George Sangster
 ·  3 November 2024  11:08, gewijzigd 3 November 2024  11:09

Córdoba-Rojas, IB, Rodríguez-Estrella, R, Campos, GR & Escalante-Pliego, P 2024. Review of the distribution, abundance, and threats of Belding’s Yellowthroat (Geothlypis beldingi) in Baja California Sur, Mexico (Passeriformes, Parulidae). Acta Zoológica Mexicana (NS) 40: 1-14. [in Spanish.]

The Belding’s Yellowthroat (Geothlypis beldingi) has a distribution confined to more than 180 oases in Baja California Sur. This endemic species depends on and has a certain degree of specialization to the vegetation of water’s edges in these wetlands. The progressive modifications to the habitat of this species has caused a decline in its populations, a situation that places it as an endangered species in the Mexican Protection List and as Vulnerable at a global level. Based on the analysis of previous information and recent sampling, we determined the current distribution status of this species, identifying a patchy distribution pattern that is dependent on the spatial arrangement of the oases and the limited dispersal capacity of this marshy species. The most abundant populations occur in the oases of San José del Cabo (225–475 individuals), Santiago (150 individuals), Punta San Pedro (70 individuals), La Purísima and San Ignacio (250 individuals). San José del Cabo is the oasis with the largest Belding’s Yellowthroat population. The oases where this species is distributed show some degree of impact from human activities, with tourism, reed cutting and water extraction having the greatest effect on the habitat of the Belding’s Yellowthroat. The recommendation is made to prioritize those oasis sites that host the most abundant populations of G. beldingi, as well as consider those sites with a higher degree of connectivity and integrity for conservation purposes.