CracidMex1: a comprehensive database of global occurrences of cracids (Aves, Galliformes) with distribution in Mexico

Miguel Angel Martínez-Morales

doi:10.15468/fkyoxr

CracidMex1: a comprehensive database of global occurrences of cracids (Aves, Galliformes) with distribution in Mexico

Citation

Martínez-Morales M A, Pinilla-Buitrago G (2014). CracidMex1: a comprehensive database of global occurrences of cracids (Aves, Galliformes) with distribution in Mexico. ZooKeys. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/fkyoxr accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.

Description

Cracids are among the most vulnerable groups of Neotropical birds. Almost half of the species of this family are included in a conservation risk category. Twelve taxa occur in Mexico, six of which are considered at risk at national level and two are globally endangered. Therefore, it is imperative that high quality, comprehensive, and high-resolution spatial data on the occurrence of these taxa are made available as a valuable tool in the process of defining appropriate management strategies for conservation at a local and global level. We constructed the CracidMex1 database by collating global records of all cracid taxa that occur in Mexico from available electronic databases, museum specimens, publications, “grey literature”, and unpublished records. We generated a database with 23,896 clean, validated, and standardized geographic records. Database quality control was an iterative process that commenced with the consolidation and elimination of duplicate records, followed by the geo-referencing of records when necessary, and their taxonomic and geographic validation using GIS tools and expert knowledge. We followed the geo-referencing protocol proposed by the Mexican National Commission for the Use and Conservation of Biodiversity. We could not estimate the geographic coordinates of 981 records due to inconsistencies or lack of sufficient information in the description of the locality. Given that current records for most of the taxa have some degree of distributional bias, with redundancies at different spatial scales, the CracidMex1 database has allowed us to detect areas where more sampling effort is required to have a better representation of the global spatial occurrence of these cracids. We also found that particular attention needs to be given to taxa identification in those areas where congeners or conspecifics co-occur in order to avoid taxonomic uncertainty. The construction of the CracidMex1 database represents the first comprehensive research effort to compile current, available global geographic records for a group of cracids. The database can now be improved by continuous revision and addition of new records. The CracidMex1 database will provide high quality input data that could be used to generate species distribution models, to assess temporal changes in species distributions, to identify priority areas for research and conservation, and in the definition of management strategies for this bird group. This compilation exercise could be replicated for other cracid groups or regions to attain a better knowledge of the global occurrences of the species in this vulnerable bird family.

Taxonomic Coverages

The CracidMex1 database comprises 23,896 global records of 12 taxa of cracid species and subspecies with distribution in Mexico. This includes eight cracid species distributed in Mexico, out of the 54 recognized species in the Neotropical region (AOU 2014). The database also includes records of O. v. deschauenseei from the Utila Island, Honduras, and of two other subspecies of P. purpurascens (aequatorialis and brunnescens) which are not distributed in Mexico. The genus Ortalis accounted for most of the records, followed by Penelope, Crax, Penelopina, and Oreophasis. This bias in records at a genus level is also mirrored at species level. However, at subspecies level this bias is not evident because only 19.9% of the records assignable to subspecies level are given to this taxonomic level (4.6% in O. vetula, 43.5% in P. purpurascens, and 100% in C. rubra).

Animalia
rank: kingdom
Chordata
rank: phylum
Aves
rank: class
Galliformes
rank: order
Cracidae
common name: Chachalacas, Guans, and Curassows rank: family
Ortalis vetula
rank: species
Ortalis wagleri
rank: species
Ortalis poliocephala
rank: species
Ortalis leucogastra
rank: species
Penelope purpurascens
rank: species
Penelopina nigra
rank: species
Oreophasis derbianus
rank: species
Crax rubra
rank: species

Geographic Coverages

Valid distributional records (22,731), based on the native distribution of taxa, cover distributions from southern Texas, USA, in the north, to Loja, Ecuador, in the south, including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru. These records are labelled as presente (present) in the “occurrenceStatus” field of the database. Other records corresponded to zoo specimens (49), records with spatial inconsistencies or ambiguities (143), and records for which coordinates could not be calculated due to insufficient information in the description of the locality (981). These records are labelled as ausente (absent) or dudoso (doubtful) in the “occurrenceStatus” field. In this case a label of “absent” (186 records) means that the record is out of the distributional range of the species (e.g., zoo records), and “doubtful” (979) means that the species could be present in the area, but the ambiguity in the description of the locality prevents an unequivocal assertion of the spatial validity of the record (e.g., Locality: Mexico).

