scholarly journals The Botteri's Sparrow and Exotic Arizona Grasslands: An Ecological Trap or Habitat Regained?

The Condor ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 731-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zach F. Jones ◽  
Carl E. Bock
Keyword(s):  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Ecological Trap ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Native Grasslands ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sporobolus Wrightii

Abstract The Botteri's Sparrow (Aimophila botterii) is a bird of tall grasslands that temporarily disappeared from Arizona following heavy livestock grazing in the 1890s. Its return was noted first in sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii), an uncommon native floodplain tallgrass often >2 m in height, and subsequently in stands of exotic lovegrasses (Eragrostis spp.) spreading into adjacent uplands that otherwise supported shorter native grasslands. We examined whether the exotic grasslands provided suitable breeding habitat for Botteri's Sparrows, compared to native grasslands. We counted birds for three years on 18 plots, monitored 314 nests on 323 home ranges, banded 583 birds, and measured vegetation on plots and home ranges, and at nests and fledgling locations. Abundance and site fidelity were positively associated with grass height and cover, being greatest in sacaton, intermediate in exotics, and lowest in native upland grasslands. The three habitats did not differ in young fledged per capita. Vegetation cover on Botteri's Sparrow home ranges did not differ from the surrounding available habitat, but locations of flightless recently fledged young included taller and more dense vegetation than either nest sites or random locations, especially in sparsely vegetated native grasslands. These results suggest that fledglings required substantial cover to avoid predation while they completed development. Far from being an ecological trap, the exotic lovegrasses apparently are providing essential cover for the Botteri's Sparrow in Arizona, perhaps allowing it to regain an abundance similar to what existed regionally prior to overgrazing of the late 19th Century.

scholarly journals Site fidelity and localised homing behaviour in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Behaviour ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 150 (14) ◽  
pp. 1689-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J.W. Ward ◽  
R. James ◽  
A.D.M. Wilson ◽  
M.M. Webster
Keyword(s):  
Social Facilitation ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Behavioural Ecology ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Homing Behaviour ◽  
Capture Site

The ability of animals to disperse towards their original home range following displacement has been demonstrated in a number of species. However, little is known about the homing ability of three-spine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), an important model species in behavioural ecology. In addition, few studies have examined the role of social facilitation in relation to homing behaviour in fishes. We examined homing behaviour of sticklebacks displaced over distances of between 80 m and 160 m in land-drains with directional water flow. Fish were translocated from their original capture site, tagged and then released either in groups or solitarily. We performed recapture transects either one or two days later. Data provided by recaptured sticklebacks show that the fish dispersed in the direction of their original capture site. Although fish translocated downstream typically moved further than those translocated upstream, both dispersed towards their original capture site. There was no difference between fish released solitarily or in groups in their homing ability and indeed there was little evidence that fish translocated in groups remained together following their release. The homing ability of the fish was demonstrated by the finding that up to 80% of fish returned to their home ranges within two days of release over a distance equivalent to approximately 5000 body lengths of these small fish.

Riparian habitat disturbed by reservoir management does not function as an ecological trap for the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.P. Quinlan ◽  
D.J. Green
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Ecological Trap ◽  
Riparian Habitat ◽  
Yellow Warbler ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Selection Decisions ◽  
Yellow Warblers ◽  
Setophaga Petechia

Ecological traps arise when anthropogenic change creates habitat that appears suitable but when selected reduces the fitness of an individual. We evaluated whether riparian habitat within the drawdown zone of the Arrow Lakes Reservoir, British Columbia, creates an ecological trap for Yellow Warblers ( Setophaga petechia (L., 1766)) by investigating habitat preferences and the fitness consequences of habitat selection decisions. Preferences were inferred by examining how habitat variables influenced settlement order, and comparing habitat at nest sites and random locations. Males preferred to settle in territories with more riparian shrub and tree cover, higher shrub diversity, and less high canopy cover. Females built nests in taller shrubs surrounded by a greater density of shrub stems. Habitat preferences were positively associated with fitness: nest sites in taller shrubs surrounded by higher shrub-stem densities were more likely to avoid predation and fledge young, whereas territories with more riparian cover, higher shrub diversity, and less high canopy cover had higher annual productivity. We therefore found no evidence that riparian habitat affected by reservoir operations functions as an ecological trap. Current habitat selection decisions may be associated with fitness because Yellow Warblers are adapted to breeding in a heterogeneous environment subject to periodic flooding.

