SITE FIDELITY AND EPHEMERAL HABITAT OCCUPANCY: NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH USE OF PUERTO RICAN BLACK MANGROVES DURING THE NONBREEDING SEASON

Within the semiarid regions of New South Wales, Australia, the endangered southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) occupies a landscape that is characterised by unpredictable rainfall and periodic flooding. Limited knowledge of the movement and habitat-occupancy patterns of this species in response to flood events has hampered conservation efforts. We used radio-tracking to assess changes in movement patterns and habitat occupancy of L. raniformis (n = 40) over three different periods (November, January and April/May) that coincided with the flooding, full capacity and subsequent drying of waterbodies within an irrigation landscape. We assessed (1) the use of permanent and ephemeral habitats in response to flooding and drying and (2) distances moved, turning angles and dispersion of frogs during wetland flooding, full capacity and drying. Individuals remained in permanent waterbodies in November but had abandoned these areas in favour of flooded ephemeral waterbodies by January. As the ephemeral waterbodies dried, radio-tracked individuals moved back into permanent waterbodies. The movement patterns of radio-tracked individuals were significantly different in the three radio-tracking periods, but did not differ significantly between sexes. Individuals moved significantly greater distances over 24 h, in straighter lines and movements were more dispersed while they occupied ephemeral waterbodies during January than when they occupied permanent waterbodies during November and April/May. Local weather conditions did not influence movement patterns when all three tracking periods were modelled together using a single linear stepwise regression. The dynamic distribution of habitat patches over space and time, combined with changing patterns of resource utilisation and movement of L. raniformis, highlights the importance of incorporating both permanent and ephemeral habitat patches into conservation plans. Reductions in flood frequency and extent of ephemeral wetlands due to modified flooding regimes have the capacity to limit dispersal of this species, even when permanent waterbodies remain unchanged.

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Within-year movements and site fidelity of Purple Sandpipers during the nonbreeding season

Journal of Field Ornithology ◽

10.1111/j.1557-9263.2011.00353.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 83 (1) ◽

pp. 32-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Glen H. Mittelhauser ◽

Lindsay Tudor ◽

Bruce Connery

Keyword(s):

Site Fidelity ◽

Nonbreeding Season

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First full annual cycle tracking of a declining aerial insectivorous bird, the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor), identifies migration routes, nonbreeding habitat, and breeding site fidelity

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2017-0098 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 96 (8) ◽

pp. 869-875 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J.W. Ng ◽

E.C. Knight ◽

A.L. Scarpignato ◽

A.-L. Harrison ◽

E.M. Bayne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Annual Cycle ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Bird Species ◽

Breeding Site ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Adult Males ◽

Population Declines ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Nonbreeding Season ◽

North American Bird

Over one third of North American bird species are in decline, and for many species, we still lack fundamental biogeographic information such as migration routes and nonbreeding areas. Identifying causes of declines is limited because tracking many species throughout their annual cycle with high precision and accuracy is challenging. Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor (J.R. Forster, 1771)) have declined throughout much of their range and have yet to have their migratory and nonbreeding areas identified and characterized. We tracked Common Nighthawks by deploying a new 3.5 g Pinpoint GPS-Argos tag on adult males. Seven of 10 (70%) tags uploaded locations, providing the first data on migration, nonbreeding habitat, and annual site fidelity to breeding areas. Birds used similar loop migration routes and overwintered in Brazil’s Cerrado and Amazon regions. Nonbreeding season roosting home ranges were 148.22 ± 121 ha (mean ± SE) and included forest, grassland, and cropland. Breeding home-range fidelity was high; all tracked birds returned to within 1.27 ± 0.27 km of original capture locations. Our study is the first tracking of Common Nighthawks throughout their full annual cycle. Continued miniaturization of tracking technology, like the GPS-Argos transmitters used, is critical for identifying the causes of population declines of previously enigmatic migratory species.