Bibliographic Citations

AOU (American Ornithologists’ Union) (2014) AOU Checklists. http://checklist.aou.org - References cited within metadata
Brooks D M, Strahl S D (comp) (2000) Curassows, guans and chachalacas. Status survey and conservation action plan for cracids 2000-2004. IUCN/SSC Cracid Specialist Group. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK, 182 pp. - References cited within metadata
CONABIO (2008) Georreferenciación de localidades de colecciones biológicas. Manual de procedimiento. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad. Mexico, 177 pp. - References cited within metadata
CONABIO (2012) Bases de datos para modelar la distribución geográfica de las especies. Control de calidad. Manual de procedimiento. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad. Mexico, 59 pp. - References cited within metadata
del Hoyo J, Motis A (2004) Update chapter. In: Delacour J, Amadon D. Curassows and related birds. Lynx Editions and The National Museum of Natural History. Barcelona and New York, pp. 322-476. - References cited within metadata
FAO, JRC (2012) Global forest land-use change 1990–2005, by Lindquist E J, D’Annunzio R, Gerrand A, MacDicken K, Achard F, Beuchle R, Brink A, Eva H D , Mayaux P, San-Miguel-Ayanz J, Stibig H-J. FAO Forestry Paper No. 169. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and European Commission Joint Research Centre. Rome, 40 pp. - References cited within metadata
Myers N, Mittermeier R A, Mittermeier C G, da Fonseca G A B, Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853-858. - References cited within metadata
Silva J L, Strahl S D (1991) Human impact on populations of chachalacas, guans, and curassows (Galliformes: Cracidae) in Venezuela. In: Robinson J G, Redford K H (eds) Neotropical wildlife use and conservation. University of Chicago Press. Chicago, pp. 37-52. - References cited within metadata
Silva J L, Strahl S D (1997) Presión de caza sobre poblaciones de crácidos en los parques nacionales al norte de Venezuela. In: Strahl S D, Beaujon S, Brooks D M, Begazo A J, Sedaghatkish G, Olmos F (eds) The Cracidade: their biology and conservation. Hancock House Publishers Ltd. Surrey, BC and Blaine, WA, pp. 437-438. - References cited within metadata

Contacts

Miguel Angel Martínez-Morales
originator
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad Campeche.
Avenida Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial Lerma
Campeche
24500
Campeche
MX
email: mmartinez@ecosur.mx

Gonzalo Pinilla-Buitrago
metadata author
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad Campeche.
Avenida Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial Lerma
Campeche
24500
Campeche
MX
email: gepinillab@gmail.com

Fernando González-García
content provider
Instituto de Ecología, AC
Carretera antigua a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya
Xalapa
91070
Veracruz
MX

Paula L. Enríquez
content provider
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad San Cristóbal
Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n, Barrio María Auxiliadora
San Cristóbal de Las Casas
29290
Chiapas
MX

José Luis Rangel-Salazar
content provider
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad San Cristóbal
Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n, Barrio María Auxiliadora
San Cristóbal de Las Casas
29290
Chiapas
MX

Carlos Alberto Guichard Romero
content provider
Zoológico Miguel Álvarez del Toro
Calzada Cerro Hueco s/n, Colonia Zapotal, Apartado Postal 6
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
29094
Chiapas
MX

Adolfo G. Navarro-Sigüenza
content provider
Museo de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Apartado Postal 70-399
México DF
04510
MX

Tiberio César Monterrubio-Rico
content provider
Facultad de Biología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo
Edificio R, Ciudad Universitaria
Morelia
58000
Michoacán
MX

Griselda Escalona-Segura
content provider
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad Campeche
Avenida Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial Lerma
Campeche
24500
Campeche
MX

Miguel Angel Martínez-Morales
administrative point of contact
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad Campeche.
Avenida Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial Lerma
Campeche
24500
Campeche
MX
email: mmartinez@ecosur.mx