Breeding habitat, nest-site characteristics and productivity of the little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) near Armidale, New South Wales

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Candice Larkin ◽  
Ross Jenkins ◽  
Paul G. McDonald ◽  
Stephen J. S. Debus
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Foraging Habitat ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Occupied Territory ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Woodland Regeneration

We aimed to elucidate nesting requirements and nest success of the threatened little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides). Nest sites (n=12 active and 2–5 recent historical nests) near Armidale, New South Wales, were measured in 2017 at three scales: the nest tree, the nest woodland (≤25m from the nest tree), and (using GIS) the landscape scale (within 200-m and 2-km radii of the nest). The eagles typically nested ≥14m above ground in the canopy of emergent (>20m tall) living eucalypts in sheltered positions (midslope, with a north-easterly to southerly aspect), in woodland patches >5ha (mean 76ha), <200m (mean 78m) from the woodland edge, though ≥11m (mean 190m) from an agricultural edge, ≥38m (mean 485m) from the nearest rural dwelling, >1km from suburbia, and farther from sealed roads (mean 832m) than gravel roads (mean 490m) than minor tracks (mean 291m). Breeding productivity in 2017–18 (n=15 and 18 territories, respectively) was 0.91 young fledged per attempt (clutch laid) and 0.67 young fledged per occupied territory per year. Nest sites were used annually for at least 3–7 years. Nest abandonments or site shifts were associated with human disturbance (e.g. clearing, earthmoving, subdivision and construction in or beside the nest patch), death of the nest tree or nest stand (‘eucalypt dieback’ or rural tree decline), pindone baiting for rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and displacement by wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax) and ravens (Corvus sp.). As most little eagle nests were located on private land, we recommend, inter alia, greater protection of breeding habitat, nest sites and foraging habitat, woodland regeneration (especially riparian), and a buffer around established nests of ≥1km from major developments such as urbanisation.

Habitat and spatial requirements of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) at Hamilton, Victoria

1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 459 ◽  
Author(s):  
AC Dufty
Keyword(s):  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Minimum Convex Polygon ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Artificial Materials ◽  
Nocturnal Foraging ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Optimal Habitat ◽  
Homogeneous Composition ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Perameles gunnii was greatly affected by the introduction of European agriculture to the volcanic plains in Victoria. At Hamilton, agricultural areas possessed little structural complexity and supported a fairly homogeneous composition of pasture species that were generally shorter than 100 mm because of heavy stock grazing. No P. gurznii were caught in agricultural areas at Hamilton. At the Hamilton Municipal Tip, most captures and nest sites occurred where food resources and structural complexity were greatest. Descriptions of 16 diurnal nest sites indicated that a range of natural and artificial materials was used for shelter, including fallen branches, sawn timber, cement culverts, galvanised iron, and scrap metal. Earthworms were most frequently observed in faecal and stomach material, while beetles and crickets were also common. Optimal habitat for P. gunnii was defined by high structural complexity and habitat heterogeneity. Older P. gunnii may usurp optimal habitat and force subordinate adult females into sub-optimal habitat. Associated with their occupation of optimal habitat, older P. gunnii may utilise smaller nocturnal foraging areas. Analysis of the movement of P. gunnii within the Hamilton Municipal Tip indicated that males occupied significantly larger nocturnal foraging areas than females. Mean female and male home ranges (defined by Minimum Convex Polygon analysis) were 1.6 ha (n = 13, range 0.02-5.9 ha) and 4 ha (n = 18, range 0.8-9.0 ha), respectively. Also, nocturnal foraging areas were analysed on the basis of pattern of use of an area, and these were referred to as utilisation distributions. The mean utilisation distributions (defined by Minimum Area v. Probability [0.95] analysis) for females and males were 0.64 ha (n = 13, range 0.01-4.7 ha) and 4.0 ha (n = 18, range 0.01-19.6 ha), respectively. Mean female and male observed range lengths were 173 m (tz = 26, range 0-364 m) and 249 m (n = 34, range 50430 m), respectively. Mean ( +/-s.e ) observed range length (214+/-20, n = 60, range 50-430 m) was less than half the grid width (500 m), which suggests that grid size did not negatively bias the calculated home-range sizes.

