Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) Home Range and Habitat Use in Late Winter and Early Breeding Season in Coastal Texas, USA

The home range size and habitat use of the blue-crowned laughingthrush (Garrulax courtoisi, hereafter BCLT), a critically endangered, subtropical, cooperative-breeding bird species in southeast China, were studied during its breeding period using radio telemetry at different sites during 3 consecutive years (2016–18, from May to June of each year). A total of 17 birds (12 males, four females, and one of unknown sex) were tagged, and a total 1515 locations (mean ± se = 89.12 ± 11.42) were obtained over 54 days of tracking. The average 100% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range size was 10.05 ± 1.17 ha, and the estimated KDE core area (fiexed kernel density estimator, KDE) size was 7.84 ± 1.18 ha. According to the Wilcoxon rank sum tests, both the 100% MCP and KDE core area size of males did not significantly differ from those of females. There were no significant differences in the 100% MCP or KDE core area sizes of the three breeding sites. The available habitats in the breeding sites included water areas, shrubs, grass plots, woodland, residential areas, vegetable field, farmland, and sandy beaches; among them, only woodland was significantly preferred by BCLTs. Woodland (average use ratio was 45.86 ± 1.74%) was strongly preferred by BCLTs for nesting, foraging and roosting. Shrubs/grass plots (24.72 ± 3.39%) and vegetable plots (11.80 ± 1.83%) were used relatively more often than the other habitats, except woodland, since shrubs were always used as perches, and vegetable plots were rich in food resources. Vertically, the canopy layer was used most often from April to June, but it was used most in May when the birds were hatching and brooding. This result indicates that BCLT is predominantly active in the upper strata during the breeding season. In addition, broadleaved trees within or adjacent to villages were important activity areas for the breeding birds; protection and management measures should be increased in these areas.

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The spatial dynamics of White-browed Babbler groups in a fragmented agricultural landscape

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc030271 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 271 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Peter G. Cale

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Group Dynamics ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Local Population ◽

Breeding Site ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Effective Population ◽

Study Sites ◽

Group Movements

White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus groups occupying linear strips of vegetation had breeding territories that were smaller in area and had longer linear dimensions than those occupying patches. A group's non-breeding home range was larger than its breeding territory. Groups occupying linear/patch home ranges expanded the linear extent and area of their home ranges more than those within other home range configurations. Some groups moved during the non-breeding season and this was more likely to occur if the group occupied a remnant with a low abundance of invertebrates during summer. Some groups that moved returned prior to the next breeding season, but the majority were never seen again. New groups moved into the study sites and established in vacant home ranges. This suggests that those groups that left the study sites may have established new home ranges elsewhere. Breeding site fidelity was lower in groups that had failed in previous breeding attempts. Therefore, group movements were influenced by the feeding and breeding quality of the habitat. However, the configuration of the local population also influenced group movements with those groups on the edge of a local population being more likely to move than those in the interior. New groups were formed by two processes; group dispersal, where groups generally filled a vacant home range, and group budding, which involved the splitting of a large group. Group dispersal maintained group densities while group budding increased the density of groups in a local population. These two processes were common, producing localized fluctuations in the density of groups. Since babbler groups contain only one breeding pair, changes in group density represent changes in effective population size. Therefore, group dynamics may be important to the persistence of local populations of White-browed Babblers, especially in landscapes that have suffered from habitat loss and fragmentation.

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Late-winter habitat use by the Fisher, Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777), in the Boreal Plains Ecozone of northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v128i3.1607 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 128 (3) ◽

pp. 272 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gilbert Proulx

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Deciduous Forest ◽

Late Winter ◽

Larix Laricina ◽

Forest Stands ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Winter Habitat ◽

Boreal Plains ◽

Pekania Pennanti ◽

Crown Closure

Late-winter habitat use by the Fisher, Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) in northwestern Saskatchewan was assessed in February 2009, 2011, and 2012. A total of 78 Fisher tracks were recorded over 60 300 m of snowshoe surveys. Fisher tracks were significantly less frequent than expected in Tamarack (Larix laricina [Du Roi] K. Koch) stands with > 40% crown closure and mainly 0–10 m trees (P < 0.05) and in open areas. Fishers used other habitat types equal to availability, including muskeg and coniferous, mixed, and deciduous forest stands. Maintaining mosaics of forest stands of different seral stages interspersed with muskeg would meet the late-winter habitat needs of Fishers in the Boreal Plains Ecozone of northwestern Saskatchewan.

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The Habitat Use and Home Range Analysis of Dunlin (Calidris alpina) in Chongming Dongtan, China and their Conservation Implications

Wetlands ◽

10.1007/s13157-013-0450-9 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 255-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Chiyeung Choi ◽

Xiaojing Gan ◽

Ning Hua ◽

Yong Wang ◽

Zhijun Ma

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Range Analysis ◽

Calidris Alpina ◽

Conservation Implications ◽

Home Range Analysis

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Effects of commercial thinning on site occupancy and habitat use by spruce grouse in boreal Quebec

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x10-226 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 501-508 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ambroise Lycke ◽

Louis Imbeau ◽

Pierre Drapeau

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Boreal Forest ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Site Occupancy ◽

Lower Proportion ◽

Large Mammals ◽

Dense Vegetation ◽

Commercial Thinning

Partial cuts are increasingly proposed to maintain habitats for species negatively affected by clearcutting, even if their benefits on nonpasserine birds and large mammals are still poorly documented. Our main objective was to evaluate effects of commercial thinning (CT) on spruce grouse ( Falcipennis canadensis L.), a game bird of the boreal forest. Because this species is known to be associated with a dense vegetation cover, we hypothesized that habitat use would be lower in treated sites. In spring 2006, we evaluated site occupancy in 94 forest stands (50 CT and 44 uncut stands) in Quebec by visiting each on three occasions during the breeding season (March–May). Additionally, during the molting period (May–July), we used radiotelemetry to monitor habitat use by 19 males. As compared with uncut stands, results show that a lower proportion of CTs were used in spring (39% versus 60%, after accounting for detection). During the molting period, CTs were also used less than expected according to their availability. The significant reduction of lateral and vertical forest cover in CT may explain these results. We conclude that even if CT is perceived beneficial for wildlife, it does not completely fulfill the needs of species associated with dense understory vegetation, such as spruce grouse.

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