Winter Territoriality and Spatial Behavior of Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) at Two Ecologically Distinct Sites in the Dominican Republic

Abstract The measurement of the abundance of naturally occurring deuterium (δD) in feathers grown in North America can provide geographical information on location where the feather was grown. Previously, we used this technique to link populations of Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) breeding in northeastern North America (to 46°N) with wintering grounds in the Dominican Republic. That study indicated the presence of a subpopulation of wintering birds with more depleted feather δD values than those measured on their known breeding grounds. This suggested either a more northerly or a higher altitude breeding source population than previously measured. We located two populations of Bicknell's Thrush in Quebec, Canada, at Mine Madeleine (49°N) and at Mont Gosford (45°N). The Mine Madeleine birds had feather δD values overlapping those of the unidentified subpopulation found wintering in the Dominican Republic. At Mont Gosford, hatch-year birds were more depleted in their feather δD values than after-second-year birds suggesting their more northerly origins and capture during the early fall migration period. Our study demonstrates how the stable-isotope approach can be used to document connectivity between breeding and wintering populations of migratory birds. Conectividad Migratoria en Catharus bicknelli: Localización de Poblaciones Perdidas con Isótopos de Hidrógeno Resumen. La medición de la abundancia de deuterio en estado natural (δD) en las plumas formadas en América del Norte puede brindar información geográ fica sobre la localización en donde se formó la pluma. Anteriormente usamos esta técnica para relacionar las poblaciones de Catharus bicknelli que se reproducen en el noreste de América del Norte (hasta 46°N) con las áreas de invernada en República Dominicana. Ese estudio indicó la presencia de una subpoblación de aves invernantes con valores de δD en las plumas por debajo de los valores medidos de los sitios conocidos de cría. Esto sugirió la presencia de una población reproductiva proveedora de individuos localizada más al norte o a mayor elevación que las registradas anteriormente. Localizamos dos poblaciones de C. bicknelli en Québec, Canadá, una en Mine Madeleine (49°N) y otra en Mont Gosford (45°N). Las aves de Mine Madeleine tuvieron valores de δD en las plumas que se superpusieron con aquellos de la subpoblación no identificada encontrada invernando en República Dominicana. En Mont Gosford, las aves del primer año de edad presentaron valores más bajos de δD en las plumas que aquellos encontrados en aves del segundo año de edad o mayores, sugiriendo un origen más boreal y que fueron capturadas durante el inicio del período de migración otoñal. Nuestro estudio demuestra como el mé todo de isótopos estables puede ser usado para documentar conectividad entre poblaciones reproductivas e invernales de aves migratorias.

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Comparing fall migration of three Catharus species using a radio-telemetry network

Animal Migration ◽

10.1515/ami-2020-0001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Camille Bégin Marchand ◽

André Desrochers ◽

Junior A. Tremblay ◽

Pascal Côté

Keyword(s):

Small Area ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Southeastern United States ◽

The Other ◽

Monitoring Networks ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Catharus Ustulatus ◽

Swainson’S Thrush ◽

Catharus Bicknelli ◽

Bicknell's Thrush

AbstractMigration routes vary greatly among small passerine species and populations. It is now possible to determine the routes over great distances and long periods of time with emerging monitoring networks. We tracked individual Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus), Bicknell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) and Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) in northeastern Quebec and compared their migration routes and paces across an array of radio-telelemetry stations in North America. Swainson’s Thrush migrated further inland than the other two species. Individuals from all three species slowed their migration pace in the southeastern United States, and Swainson’s Thrush was more likely to stopover than Bicknell’s Thrush. Although individuals were tagged in a small area within or close to their breeding range, the results document the variability of migration routes between species with similar ecological characteristics and provide detailed material to be used for migration studies with broader taxonomic or ecological scope.

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USING SATELLITE IMAGERY TO MODEL DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF BICKNELL'S THRUSH (CATHARUS BICKNELLI) IN NEW HAMPSHIRE'S WHITE MOUNTAINS

The Auk ◽

10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123[1038:usitmd]2.0.co;2 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 123 (4) ◽

pp. 1038 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stephen R. Hale

Keyword(s):

Satellite Imagery ◽

White Mountains ◽

Model Distribution ◽

Catharus Bicknelli ◽

Bicknell's Thrush

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Documentation of a hybrid Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) × Veery (C. fuscescens) using vocalization and genetic data

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology ◽

10.1676/16-061.1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 130 (1) ◽

pp. 70-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ellen S. Martinsen ◽

Kent P. McFarland ◽

Christopher C. Rimmer

Keyword(s):

Genetic Data ◽

Catharus Bicknelli ◽

Bicknell's Thrush

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Effect of Prey Biomass on Reproductive Success and Mating Strategy of Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus Bicknelli), a Polygynandrous Songbird

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/121.2.446 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 121 (2) ◽

pp. 446-451

Author(s):

Allan M. Strong ◽

Christopher C. Rimmer ◽

Kent P. McFarland

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Nest Predation ◽

Prey Availability ◽

Food Limitation ◽

Mating Strategies ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Food Supplementation ◽

Prey Biomass ◽

Catharus Bicknelli ◽

Bicknell's Thrush

Abstract Resource availability and distribution are hypothesized to be the primary ecological mechanisms driving variation in avian mating systems. Although food supplementation experiments have been used to examine plasticity in mating strategies, variation in avian mating strategies across naturally occurring gradients of prey availability has rarely been examined. Here, we test the hypothesis that the polygynandrous mating system of Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) results from food limitation on female home ranges in the species' harsh montane breeding environment. In 2000, number of chicks fledged per nest was significantly positively correlated with prey biomass on a female's home range, and number of male feeders at a nest was significantly negatively correlated with prey biomass. Neither relationship was significant in 2001, a year with high nest-predation rates, which suggests that nest predation may ultimately limit the species' productivity. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that (1) female productivity is limited by prey biomass, and (2) female mating decisions may be influenced by their assessment of home-range food abundance prior to egg laying.

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Multiple Paternity and Multiple Male Feeders in Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus Bicknelli)

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/120.4.1044 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 120 (4) ◽

pp. 1044-1053 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James E. Goetz ◽

Kent P. McFarland ◽

Christopher C. Rimmer

Keyword(s):

Food Limitation ◽

Multiple Paternity ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Breeding Ecology ◽

Feeding Rates ◽

Young Females ◽

Catharus Bicknelli ◽

Biased Sex Ratio ◽

Bicknell's Thrush ◽

Multiple Male

Abstract Although multiple male feeders and multiple paternity for a single brood are taxonomically widespread among nonmigratory birds, they appear to be exceedingly rare among migrants. During a demographic study of Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) in Vermont, we observed groups of 2–4 males and one female feed each of 14 broods (78% of 18 broods observed). One male and one female fed each of the remaining four broods. Three males fed broods of two females concurrently or consecutively. Genetic analysis using microsatellite markers revealed multiple paternity in 9 of 13 broods (69%). Four males had offspring in more than one brood in the same year, but no females did. Ten of 17 males (59%) sired offspring in the broods they fed, and 10 of 13 sires (77%) fed the broods in which they sired young. Females fed nestlings more than twice as often as males. Both males and females tended to increase feeding rates as brood size increased. Possible factors influencing the reproductive behavior of Bicknell's Thrush include harsh montane weather, food limitation, a male-biased sex ratio, and reproductive synchrony. Additional research is needed to examine the interaction of ecological and demographic variables that shape the complex breeding ecology of Bicknell's Thrush.

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Interspecific aggression by the Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) may limit the distribution of the threatened Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) in the Adirondack Mountains

The Condor ◽

10.1650/condor-15-145.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 118 (1) ◽

pp. 169-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Benjamin G. Freeman ◽

Graham Montgomery

Keyword(s):

Adirondack Mountains ◽

Interspecific Aggression ◽

Catharus Ustulatus ◽

Swainson’S Thrush ◽

Catharus Bicknelli ◽

Bicknell's Thrush

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Using Satellite Imagery to Model Distribution and Abundance Of Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus Bicknelli) in New Hampshire's White Mountains

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/123.4.1038 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 123 (4) ◽

pp. 1038-1051 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stephen R. Hale

Keyword(s):

New Hampshire ◽

Satellite Imagery ◽

Count Data ◽

Basal Area ◽

Habitat Model ◽

White Mountains ◽

Point Count ◽

Catharus Bicknelli ◽

Bicknell's Thrush ◽

Elevation Model

Abstract Satellite imagery was used to model the distribution and abundance of Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Image-derived data for live softwood shrub density, standing dead-tree basal area, distance to nearest fir-shrub cover type, along with a digital elevation model and point-count data, were used to supply regressor estimates in a multivariate logistic habitat model that was constructed from field vegetation sampling and point-count data. Spatially explicit predictions of probability of Bicknell's Thrush presence were made for each 28.5 × 28.5 m-pixel covering 70,000 ha. A model validation procedure using observations independent from model calibration revealed no difference (P > 0.05) between modeled and observed estimates of Bicknell's Thrush presence within probability deciles 0 to <0.1, 0.1 to <0.2, 0.2 to <0.3, 0.3 to <0.4, 0.5 to <0.6, and 0.6 to <0.7 with respective densities (40 ha−1) of 0.5, 1.6, 2.8, 4.1, 7.3, and 9.4. Transforming probabilities into relative abundance produced an estimated 4,900 Bicknell's Thrushes across the study area. Habitats supporting the highest density of Bicknell's Thrushes were predicted to be at the uppermost elevations. However, abundance estimates decreased even as density increased, owing to decreasing amounts of habitat area with increasing elevation, and suggested that lower-elevation, low-density habitats may support a significant fraction of Bicknell's Thrushes. Utilisation de l'Imagerie Satellitaire afin de Modéliser la Distribution et l'Abondance de Catharus bicknelli dans les White Mountains du New Hampshire

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