Movements, Habitat Use, and Survival of Nonbreeding Piping Plovers

Abstract We studied movements, habitat use, and survival rates of 49 radio-marked Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) overwintering along the southern Laguna Madre of Texas during 1997–1998. Plovers exhibited strong site fidelity to nonbreeding areas throughout fall, winter, and spring. Mean home-range size of plovers (based on 95% of locations) was 12.6 km2 with a mean core area (50% of locations) of 2.9 km2. Seasonal home-range size and core areas differed only between fall and winter; home-range and core areas were smaller in fall than winter. Mean linear distance moved was 3.3 km; fall movements were smaller than those made in winter and spring. Habitat use varied seasonally: plovers used algal flats more during fall and spring than during winter; plovers used exposed sand flats more often during winter than in fall and spring. We recorded no mortality of radio-marked birds. High rates of survival and strong site fidelity throughout the nonbreeding period suggest that this period of the annual cycle may not contribute to the declining population size for Piping Plovers wintering in this region. However, because Piping Plovers spend most of the annual cycle on nonbreeding areas, they are likely to be negatively affected by loss of those sites, emphasizing the importance of conserving nonbreeding areas for this threatened and endangered species.

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Green morays (Gymnothorax funebris) have sedentary ways in mangrove bays, but also ontogenetic forays to reef enclaves

Environmental Biology of Fishes ◽

10.1007/s10641-021-01137-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew S. Kendall ◽

Laughlin Siceloff ◽

Ashley Ruffo ◽

Arliss Winship ◽

Mark E. Monaco

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Caribbean Region ◽

History Of ◽

High Site ◽

Single Night ◽

Exploratory Movements ◽

Moray Eel

AbstractSurprisingly, little is known about basic life history of the largest moray eel species in the Caribbean region, the green moray eel (Gymnothorax funebris). Sixteen eels were captured from the mangrove fringe in multiple bays on St. Croix, USVI, implanted with coded acoustic transmitters, and their movements were tracked for up to 11 months using an array of 37 stationary acoustic receivers. They exhibited high site fidelity in the bays during their residence, using the same general parts of individual bays and did not switch bays except for one individual. There was no relationship between eel size (mean TL = 83 cm, range = 54–126 cm) and home range size (mean area of 95% KUD = 5.8 ha ± 0.7 SE). Most individuals were more frequently detected at night than during the day suggesting greater nocturnal activity. Several of the larger eels (mean TL = 93 cm ± 5.9 SE) showed clear and permanent emigration tracks out of the mangrove estuary to coral reef habitats offshore. For some individuals, these habitat shifts were preceded by exploratory movements away from the eel’s typical home range the night before emigration. All final emigration events took place nocturnally, happened during a single night, and occurred during months from December to May. Mean emigration speed was 3.4 km/h. This study is the first documentation of an ontogenetic habitat shift in moray eels, as well as the first determination of home range size for this species and their site fidelity in mangrove habitats.

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Snowmobile Effects on Movements of White-tailed Deer: A Case-study

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892900002216 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 45-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Ronald G. Eckstein ◽

Thomas F. O'Brien ◽

Orrin J. Rongstad ◽

John G. Bollinger

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Odocoileus Virginianus ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges

The effects of snowmobile traffic on the winter home-ranges, movements, and activity patterns, of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), were studied during two winters in northern Wisconsin. There were no significant differences in home-range size and habitat use of the Deer in areas with and without snowmobiling. However, snowmobiling caused some Deer to leave the immediate vicinity of the snowmobile trail. Deer were most affected when they were within 61 m of the snowmobile trail.

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Movements, Home Range Size and Habitat Use of Radio-Tracked Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix) in Southern Sweden

Copeia ◽

10.2307/1445153 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 1984 (3) ◽

pp. 707 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Thomas Madsen

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Southern Sweden ◽

Natrix Natrix

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Sex Differences in Space Use of Breeding Common Ravens in Western Marin County, California

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/106.3.529 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 106 (3) ◽

pp. 529-539 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jennifer E. Roth ◽

John P. Kelly ◽

William J. Sydeman ◽

Mark A. Colwell

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Home Range ◽

Space Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Food Sources ◽

Small Scale ◽

Corvus Corax ◽

Marin County ◽

Core Areas

Abstract We estimated core areas and home-range sizes and evaluated sex differences in home-range size, seasonal variation in movements, and space use for breeding Common Ravens (Corvus corax) in western Marin County, California. There were no significant interannual differences in average core area or average home-range size for either sex, although there were small-scale shifts in home-range use for 67% of females and 63% of males. There was no significant difference in home-range size between the sexes. Home-range size was positively correlated with distance to food source. Ravens traveled shorter distances from the nest during the incubation + nestling stage compared to other stages of the breeding season. Core areas were centered around nest sites and food sources, with significantly aggregated locations for 83% and 100% of females in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Males were more variable in their use of space, with significantly aggregated locations for 38% and 44% of males in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Individual variation in home-range size, movements, and space use was likely due to differences in the distribution of important food sources in the area. Diferencias Sexuales en la Utilización del Espacio en Corvus corax en el Oeste del Condado Marin, California Resumen. Estimamos los tamaños del área núcleo y rango de hogar y evaluamos las diferencias entre sexos en el tamaño del rango de hogar, variaciones estacionales de los movimientos y utilización del espacio en Corvus corax en el oeste del condado Marin, California. No hubo diferencias interanuales significativas en el área núcleo promedio ni en el rango de hogar promedio para ninguno de los sexos, aunque para el 67% de las hembras y el 63% de los machos hubo cambios de pequeña escala en el uso del rango de hogar. No hubo diferencias significativas en el tamaño de los rangos de hogar entre sexos. El tamaño del rango de hogar estuvo positivamente correlacionado con la distancia a la fuente de alimento. Los cuervos viajaron distancias más cortas desde el nido durante los períodos de incubación y de cría de polluelos en comparación con otros períodos durante la época reproductiva. Las áreas núcleo se centraron en los sitios de nidificación y las fuentes de alimento, con posiciones significativamente agregadas para el 83% y 100% de las hembras en 2000 y 2001, respectivamente. Los machos presentaron mayor variabilidad en la utilización del espacio, con posiciones significativamente agregadas para un 38% y 44% de los machos en el 2000 y 2001, respectivamente. Las variaciones individuales en el tamaño de los ámbitos de hogar, movimientos y uso del espacio fueron probablemente dadas por las diferencias en la distribución de los recursos alimenticios importantes en el área.