Suppression of Autumnal Migratory Unrest in Dark-Eyed Juncos Held During Summer on, Near, or Far From their Previous Wintering Sites

The Auk ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen D. Ketterson ◽  
Val Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Small Group ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
General Information ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Migratory Restlessness ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Junco Hyemalis ◽  
Far North ◽  
General Region

Abstract In previous experiments, Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) were captured on a winter home range to which they had shown year-to-year site fidelity and held there until just before the autumn. They failed to show normal autumn migratory restlessness and fattening, which suggested that previous experience at the migratory destination suppressed readiness to migrate. We asked what the suppressing cues might be. Possibilities included very local features peculiar to the individual's winter home range (e.g. its trees) and cues common to the general region (e.g. geophysical or celestial information); features of the latter sort might give information about latitude. To test these possibilities we monitored autumn restlessness and fattening of new groups of juncos that were held before migration where some could perceive landmarks of their familiar winter home range and others only more general information about their location. In autumn those held at, near, and far south of their winter home ranges again failed to become restless or fat. A small group held far north of their winter home ranges became somewhat restless, significantly more so than the others. These may have perceived that they had not reached their usual winter latitude, but alternative explanations are possible.

scholarly journals Abundance estimate and seasonal patterns of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) occurrence in Brittany, France, as assessed by photo-identification and capture–mark–recapture

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 365-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Gerondeau ◽  
Christophe Barbraud ◽  
Vincent Ridoux ◽  
Cécile Vincent
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Grey Seal ◽  
British Isles ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Abundance Estimate ◽  
Photo Identification

It has been suggested that the large grey seal colonies around the British Isles form local populations within a metapopulation, and that seal movements outside the breeding season lead to considerable overlap between individual home ranges. Individual behaviour and population dynamics of small peripheral colonies may also play a role in the metapopulation. We studied the French grey seal colony of the Molène archipelago, at the southern-most limit of the species' range. We analysed photo-identification data with capture–mark–recapture techniques in order to estimate the total seasonal abundance of grey seals in the archipelago and to quantify the seasonal rates of occurrence or movements of male and female seals. We found that between 58 (95% confidence interval: 48–71) and 98 (95% CI: 75–175) individuals hauled out in the archipelago during the summers of 1999 and 2000. The use of multistate models allowed the assessment of seasonal site fidelity and indicated that it varied between key periods of the annual cycle, particularly for females. Males showed a constant fidelity rate of 56% from one season to another. Hence, even though they showed high inter-annual site fidelity, they did not seem to have a preferred season for using the archipelago. On the contrary, female grey seals showed the highest site fidelity between moult and summer (around 80%), and the lowest fidelity between summer and the breeding period (34–43%). Thus, females seem to use the Molène archipelago preferentially in summer and leave the site before the breeding season, which explains the very low local pup production. Philopatry may explain this pre-breeding emigration, and we suggest that most grey seals observed in the Molène archipelago were born and breed in other local breeding populations, probably the south-western British Isles.

Comparative range use by three Atlantic Forest understorey bird species in relation to forest fragmentation

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam M. Hansbauer ◽  
Ilse Storch ◽  
Rafael G. Pimentel ◽  
Jean Paul Metzger
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Sensitive Species ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Range Use ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Pyriglena Leucoptera

Abstract:In this paper, we report on range use patterns of birds in relation to tropical forest fragmentation. Between 2003 and 2005, three understorey passerine species were radio-tracked in five locations of a fragmented and in two locations of a contiguous forest landscape on the Atlantic Plateau of São Paulo in south-eastern Brazil. Standardized ten-day home ranges of 55 individuals were used to determine influences of landscape pattern, season, species, sex and age. In addition, total observed home ranges of 76 individuals were reported as minimum measures of spatial requirements of the species. Further, seasonal home ranges of recaptured individuals were compared to examine site fidelity.Chiroxiphia caudata, but notPyriglena leucopteraorSclerurus scansor, used home ranges more than twice as large in the fragmented versus contiguous forest. Home range sizes ofC. caudatadiffered in relation to sex, age, breeding status and season. Seasonal home ranges greatly overlapped in bothC. caudataand inS. scansor. Our results suggest that one response by some forest bird species to habitat fragmentation entails enlarging their home ranges to include several habitat fragments, whereas more habitat-sensitive species remain restricted to larger forest patches.

