Aves, Linnaeus, 1758

Aves View in CoL View at ENA indet. spp.

Aves Linnaeus, 1758: 12 View in CoL , 78-80.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 58 undetermined remains ( COLT-58 to 92 ).

DESCRIPTION

Among the recovered vertebrate remains, a total of 35 bone fragments could be attributed to birds, all small-sized, and 30 of them belonging to small passerines. Unfortunately, these bone remains lack diagnostic features allowing a more precise taxonomic ascription. Among the recovered bones is a proximal part of humerus, but its poor preservation state prevents its identification. The remaining five bones belonged to seabirds. Three fragments of pedal phalanges belonged to shearwaters ( Procellariidae ), and a wing phalanx and a cranial part of scapula to very small species of other families within the procellariiforms group. All the recovered bones correspond to adult individuals.

REMARKS

The recovered avian fossils comprise at least six undetermined species of birds (two of seabirds and four passerines).Currently, many of the birds that make their migratory trips along the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula arrive to the Columbretes due to adverse weather conditions, particularly, with westerly winds. For this reason and despite their small surface, these islands are home to a varied ornithocenosis, made up of dozens of passerine species. They constitute also a safe place for breeding colonies of several marine species of birds ( Díaz et al. 1996). It can be assumed that the avian ranges did not undergo major changes in the region during the late Holocene.