The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)

Reintroducing threatened fauna has been established as a valuable conservation practice despite the obstacles that such projects still face. In avian reintroductions, elevated dispersal of released individuals is one of the main factors preventing the establishment of sizeable populations in target...

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Main Authors: Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta, Maria Fernanda Naegeli Gondim, Thaís Tamamoto de Moraes, Monica Furtado, Arnaldo Algaranhar Gonçalves, Luís Fábio Silveira
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Diversity
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/364
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author Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta
Maria Fernanda Naegeli Gondim
Thaís Tamamoto de Moraes
Monica Furtado
Arnaldo Algaranhar Gonçalves
Luís Fábio Silveira
author_facet Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta
Maria Fernanda Naegeli Gondim
Thaís Tamamoto de Moraes
Monica Furtado
Arnaldo Algaranhar Gonçalves
Luís Fábio Silveira
author_sort Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta
collection DOAJ
description Reintroducing threatened fauna has been established as a valuable conservation practice despite the obstacles that such projects still face. In avian reintroductions, elevated dispersal of released individuals is one of the main factors preventing the establishment of sizeable populations in target areas. We started reintroducing Golden Parakeets in a protected area in the Amazon Forest, and we faced problems regarding low site fidelity. To address this issue, we tested a new methodological approach named “release trials”, consisting of repeatedly releasing and recapturing individual birds to avoid early dispersion. We address the results of applying this method and the influence that intrinsic factors had on the site fidelity of released individuals. We released seven groups of parakeets with an average first-month site fidelity of 46%. Individuals who underwent more release trials before the group release were more likely to present site fidelity. The level of aggression suffered by resident parakeets was the main factor leading to the dispersion of individuals. Older birds were more likely to suffer higher aggression, but age alone did not explain the result of dispersion. Individuals less aversive to humans and previously paired before release were less likely to disperse. Our results show that every bit of methodological care during pre-release training and individual selection may increase the chance of establishing a group with site fidelity.
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spelling doaj-art-64ebfdd59680460fac1bcddda4dc47122025-08-20T03:47:53ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-05-0117536410.3390/d17050364The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta0Maria Fernanda Naegeli Gondim1Thaís Tamamoto de Moraes2Monica Furtado3Arnaldo Algaranhar Gonçalves4Luís Fábio Silveira5Seção de Aves, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Ipiranga 04263-000, SP, BrazilLymington Foundation, Estrada Dias Gomes 2.200, Juquitiba 06950-970, SP, BrazilLymington Foundation, Estrada Dias Gomes 2.200, Juquitiba 06950-970, SP, BrazilInstituto de Desenvolvimento Florestal e da Biodiversidade do Estado do Pará, IDEFLOR-Bio, Avenida João Paulo II, Utinga, Belém 66610-770, PA, BrazilInstituto de Desenvolvimento Florestal e da Biodiversidade do Estado do Pará, IDEFLOR-Bio, Avenida João Paulo II, Utinga, Belém 66610-770, PA, BrazilSeção de Aves, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Ipiranga 04263-000, SP, BrazilReintroducing threatened fauna has been established as a valuable conservation practice despite the obstacles that such projects still face. In avian reintroductions, elevated dispersal of released individuals is one of the main factors preventing the establishment of sizeable populations in target areas. We started reintroducing Golden Parakeets in a protected area in the Amazon Forest, and we faced problems regarding low site fidelity. To address this issue, we tested a new methodological approach named “release trials”, consisting of repeatedly releasing and recapturing individual birds to avoid early dispersion. We address the results of applying this method and the influence that intrinsic factors had on the site fidelity of released individuals. We released seven groups of parakeets with an average first-month site fidelity of 46%. Individuals who underwent more release trials before the group release were more likely to present site fidelity. The level of aggression suffered by resident parakeets was the main factor leading to the dispersion of individuals. Older birds were more likely to suffer higher aggression, but age alone did not explain the result of dispersion. Individuals less aversive to humans and previously paired before release were less likely to disperse. Our results show that every bit of methodological care during pre-release training and individual selection may increase the chance of establishing a group with site fidelity.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/364soft releasedispersionsite fidelityacclimatization
spellingShingle Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta
Maria Fernanda Naegeli Gondim
Thaís Tamamoto de Moraes
Monica Furtado
Arnaldo Algaranhar Gonçalves
Luís Fábio Silveira
The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)
Diversity
soft release
dispersion
site fidelity
acclimatization
title The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)
title_full The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)
title_fullStr The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)
title_full_unstemmed The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)
title_short The Influence of Intrinsic Factors and Release Trials on Site Fidelity and Dispersal of Reintroduced Golden Parakeets (<i>Guaruba guarouba</i>, Aves, Psittacidae)
title_sort influence of intrinsic factors and release trials on site fidelity and dispersal of reintroduced golden parakeets i guaruba guarouba i aves psittacidae
topic soft release
dispersion
site fidelity
acclimatization
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/364
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