Costa Rica: Some forest birds can survive in agricultural countryside with limited habitat conservation

Some forest birds can survive in agricultural countryside with limited habitat conservation: "Some tropical forest birds can survive alongside humans if given a helping hand, according to a recent study by Cagan H. Sekercioglu, senior scientist at the Stanford University Center for Conservation Biology.

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The results, published in the April 2007 issue of the journal Conservation Biology, could influence the way countries approach endangered species protection in agricultural areas, Sekercioglu said. 'Even modest restoration efforts can increase their land cover and help some forest birds more than you would think,' he said.

The study was conducted in Costa Rica at the Las Cruces Biological Station of the Organization for Tropical Studies, where most of the forested terrain has been converted to open coffee plantations or pasture—unfavorable habitats for birds, according to Sekercioglu. In previous studies, researchers had identified nearly 200 bird species in coffee plantations by simply capturing or observing them there. 'If you do that, you might think, 'Well, these birds are doing fine in coffee plantations,' Sekercioglu said.

However, he felt that simply seeing the birds in coffee plantations was not sufficient evidence to conclude that they had adapted to life outside their native habitat. Sekercioglu wanted to follow the birds more closely. He and his"

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