SURVIVAL RATES OF FOREST PASSERINES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL CHILE

We present the first estimates of survival for five passerines inhabiting the temperate forests of south-central Chile. Calculations were performed based on capture data obtained between 1998 and 2002 in the coastal range of the Maule region, where the landscape is comprised of a mosaic of native Nothofagus forests and pine plantations. We found that body condition is the main factor explaining survival for both Aphrastura spinicauda and Troglodytes aedon. For this first species, a year effect on survival is also supported by the data, which we suggest is related to a year of atypical weather conditions. We also found a time effect on the survival of three other species, related to seasons and breeding time. For two scrubland bird species, the models that better explained their survival contained a body size factor, but intriguingly the analysis showed higher survival for smaller birds. Comparison of published data with our results suggests that the apparent survival for temperate Neotropical passerines is closer to that of passerines inhabiting other temperate regions than for birds belonging to the same family occurring at lower latitudes in the Neotropics. Finally, the lack of basic demographic information for South American temperate forest birds makes our findings invaluable for managers and researchers, but leaves unresolved questions about the impact of habitat changes on these forest birds. Accepted 1 December 2011.