Nest-Site Fidelity in Griffon Vultures: A Case of Win–Stay/Lose–Shift?

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam Freund ◽  
Ofer Bahat ◽  
Uzi Motro
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Nest Site Fidelity ◽  
Breeding Attempt ◽  
Shift Strategy

We studied the use of nest-sites by Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) and the breeding success in these sites during 1998–2002 in Gamla Nature Reserve (Israel). Nest-sites in which a breeding attempt succeeded in fledging a young, were more likely to be occupied by nesting vultures in the following breeding season, than nest-sites that experienced a failure. This suggests that Griffon Vultures in Gamla used a Win–Stay/Lose–Shift strategy regarding nest-site fidelity.

A PIT tag based analysis of annual movement patterns of adult fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) in a Middle European habitat

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Schulte ◽  
Daniel Küsters ◽  
Sebastian Steinfartz
Keyword(s):  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Activity Period ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Minimum Convex Polygon ◽  
Pit Tags ◽  
Salamandra Salamandra

Abstract We studied patterns of annual movement of individual adult fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) during the years 2001 and 2002 in Western Germany in a typical middle European habitat for this species. We tested whether salamanders inhabit small home ranges and move little during the activity period as predicted for a species that shows strong site fidelity to a limited area. Initially, 98 individuals were collected in their natural habitat and marked with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Of those individuals 88 were released at the collection site for recapture during the activity periods of the years 2001 and 2002. Ten marked individuals were kept in captivity to test for the tolerance of PIT tags. We did not find any negative impact of PIT tags on marked individuals of S. salamandra, neither under captive nor natural conditions. Forty-seven of the marked individuals (corresponding to 53% of the 88 released ones) were recaptured at least once and 28 individuals (corresponding to 32%) were recaptured multiple times. The return rate of males (78%) was higher than for females (43%). Mean home range size (and standard deviation) was estimated to 494 ± 282 m2 for 4 individuals as the minimum convex polygon based on 5 to 6 recapture events for each individual per year and to 1295 ± 853 m2 for 3 individuals with 8 records over two years. Minimum distances moved inferred from individual recaptures increased during the activity period of both years with time, indicating that individuals have more of a tendency to disperse than to stay within a limited area. Our data suggest therefore that S. salamandra adults display site fidelity, but use a much larger area than hitherto documented for this and other terrestrial salamander species.

Breeding habitat selection and home range of radio-marked black ducks (Anas rubripes) in Maine

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
James K. Ringelman ◽  
Jerry R. Longcore ◽  
Ray B. Owen Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Anas Rubripes ◽  
South Central ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Ephemeral Pools

Telemetry techniques were used to monitor the movements and habitat use of 13 female and 7 male black ducks (Anas rubripes) in an inland breeding region of south central Maine in 1977–1980. Black ducks preferred persistent emergent, broad-leaved deciduous forested, and broad-leaved deciduous scrub–shrub wetlands over unconsolidated organic bottom, needle-leaved evergreen forested, and broad-leaved evergreen scrub–shrub ponds. Birds also made frequent use of small ephemeral pools and streams throughout the breeding period. Nests were located in several habitats ranging from wetland sites to upland areas 1.5 km from the most frequently used pond. Home range size averaged 119 ha for females and 231 ha for males and did not differ by reproductive stage. Three pairs used only a single pond during the incubation period. Home ranges were linear (linearity index = 2.8), averaging 1956 m long for females and 2755 m for males. Wetlands used most by hens during incubation recesses were not always those located closest to the nest. Radio-marked ducks that returned in subsequent breeding seasons demonstrated fidelity to the previously used home range. Pair bonds of marked birds lasted until day 19 or 20 of incubation for initial nesting attempts.

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