Habitat selection by the Canary Islands stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae) (Meade-Waldo, 1889) in Fuerteventura Island: a two-tier habitat approach with implications for its conservation

Habitat selection by the Canary Islands stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae), an e ndemic bird of Fuerteventura Island (Canary Islands, Spain), was studied in a two-tier habitat approach of microhabitat and landscape. Birds spent all their foraging time on stony fields and barrancos, avoiding lava and sandy fields. Slopes with high shrub coverage were the best predictors of occurr ence of Canary Islands stonechats at a landscape scale. At a microhabitat s cale, slopes with large boulders were selected, whilst those covered with s mall stones were clearly avoided. Birds used those places that supported th e largest invertebrate densities. Two main threats to the species are: (1) grazing pressure (which could increase the process of desertification and d ecrease the availability of food), and (2) the destruction or alteration of optimal habitats, mainly owing to an increase in tourism development. Futu re management efforts should include the protection of large patches of sto ny field and barranco habitats, with slopes having at least 50% of shrub co ver and large boulders. In addition, rigorous studies are needed to ascerta in the maximum level of goat grazing for maintaining these optimal habitats for the Canary Island stonechat. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.