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Sleep-site fidelity in two Puerto Rican lizards

Animal Behaviour ◽

10.1016/s0003-3472(05)80786-9 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 39 (6) ◽

pp. 1138-1148 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

David L. Clark ◽

James C. Gillingham

Keyword(s):

Puerto Rican ◽

Site Fidelity

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The role of behavioral dominance in structuring patterns of habitat occupancy in a migrant bird during the nonbreeding season

Behavioral Ecology ◽

10.1093/beheco/11.3.299 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 299-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 184

Author(s):

Peter P. Marra

Keyword(s):

Nonbreeding Season ◽

Habitat Occupancy ◽

Migrant Bird

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Resource Limitation Drives Patterns of Habitat Occupancy during The Nonbreeding Season for an Omnivorous Songbird

The Condor ◽

10.1525/cond.2011.090201 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 113 (3) ◽

pp. 646-654 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Nora E. Diggs ◽

Peter P. Marra ◽

Robert J. Cooper

Keyword(s):

Resource Limitation ◽

Nonbreeding Season ◽

Habitat Occupancy

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Territoriality, Site Fidelity, and Survivorship of Willow Flycatchers Wintering in Costa Rica

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/108.3.558 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (3) ◽

pp. 558-570 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Thomas J. Koronkiewicz ◽

Mark K. Sogge ◽

Charles Van Riper ◽

Eben H. Paxton

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Freshwater Wetland ◽

Territory Size ◽

Late Winter ◽

Habitat Segregation ◽

Weak Support ◽

Habitat Occupancy ◽

Territory Fidelity ◽

Significant Difference

AbstractWe studied wintering Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) in two seasonal freshwater wetland habitats in northwestern Costa Rica during five boreal winters, to determine habitat occupancy, overwinter and between-year site and territory fidelity, and the degree to which the sexes maintain and defend winter territories. Both males and females used agonistic displays, song, and other vocalizations to maintain and defend mutually exclusive winter territories. Males were generally more abundant than females, but this varied by site and year. There was no significant difference in male and female territory size, nor any indication of sexual habitat segregation. Similarity in morphology and aggressiveness between the sexes may account for the lack of habitat segregation and the ability of females to maintain territories at wintering sites. Each year, 80%–92% of banded flycatchers that were present in midwinter remained at the site until late winter; of these, 86%–100% of individuals maintained the same territories throughout the entire period. We also observed nonterritorial floaters that subsequently established and held winter territories. Between-year site fidelity averaged 68%, and almost all returning birds established territories with boundaries similar to the previous year. Between-year apparent survivorship estimates ranged annually from 54%–72%, with no difference between sites but weak support for higher survivorship of males compared to females. Values for winter site and territory fidelity were generally higher than those reported for other species and for Willow Flycatchers on the breeding grounds; between-year survivorship estimates were similar to those reported for breeding flycatchers.

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Spatial and social behaviour of Nearctic warblers wintering in Venezuelan mangroves

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z94-102 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (4) ◽

pp. 757-764 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Gaetan Lefebvre ◽

Brigitte Poulin ◽

Raymond McNeil

Keyword(s):

Site Fidelity ◽

Winter Ecology ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Annual Cycles ◽

Migrant Populations ◽

Protonotaria Citrea ◽

Northern Waterthrush ◽

Prothonotary Warbler ◽

Prothonotary Warblers ◽

Social Behaviours

The winter ecology of the Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis), the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), and the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) was studied in tropical mangroves of northeastern Venezuela. The birds' spatial and social behaviours were assessed through intensive mist-netting and observation sessions over two complete annual cycles. In all three species, transients corresponded to half of the migrant populations. Although many birds were observed more than once within a range of 50 m, most of them also moved considerably. Home ranges of individuals overlapped greatly in both Northern Waterthrushes and Prothonotary Warblers. Birds stayed in the mangroves for an average 2-month period, irrespective of their date of arrival, whereas new individuals were observed during most of the wintering period. Winter site fidelity characterized both transient and site-attached individuals. Although many birds showed some kind of site attachment, none of the three species can be considered territorial in the mangroves.

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