Conservation status and farmland requirements of pin-tailed sandgrouse Pterocles alchata and black-bellied sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis in Spain

doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(97)00008-6

Biological Conservation

Volume 82, Issue 1, October 1997, Pages 73-80

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(97)00008-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

The landscape requirements are analysed and population sizes are estimated for the pin-tailed and black-bellied sandgrouse during the breeding season in peninsular Spain. The estimated populations in the 26 study zones, which comprise the main breeding areas of Spain, are c. 13,000 individual pin-tailed sandgrouse and 3500 black-bellied sandgrouse. The overall population estimate for peninsular Spain is < 14,000 pin-tailed sandgrouse and 9000–11,000 black-bellied sandgrouse. The latter figure places the species within the ‘endangered’ category in Europe.

Pin-tailed sandgrouse abundance is positively correlated with the area of fallow and stubble, while black-bellied sandgrouse abundance is positively correlated with the amount of medium/long-term fallow land and the proportion of land used for dry pasture. All of these landscape variables have undergone profound changes in Spain since the 1960s due to agricultural intensification.

The effects of European Union agricultural regulations on this problem are discussed. The voluntary set-aside Regulation, R. 797/85/EEC and 1094/88/CEE, has received very little acceptance. Regulation R. 1765/92/EEC, compulsory withdrawal of cropland, involves the ploughing-up of fallows and thus the loss of an important habitat for both species, especially for pin-tailed sandgrouse. Agri-environmental schemes linked to R. 2078/92/EEC potentially have the most positive effects, although it is still too early to evaluate their impact on bird populations.

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A temperature-based monitoring of nest attendance patterns and disturbance effects during incubation by ground-nesting sandgrouse
2014, Journal of Arid Environments
Citation Excerpt :
Both species have a “Least Concern” (LC) conservation status in Europe (BirdLife International, 2004; De Juana, 1997) and a “Vulnerable” status in Spain, due to recent population declines (Suárez and Herranz, 2004a,b; Suárez et al., 2006). While some aspects of their general ecology have been studied, such as their distribution and habitat preferences (Martín et al., 2010a,b; Seoane et al., 2010; Suárez et al., 1997), other aspects, and in particular their breeding biology, are still poorly known (De Borbón et al., 1999b; De Juana, 1997; Znari et al., 2006). Pin-tailed and black-bellied sandgrouse are socially monogamous, and both sexes share reproductive duties, mainly to distribute the high demands associated with breeding in arid environments (De Juana, 1997; Johnsgard, 1991).
Sandgrouse are birds of arid environments adapted to cope with extreme temperature variations. We used temperature data-loggers to remotely study incubation rhythms by pin-tailed and black-bellied sandgrouse in Spain. In both species, mates switched incubation roles twice a day, between 08:00 and 10:00 and between 19:30 and 21:30, when the nest and ambient temperature were most similar. During mate switches, sandgrouse preferred to risk a cooling rather than a warming of eggs. In the pin-tailed sandgrouse, the timing of morning switches was consistent within-pairs, while the timing of evening switches was more related to sunset time. Absences lasted longer following a disturbance than during a mate switch. During disturbances, changes in nest temperatures depended on the changes in outside temperature, and negatively correlated with absence duration. Absences following a disturbance were shorter when the outside temperature was higher. Nesting success was low (19%), with no noticeable effect of data-loggers. Our study highlights some of the constraints that birds breeding in arid environments, such as sandgrouse, face during incubation. It also stresses out the importance of evaluating the consequences of disturbances during incubation, in particular nest visits. Temperature data-loggers can provide an easy and effective way of monitoring nests, without the need of repeated nest visits.
Land use changes and raptor conservation in steppe habitats of Eastern Kazakhstan
2003, Biological Conservation
Citation Excerpt :
More recently, ecologist have paid attention to changes in open habitats such as shrubsteppes, grasslands and extensive farming systems (Herkert, 1994; Bignal and McCracken, 1996; Pain and Pienkowski, 1997; Suárez et al., 1997; Sutter and Brigham, 1998; Ormerod and Watkinson, 2000; Wolff et al., 2001). Research on avian responses to steppe transformation has been carried out in extensive farming systems of western Europe that resemble natural grassy habitats (Goriup, 1988; Suárez et al., 1997; Blanco et al., 1998; Tella et al., 1998; Tella and Forero, 2000) where it is considered that 76% of avian species linked to natural or semi-natural Europe steppe habitats are suffering population declines (Suárez et al., 1997). Large Old World natural steppe areas remain, however, in central Asia (mainly Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia) where there is little information available on the effects of land-use changes on bird communities (Bragin, 1999) although this habitat is a stronghold for globally rare raptors such as lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) or imperial eagles (Aquila heliaca) (del Hoyo et al., 1994; Parr et al., 2000).
Steppe habitats in central Asia have suffered important land use changes during this century which are similar to those that have been pointed out as the causes of the decline of steppe birds in western Europe. During June 1999 we conducted road surveys of raptors in Eastern Kazakhstan to detect specific and community responses to land use changes. We detected 11 species of raptors. Kestrels (Falco naumanni and tinnunculus) were the most common species in grasslands and agricultural landscapes, harriers (Circus pygargus and macrourus) were dominant in saline steppes and steppe eagles (Aquila nipalensis) were dominant in dry steppes. There were fewer species in agricultural habitats than in grassland and steppe habitats. Ground-nesting raptors were negatively affected by land use changes and four species were never detected in agricultural zones. Raptor abundance patterns differed between natural steppe habitats and human-transformed habitats, where a patchy distribution was detected. The future of raptor communities in Kazakhstan seems uncertain although the progressive abandonment of intensive agriculture may benefit species sensitive to human presence. The long-term conservation of vertebrate communities may depend upon the maintenance of ecologically and socially sustainable grazing systems.
Modelling sandgrouse (Pterocles spp.) distributions and large-scale habitat requirements in Spain: Implications for conservation
2014, Environmental Conservation
Population size and habitat relationships of Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis in the Canary Islands, Spain
2010, Bird Conservation International
Assessing the distribution, habitat, and population size of the threatened Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti in Morocco: Lessons for conservation
2008, ORYX
Fate of unproductive and unattractive habitats: Recent changes in Iberian steppes and their effects on endangered avifauna
2006, Environmental Conservation

