Spatial Occupancy, Local Abundance and Activity Rhythm of Three Ground Dwelling Columbid Species in the Forests of Guadeloupe in Relation to Environmental Factors

Abstract

Although forest-dependent, tropical island endemic birds are particularly at risk of extinction, they remain largely understudied. In this context, we assessed the spatial occupancy, local abundance, and diel activity in three forest columbid species of hunting interest, the Ruddy Quail-Dove (RQD), Geotrygon montana; the Bridled Quail-Dove (BQD), Geotrygon mystacea; and the Zenaida Dove (ZD), Zenaida aurita, in Guadeloupe (French West Indies), using 5 camera-traps over 14 days on 24 survey stations, resulting in 1680 trap days. The number of observed RQD was too small to allow for a statistical comparison between habitats. BQD were more frequently observed at camera-trap stations that were dominated by tropical rainforest than those that were dominated by flooded forest. Conversely, ZD were more frequently observed at stations that were dominated by flooded forest and dry forest than at those that were dominated by tropical rainforest. High temperatures negatively affected the abundance of BQD, while the abundance of ZD was significantly lower in tropical rainforests compared to dry and flooded forests and tended to increase with canopy openness. The three species were diurnal. BQD significantly positively co-occurred spatially and temporally with small Indian mongooses, Urva auropunctata, whereas the temporal and spatial distribution of ZD overlapped significantly with that of domestic dogs, Canis familiaris, and domestic cats, Felis catus. Our results provide firm evidence that RQD remains scarce and is largely outnumbered by BQD in Guadeloupe which is in contrast with has been reported for other Caribbean islands.