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Introduction
Horacio De la Cueva currently works at the Department of Conservation Biology, Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California.. Horacio does research in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Biomechanics, and Zoology. Their current project is 'Asimetría de alas ¿Costo o beneficio?'. "Wing assymetry, Cost or benefit?
Current institution
Current position
- Investigador Titular C
Additional affiliations
September 1984 - August 1991
Publications
Publications (77)
Background
Due to the limited availability of ketamine in Mexico, alternative anaesthetic protocols for the immobilisation of big cats such as tigers ( Panthera tigris ssp.) need to be considered. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of an anaesthetic protocol combining tiletamine, zolazepam and xylazine when used in tigers...
The Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) reaches the southern limit of its current breeding range at San Quintín Bay, Baja California Mexico, where the tidal salt marsh is home to possibly as many as 15 pairs. In 2023 one pair had a nest with three eggs hatching 25–26 April. Two young fledged by 17 June.
Black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi ssp.) are endangered in Mexico. Safe anesthetic protocols are important for in situ and ex situ conservation problems. Such protocols are scarce in the literature; nor have safety and physiologic responses been reported. High doses and volume are a counter side for field immobilizations. We tested an an...
Bird and other wildlife strikes are an ever-increasing concern in the aeronautic industry. Several countries have developed methods to mitigate wildlife strikes, where indexes are valuable tools to reinforce airport wildlife management plans. Nevertheless, an international consensus on the application of a single method is lacking. Mexico follows t...
Manatees are threatened along their range. In México, this species is listed as endangered. Manatee conservation strategies require density or occupancy estimates, especially in areas where species face survival risks. On turbid waters, like those found in rivers and lakes of the Southern Gulf of México coast, visual methods used to detect and coun...
A major barrier to advancing ornithology is the systemic exclusion of professionals from the Global South. A recent special feature, Advances in Neotropical Ornithology, and a shortfalls analysis therein, unintentionally followed a long-standing pattern of highlighting individuals, knowledge, and views from the Global North, while largely omitting...
Research on olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) has emphasized egg-laying females and neonates, using data collected on nesting beaches, but no systematic studies on morphological characteristics by size and sex have been published. This research describes the morphometry of free-living olive ridley sea turtles from coastal and oceanic...
A major barrier to advancing ornithology is the systemic exclusion of professionals from the Global South. A recent special dossier, Advances in Neotropical Ornithology, and a shortfalls analysis therein, unintentionally followed a long-standing pattern of highlighting individuals, knowledge, and views from the Global North, while largely omitting...
Belding’s Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi) is one of the 17 currently recognized subspecies of the Savannah Sparrow (Wheelwright and Rising 2008). It can be found in saltmarshes from Point Conception, California, to the estuary of Arroyo El Rosario, Baja California.We describe the nests and habitat of Belding’s Sparrow at Estero Punta B...
We summarize existing literature and document a recent steep population decline and range contraction in the Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) at the southern end of its range, in Baja California, the only state of Mexico in which the species occurs. From >1000 nesting birds using at least 14 sites south to 30° N around the turn of the 21st...
Does Zostera marina exhibit phenotypic plasticity, maximizing fitness in traits responding to environmental factors, i.e., depth and temperature? We compared the vegetative and sexual phenology and reproductive effort of Z. marina by analyzing vegetative and reproductive shoot density, biomass, and reproductive stages to determine structural featur...
Tiletamine-zolazepam immobilisation use in tigers is controversial and has been associated with neurological diseases, poor recoveries and death. Recent publications show this controversy is unsubstantiated. The multiple use of the tiletamine-zolazepam-xylazine (TZ-XZ) combination in a 33-kg Amur tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica ) cub without advers...
Baseline knowledge of spatial and temporal distribution patterns is essential for cetacean management and conservation. Such knowledge is particularly important in areas where gillnet fishing occurs, as the Upper Gulf of California, which increases the probability of bycatch of cetaceans. In this area, the vaquita porpoise ( Phocoena sinus ) has be...