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Biological Conservation

Abstract

References (34)

Nesting habitat selection by the spanish imperial eagle Aquila adalberti

Biol. Conserv.

Habitat selection of the little bustard Tetrax tetrax in cultivated areas of Central Spain

Biol. Conserv.

Organización económica de la agricultura española

Libro Rojo de los Vertebrados de España

Contribución al estudio de la biología y ecología de la Ganga (Pterocles alchata) y de la Ortega (Pterocles orientalis) en España

Mineral balances at farm level in the European Union

Régime alimentaire estival du Ganga Cata Pterocles alchata dans le Centre de l'Espagne

Alauda

Las aves esteparias en España

Distribution and conservation status of little bustard Tetrax tetrax in the Iberian peninsula

Ardeola

Contaminación agraria difusa

El Campo

La Xurra Pterocles orientalis i la Ganga Pterocles alchata a Catalunya: evolució i situació actual

Butlletí Grup Català d'Anellament

Estudio del uso del hábitat por las gangas en un área esteparia de la Depresión media del Ebro (España)

Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments

Ecol. Monogr.

Estimating relative densities of breeding birds by the line transect method

Oikos

Cited by (16)

A temperature-based monitoring of nest attendance patterns and disturbance effects during incubation by ground-nesting sandgrouse

Land use changes and raptor conservation in steppe habitats of Eastern Kazakhstan

Modelling sandgrouse (Pterocles spp.) distributions and large-scale habitat requirements in Spain: Implications for conservation

Population size and habitat relationships of Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis in the Canary Islands, Spain

Assessing the distribution, habitat, and population size of the threatened Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti in Morocco: Lessons for conservation

Fate of unproductive and unattractive habitats: Recent changes in Iberian steppes and their effects on endangered avifauna