Priorities for Future Research

One of the main considerations when prioritizing species in need of conservation measures has been to focus on species that already are considered to be endangered or threatened. The result is that species that are not subject to obvious pressures are overlooked until it is too late and more costly to recover their populations. Although Dendrortyx macroura is not regarded as in immediate threat or danger, the first step toward assuring its future existence requires the development of a prioritizing scheme of research questions relevant to the species conservation. Four critical issues in need of attention arise from the review presented in this account:

(l) Habitat ecology: It would be particularly useful to generate more knowledge on habitat use patterns at the local and landscape levels, home range, and their relationship with population density and reproductive success; the effects of human activities, mainly deforestation, also are little known;

(2) Distribution: It also is necessary to determine altitudinal and local movements, if any; phylogeographic analyses are needed to differentiate the subspecies as well as bioacoustics studies that are also needed to quantitatively describe the songs and calls;

(3) Breeding behavioral patterns; and

(4) Demography: In particular breeding activity, life span and survivorship, relationship with parasites, mortality, dispersal, and population status.