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Home range size decreases with increasing site fidelity in high-density subpopulations of brown trout

Ethology Ecology & Evolution ◽

10.1080/03949370.2019.1624277 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (5) ◽

pp. 421-434 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ondřej Slavík ◽

Pavel Horký

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Brown Trout ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Home Range Size ◽

High Density ◽

Range Size

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Home range size and habitat use of male common genets in the Urdaibai biosphere reserve, Northern Spain

Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft ◽

10.1007/bf02193549 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 107-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

I. Zuberogoitia ◽

J. Zabala ◽

I. Garin ◽

J. Aihartza

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Northern Spain

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Habitat Use and Foraging Patterns of Molting Male Long-tailed Ducks in Lagoons of the Central Beaufort Sea, Alaska

ARCTIC ◽

10.14430/arctic4544 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 19

Author(s):

Paul L. Flint ◽

John A. Reed ◽

Deborah L. Lacroix ◽

Richard B. Lanctot

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Beaufort Sea ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Oil Field ◽

Range Size ◽

Foraging Habitat ◽

Field Development ◽

Industrial Oil ◽

Radio Transmitters

From mid-July through September, 10 000 to 30 000 Long-tailed Ducks (<em>Clangula hyemalis</em>) use the lagoon systems of the central Beaufort Sea for remigial molt. Little is known about their foraging behavior and patterns of habitat use during this flightless period. We used radio transmitters to track male Long-tailed Ducks through the molt period from 2000 to 2002 in three lagoons: one adjacent to industrial oil field development and activity and two in areas without industrial activity. We found that an index to time spent foraging generally increased through the molt period. Foraging, habitat use, and home range size showed similar patterns, but those patterns were highly variable among lagoons and across years. Even with continuous daylight during the study period, birds tended to use offshore areas during the day for feeding and roosted in protected nearshore waters at night. We suspect that variability in behaviors associated with foraging, habitat use, and home range size are likely influenced by availability of invertebrate prey. Proximity to oil field activity did not appear to affect foraging behaviors of molting Long-tailed Ducks.

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Seasonal home range and habitat use of a critically endangered marsupial (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) inside and outside a predator-proof sanctuary

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am14022 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 157 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Georgina J. Yeatman ◽

Adrian F. Wayne

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Food Distribution ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Bettongia Penicillata ◽

External Reference ◽

Substantial Decline

An understanding of the factors that influence the distribution of the woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) at local and regional scales has been identified as a key knowledge gap, because such knowledge may assist in the recovery of this endangered species. We aimed to investigate the seasonal home-range size and habitat use of woylies to update current knowledge of the species in the context of a substantial decline. Specifically, we examined the home range and habitat use of woylies reintroduced into a sanctuary free from invasive predators and compared these data to those from an external reference site. Eight woylies inside the sanctuary and seven outside were radio-tracked in autumn 2011. The average home-range size was 65.4 (±8.2, s.e.) ha. There was little evidence to suggest any difference in home-range size between woylies inside and outside the sanctuary. Woylies were more likely to be found in the slope and low-lying valley habitats, which have greater water-holding capacity and sandier soils. These relatively large seasonal home ranges, compared with previously published estimates for the species, may be accounted for by low population density, lower seasonal food availability and clustered food distribution. Monitoring the home-range size of woylies within the sanctuary may assist in identifying the carrying capacity of the sanctuary, which has implications for how this population is managed.

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Home ranges of feral cats (Felis catus) in central-western New South Wales, Australia

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr04093 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 32 (7) ◽

pp. 587 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Robyn Molsher ◽

Chris Dickman ◽

Alan Newsome ◽

Warren Müller

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Habitat Types ◽

South Wales ◽

Adult Cats

Twenty-one feral cats were radio-tracked using direct sighting and triangulation techniques (amassing 730 location fixes) during winter in an agricultural landscape in central-western New South Wales. Factors affecting home-range size, home-range overlap and habitat use were assessed. Mean home-range size was 248 ha (s.e. = 34.9, n = 15 cats, 598 location fixes). Home-range size and habitat use were not influenced by sex or age of adult cats, prey abundance or time of day. However, cat weight significantly influenced range size, with heavier cats having larger ranges than smaller cats. Although the cats are apparently solitary, their home ranges overlapped considerably, particularly between young adults and old adult cats. Cats were active both by day and night and did not occupy permanent dens. Home ranges encompassed mixed habitat types that provided both shelter and prey. Open woodland and open forest were the main habitat types covered by home ranges, but within these areas cats showed a preference for grassland, where rabbits were more abundant. The results recorded in this study indicate that cat-control programs should concentrate in mixed habitat areas, where both shelter and food are available, and over widely dispersed areas. The absence of group living suggests that the effectiveness of virally vectored fertility or biological control agents would be limited.

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