In Northwestern Mexico, approximately 40 breeding species of seabirds have been reported, with several threats (e.g., invasive species introduction and habitat loss) affecting the viability of their populations. As such, it is necessary to take action for their protection. To prioritize conservation activities, 119 reports (governamental agency mon...
A reply to Flessa et al. (2019)
Describimos la presencia, estructura, número de huevos y éxito de eclosión de los nidos de Rallus obsoletus levipes (rascón picudo), un ave protegida en México y Estados Unidos, durante las temporadas de anidación de 2016 a 2018 en el Estero de Punta Banda (EPB), Ensenada, Baja California, México. El número de huevos por nido fue de 6, 7 u 8 y el é...
Flight traits mediated by symmetry should be constrained by mechanical or aerodynamic effects. Natural asymmetry and external tail feather length could have unfavorable effects on aerodynamic performance and affect the survival of highly aerial birds. The Magnificent Frigatebird, Fregata magnificens, is a long-lived, highly aerial seabird with a de...
The vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus) is Mexico’s only endemic, and the world’s most endangered marine mammal. With a population of fewer than 30 individuals (Thomas et al. 2017; IUCN 2018), any delay in taking needed conservation actions will result in its extinction. A recent article (Manjarrez-Bringas et al. 2018) re-asserts, without providing a...
Para determinar caracteres diagnósticos de utilidad en la identificación taxonómica infraespecífica de la codorniz de California (Callipepla californica) de la península de Baja California, comparamos fenotípicamente cuatro subespecies nominales mediante el análisis estadístico multivariado de 18 caracteres: nueve morfométricos y nueve colorimétric...
Electronic catalog of congenital malformations in sea turtles
Resumen. La Norma Oficial Mexicana 059 (NOM-059) es el instrumento normativo que identifica las especies o poblaciones de México en riesgo mediante la aplicación del Método de Evaluación de Riesgo de Extinción de Especies Silvestres de México (MER). Desde su primera publicación en 1994 la Norma ha sido usada como referencia para evaluar el estado d...
Marine ecosystems are under anthropogenic pressures degrading both biodiversity and functional diversity. Functional diversity studies identify species functions through trait analysis, and are a robust alternative to the classical taxonomic approach. Although trophic traits are considered predominantly when analyzing functional diversity on marine...
Marine ecosystems are under anthropogenic pressures degrading both biodiversity and functional diversity. Functional diversity studies identify species functions through trait analysis, and are a robust alternative to the classical taxonomic approach. Although trophic traits are considered predominantly when analyzing functional diversity on marine...
There are three important manatee areas in Mexico: the coasts of the State of Quintana Roo; the freshwater systems within the lower basin of the Grijalva-Usumacinta rivers, which host the largest manatee population; and the rivers of central and southern Veracruz. The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is a threatened species throughout...
More than 26% of bird species inhabiting Mexico are in decline. Ornithologists are developing different actions to conserve some of these species, but there have been few efforts to comprehensively describe these activities. In this paper, we summarize nine current bird conservation efforts being done in Mexico, which were first presented in a scie...
Más del 26% de las especies de aves que habitan en México está declinando. Los ornitólogos han propuesto diversas acciones
para conservar algunas de ellas; sin embargo, se han hecho pocos esfuerzos por difundirlas. En este escrito, tomando en cuenta las
nueve pláticas presentadas en un simposio científico realizado en 2015, resumimos la información...
We examined the possibility of using the length of the outermost sheath (OSL) to predict values of different variables of Zostera marina (eelgrass), as our previous observations indicated a strong correspondence between eelgrass length structures (leaves and sheaths) and its biological and morphometric variables, i.e., growth, production, and leaf...
La legislación mexicana sobre vida silvestre debe descentralizar responsabilidades gubernamentales, definir claramente el concepto y dar mayor flexibilidad a los dueños de la tierra para el aprovechamiento sustentable de la misma.
Environmental changes happen all the time. Changing environments bring about selection of organisms, and there is no organism that does not modify its environment to make a living, survive, and reproduce. These changes are the main motors of evolution and, consequently, the main cause of biodiversity. Environmental violence—unsustainable use and ex...
