Abstract
Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) are heavily hunted in south-central Europe during the winter and have been the focus of intense management efforts and concern. One of the significant challenges with this and other migratory gamebirds is that they are typically produced in locations other than those where they are primarily harvested. The delineation of origins of harvested Woodcock is important for the identification of appropriate management strategies. Using analysis of stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δ 2H) in feathers of juvenile Woodcock harvested in Spain (2007–2009, n = 802 individuals), we assigned Woodcock origins using a derived Woodcock feather δ 2H isoscape and four potential isotopic regions covering the breeding range. We also used a continuous probability surface approach that used the forest cover available throughout the range as a constraint on origins. The majority (90 %) of Woodcock captured in Spain were assigned to origins in central-eastern Europe (488 individuals, 60 %), and the Baltic region (237 individuals, 30 %). These results were similar to those previously obtained for Woodcock taken in France (although the relative importance of both eastern Europe and Baltic regions of origin was the opposite to those harvested in Spain). This means that a significant portion of the Spanish and French Woodcock bags can be considered as the same management stock, and thus that management of hunter takes in both countries should be coordinated. Additionally, our results provide further evidence suggesting the need for conservation of forests in Eastern Europe, the southern Baltic, the Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russia.
Zusammenfassung
Herkunft von in Spanien erjagten juvenilen Waldschnepfen (Scolopax rusticola), abgeleitet aus der Analyse stabiler Wasserstoffisotope (δ2H) in Federn
Waldschnepfen (Scolopax rusticola) werden in Südeuropa im Winter intensiv bejagt, was Anlass zur Besorgnis gibt, und stehen im Mittelpunkt intensiver Managementbemühungen. Eine der wesentlichen Herausforderungen im Umgang mit dieser Art sowie anderen jagdbaren Zugvögeln besteht darin, dass sie typischerweise an anderen Orten gejagt als „produziert“werden. Eine Beschreibung der Herkunft erjagter Waldschnepfen ist wichtig, um geeignete Managementstrategien zu ermitteln. Mittels einer Analyse der Verhältnisse stabiler Wasserstoffisotope (δ2H) in Federn juveniler in Spanien erjagter Waldschnepfen (2007–2009, n = 802 Individuen) haben wir die Herkunft der Vögel unter Verwendung einer abgeleiteten Waldschnepfen-Feder-δ2H-Isotopenlandschaft sowie vier potenzieller Isotopenregionen, die das Brutgebiet abdecken, zugeordnet. Wir haben außerdem einen kontinuierlichen Wahrscheinlichkeitsoberflächen-Ansatz benutzt, der die Herkunft der Vögel auf der Basis der Waldbedeckung im Brutgebiet einschränkte. Dem Großteil (90 %) der in Spanien gefangenen Waldschnepfen wurde eine Herkunft aus Zentral-Osteuropa (488 Individuen, 60 %) und dem Baltikum (237 Individuen, 30 %) zugeordnet. Diese Ergebnisse ähnelten denen, die zuvor für in Frankreich erjagte Waldschnepfen gewonnen worden waren, wobei dort mehr Individuen aus dem Baltikum und weniger Individuen aus Osteuropa stammten. Dies bedeutet, dass ein erheblicher Anteil der spanischen und französischen Waldschnepfen-Jagdbeute wohl aus demselben Management-Bestand stammt und das Management der Jagdquote in den beiden Ländern koordiniert werden sollte. Außerdem liefern unsere Ergebnisse weitere Hinweise für die Notwendigkeit des Schutzes von Wäldern in Osteuropa, dem südlichen Baltikum, der Ukraine, Weißrussland und Russland.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Comité Interautonómico de Caza y Pesca Continental in Spain and an operating grant to K.A.H. from Environment Canada. The study was carried out within the Framework of the Interregional Study on Woodcock Scolopax rusticola in Spain (Proj. Number 200430E471). We thank A. Powell, A. Hoodless and A. Gossler for providing the Woodcock calibration algorithm. C. Gryba assisted with preparation of samples for isotope analyses which were performed by L. Wassenaar. We thank all ringers of the Woodcock Network CCB, Txepetxa, Keepers of Guipúzcoa, ABN, and hunters of Club de Cazadores de Becada for their participation in the sampling. Finally, Manuel Fernández and Raquel Sánchez collaborated in the selection and subsampling of feathers to be analyzed. The manuscript benefited from the comments of two anonymous reviewers.
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Communicated by F. Bairlein.
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Hobson, K.A., Van Wilgenburg, S.L., Guzmán, J.L. et al. Origins of juvenile Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) harvested in Spain inferred from stable hydrogen isotope (δ 2H) analyses of feathers. J Ornithol 154, 1087–1094 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-0977-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-0977-9