SPECIES RICHNESS AND SITE FIDELITY AMONG RESIDENT NEOTROPICAL BIRDS

Site fidelity of birds based on banding was demonstrated for about 25% of mist-netted resident species in two disturbed and one undisturbed forest sites. Site fidelity was slightly higher in both young (10 spec ies of birds) and mature forest (7) than in a recently abandoned field (5). One hundred and twenty-six resident species were observed of whi ch 73 were mist-netted. Seventy species were observed in mature forest of which 25 were exclusive (not found in the other two sites). Eleven of 74 species in young forest were exclusive, and 20 of 80 in the rec ently abandoned field. Five species: ochre-bellied flycatcher, long-ta iled hermit, wedge-billed woodcreeper, white-collared manakin, and red -capped manakin accounted for about 50% of all resident birds netted. Recovery data for migrant and resident site faithful species suggest t hat migrant and resident species exhibit roughly the same degree of si te fidelity relative to overall species richness.