Congenital malformations in sea turtles have been considered sporadical. Research carried out in the Mexican Pacific revealed high levels of congenital malformations in the olive ridley, but little or no information is available for other species. We present results from analyses of external congenital malformations in olive ridley, green, and haws...
To assess the feeding habits of Rhinobatos glaucostigma (speckled guitarfish), the stomach contents of 176 individuals were examined. Specimens were obtained from the artisanal gillnet fisheries operating off Nayarit, Mexico, in the southeastern region of the Gulf of California, during January-August 2008 and January-May 2009. Relative measures of...
To assess the feeding habits of Rhinobatos glaucostigma (speckled guitarfish), the stomach contents of 176 individuals were examined. Specimens were obtained from the artisanal gillnet fisheries operating off Nayarit, Mexico, in the southeastern region of the Gulf of California, during January–August 2008 and January–May 2009. Relative measures of...
We induced three adoptions during the period of biparental care by placing orphaned chicks of magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) into nests of foster parents whose chick had died. Indirect parent-offspring recognition seemed to occur during the period of biparental care. A chick was adopted in one of our three trials; thus, adoption of...
The asymmetry of the outer rectrices in Fregata magnificens (Magnificent Frigatebird) has an influence on flight efficiency, while the deeply forked tail of this sexually dimorphic species plays a crucial role in its aerodynamic performance. In order to assess natural selection pressure on tail asymmetry, we modelled gliding flight performance of s...
the ecology of migratory landbirds in Baja California has been little studied, yet the nonbreeding season is of critical importance in the life cycle of any bird. We used mist netting to quantify the relative abundance and demographic indices of six species of landbirds wintering in riparian habitat at two sites in Baja California. in addition, we...
Aerodynamic power equations predict optimal speeds at which birds ought to fly if they are to maximize time spent in the air on a given energy store (minimum power speed, Vmp), distance covered using a given amount of fuel (maximum range speed, Vmr), and rate of delivering food to the chicks in the nest (Vnest), or maximize the daily energy balance...
A Doppler radar hand gun was used to measure flight speeds of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) to determine whether mean flight speed coincides with either the minimum power, Vmp, or maximum range, Vmr, speeds predicted by aerodynamic theory. In addition, flight speeds are also compared with the maximum range speed, V′mr, when the mechanical equival...
Forma de citar: Aguirre-Muñoz, A., J.E., Bezaury-Creel, H. de la Cueva, I.J. March-Mifsut, E. Peters-Recagno, S. Rojas-González de Castilla y K. San-tos-del Prado Gasca (Compiladores). 2010. Islas de México, Un recurso estratégico. Instituto Nacional de Ecología (INE), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. (G...
During the breeding season, birds may have asymmetric tail feathers due to any of the following natural causes: asynchronous growth or molt, wear and tear, breakage or fluctuating asymmetry. Male tail streamer symmetry may be viewed by females as an indicator of male fitness or flight capability, and asymmetry may have a fitness cost in mate select...
El mercado de observación de ballenas en México ha crecido rápidamente desde 1990. Este estudio se basa en la apreciación de este mercado e incluye el análisis de cuatro conjuntos de variables que lo componen e inciden directamente sobre él: físicas, legales, biológicas y económicas. Se planteó la hipótesis de que todas las variables analizadas tuv...
Entre marzo de 2004 y marzo de 2005 se realizaron veinticuatro salidas de campo quincenales de avistamiento y registro de aves costeras en 6 unidades ambientales del Estero de Punta Banda, Baja California, México. Se registraron 35 familias y 104 especies; 64 estuvieron asociadas al ambiente acuático. La estructura de las comunidades de aves acuáti...
Since the last decade, Whales Observation in Mexico has grown and has a broad geographical communication. However, its legislations permit authorizations and particular regulations seem to leave those changes unattended. Whales Observation contributes to the reduction of local riots of the ecosystems in use, but not to reduce the derivate impacts f...
Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri (Cabanis, 1857)) exhibit slight female-biased sexual size dimorphism (5%) but disproportionate bill length dimorphism (15.9%). We test two predictions of the niche differentiation hypothesis at two wintering sites in Mexico with uniform western sandpiper densities, and use sex ratio as an index of intersexual comp...
We examined differential migration in the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) with respect to body size and wing chord allometry within sex and age categories. Culmen and wing chord data were collected as indices of structural body size at three sites that vary latitudinally: Ecuador, Panama, and Mexico. Within all sex and age categories, larger ind...
We examined differential migration in the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) with respect to body size and wing chord allometry within sex and age categories. Culmen and wing chord data were collected as indices of structural body size at three sites that vary latitudinally: Ecuador, Panama, and Mexico. Within all sex and age categories, larger ind...
The propensity of migratory waders to remain on the non-breeding grounds during the arctic breeding season (“oversummer”) in their first biological year of life (“juveniles”) may be latitude, and thus migratory distance dependent. We compared the extent of preparation for northward migration of western sandpipers Calidris mauri spending the non-bre...
Nature reserves can be considered a land-use category that competes with other land-uses for territory. Therefore, one fundamental goal in conservation planning is to arrive at nature reserve designs that protect the most valuable lands for conservation, and avoid the inclusion of tracts of land valuable for other stakeholders. However, the complex...
Forty-two urine and 96 blood and serum samples were obtained from California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pups from the Gulf of California during the 2000 reproductive season. Antibody prevalence to 13 serovars of Leptospira interrogans was determined by microagglutination tests (MAT); presence of pathogenic leptospires was detected by polymer...
Para estimar la supervivencia local aparente, se colectaron datos de capturaavsitamiento de 256 machos individualizados de Calidris mauri que invernaron en el Estero de Punta Banda, México, entre 1994–1997. Se utilizo un enfoque de modelación jerárquica para determinar el efecto de la edad y año en la tasa de sobrevivencia. El modelo que mejor se a...
To estimate annual apparent local survival, we collected capture–resighting data on 256 individually marked male Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) wintering at Estero de Punta Banda, Mexico, between 1994–1997. A hierarchical modeling approach was used to address the effect of age class and year on survivorship rates. The best-fit model included a...
The Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is one of the most abundant shorebirds in northwestern Mexico; however, little is known about its winter ecology in this area. We studied residency patterns of male Western Sandpipers during the winters of 1995–1996 (1995) and 1996–1997 (1996) at Estero Punta Banda in Baja California, Mexico. We resighted 54 b...
Northwestern Mexico is assumed to be one of the most important wintering areas for western sandpipers (Calidris maun). However, abundance has only been quantified recently via aerial surveys. In 1992 we censused Chametla beach within ensenada de La Paz, to quantify shorebirds' seasonal variation. The western sandpiper was the most numerous species...
we report the locations of 97 sightings of over 15,000 Western Sandpipers (Culidris maw-i) color banded in Peni, Panama, Mexico, British Columbia, and Alaska. Ninety-five sightings were made in states and provinces along the Pacific Coast of Central America and North America. One sandpiper banded in British Columbia and one from Peru were seen east...
We used Doppler radar readings of the flight speeds of foraging, lactating female Lasiurus borealis (N=826) and Lasiurus cinereus (N=544) to test morphologically based predictions about their flight performance. Both species flew at speeds (V=6.7 and 7.7 m s-1, respectively) that differed significantly from predicted minimum power speed (Vmp; 4.0 a...
Ground effect (GE), an interaction between a wing and a surface, increases lift and reduces induced power, minimum power and maximum range speeds (P ind ,V mp ,V mr ). Flight speeds of birds were measured with a Doppler radar. Flight films were taken at 60-64 Hz and digitized for vertical wing-displacement analysis. Circular-linear regression and p...
RESUMEN RESUMEN
En el libro Consilience, de E.O. Wilson,<sup>8</sup> creador de la sociobiología<sup>6</sup> e impulsor del concepto y de la protección de la biodiversidad,7 éste propone una solución a la unidad del conocimiento humano, a la cual llama consilience, que aquí propongo traducir como conciliación. La propuesta de Wilson en su obra es...
