Estimating density of secretive terrestrial birds (Siamese Fireback) in pristine and degraded forest using camera traps and distance sampling

摘要: Abstract Tropical Asian Galliformes are secretive and difficult to survey. Many of these species considered “at risk” due habitat degradation although reliable density estimates lacking. Using camera trapping distance sampling data collected on the Siamese Fireback ( Lophura diardi ) in northeastern Thailand, we compared for pristine degraded lowland forest. Density was poorly estimated using sampling, likely small sample size arising from poor visibility dense vegetation bird’s sensitivity observers. We analysed trap both count-based presence/absence-based methods. Those had narrower confidence intervals than those obtained sampling. Estimated higher dry evergreen forest (5.6 birds km −2 ), old plantations (0.2 birds km perhaps because habitats provide Firebacks with more resources refuge predation. Our results suggest that can be used estimating cryptic terrestrial bird inhabiting tropical lack unique identification markings. However, this technique requires effective area is known thus knowledge animal home range size.