southeast. Nests are mainly found in thinly overgrown habitats such as grasslands , coastal mud flats, salt marshes, edges of alkaline lakes and mangroves, and breeding grounds do not extend more than a few kilometers inland. The Madagascar plover is not known to migrate .
Reproduction
The breeding success of Madagascar plovers is very low, with an estimated nesting success of 22.9%, long nesting intervals (52 days) and a low nesting rate. Most of the broods are in Lake Tsimanampetsotsa and Marambitsy Bay. The breeding season is between August and May, with the eggs being laid between April and December. There are two clutches per season.
The nest of the Madagascar plover consists of a small hollow in the ground, mostly in dry soils in grasslands , open Wadden Sea , adjacent mangroves and alkaline lakes. The hollows are lined with fresh and dry plant material and can also contain small pebbles and shell waste. One or two eggs are usually laid 2-3 days apart. They measure about 33 × 24 mm and have a volume of 8–9 cm³. Nests are often found near living vegetation (varies depending on the environment) and are on average 2 to 50 m from the water's edge, as bodies of water are of crucial importance for nutrition. Both parents help to build and defend the nest, with loyalty to the partner place and couple bond being high.
Both sexes contribute equally to the hatching of the eggs, with brooding beginning 1–3 days after the last oviposition. Eggs can be protected from the sun even before they hatch. The eggs are incubated for most of the day and shaded during the hottest times of the day. The incubation period is 27 to 28 days after the last egg is laid. When eggs are left unattended, they are covered for protection and camouflage. The clutch is defended against predators by both parents. It takes approximately 30 days for the chicks to hatch and both parents participate in brood care. Chicks can fly approximately 27–37 days after hatching and fledge 1–5 days later.
Danger
The Madagascar plover is classified as endangered ( vulnerable ) by the IUCN and may soon have to be classified as "critically endangered".
Due to the pressure on their wetland habitat, it can be assumed that the small population is steadily declining. The endemic species is the rarest plover in Madagascar. The population is estimated at 3100 ± 396 individuals, which means a number of 1800 to 2300 adult birds. In addition, the breeding success is very low and the reproduction rate is too low for the population to recover.
The main threat is habitat loss or degradation, mainly due to the conversion of many natural wetlands from plover to rice fields and shrimp farms. Because the population is restricted to specific wetlands, they are particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction. Cattle can help the population by creating space to nest, but they run the inevitable risk of trampling birds and nests. The living conditions of the Madagascar plover, such as small clutches, long incubation times, slow growth of the chicks and long reintegration intervals, make them less resistant to environmental changes and therefore very sensitive to habitat threats.
There are three breeding sites in protected national parks : Lake Tsimanampetsotsa, Kirindy Mitea and Baly Bay. Control of predators has been suggested as a protective measure, but this can be difficult as the predators themselves are endemic, endangered, or protected in Madagascar.
Web links
- Charadrius thoracicus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved on June 15 of 2019.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Long, PR, Zefania, S., ffrench-Constant, RH and Székely, T. (2008) 'Estimating the population size of an endangered shorebird, the Madagascar plover, using a habitat suitability model', Animal Conservation, 11 (2), pp. 118-127
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Zefania, S., ffrench-Constant, R., Long, P. and Szekely, T. (2008) 'Breeding distribution and ecology of the threatened Madagascar Plover Charadrius thoracicus', Ostrich, 79 (1), pp. 43-51
- ↑ a b c Charadrius thoracicus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2012. Posted by: BirdLife International.
- ↑ Zefania, S., Emilienne, R., Faria, PJ, Bruford, MW, Long, PR and Székely, T. (2010) 'Cryptic sexual size dimorphism in Malagasy plovers Charadriusspp', Ostrich, 81 (3), pp. 173-178
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Safford, R., Hawkins, F., Pearson, DJ, Gale, J. and Small, B. (2013) The birds of Africa: Volume VIII: The Malagasy region: Madagascar, Seychelles , Comoros, Mascarenes. London, United Kingdom: Poyser. Pg 311-312
- ↑ del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Sargatal, J. (1996) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona