American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) usurp Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) nest in Southern Indiana

Abstract We examined the hypothesis that territorial American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) males are geographically randomly distributed with respect to structure of the single song used predominantly before nesting. Present methods to assess the degree of similarity of song between neighboring birds are often inadequate because they do not give the level of statistical significance. We present a computer method to generate the appropriate null distribution from which the level of significance can be determined. We found statistically significant correlations between neighbors primarily in the last and penultimate discrete vocal items (phones) of the song. There were also important differences between the 2 samples.

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Relationships between carotenoid-based female plumage and age, reproduction, and mate colour in the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2013-0017 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 91 (8) ◽

pp. 589-595 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Matthew M. Osmond ◽

Matthew W. Reudink ◽

Ryan R. Germain ◽

Peter P. Marra ◽

Joseph J. Nocera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parental Care ◽

First Year ◽

Plumage Colour ◽

Setophaga Ruticilla ◽

Reflectance Spectrometry ◽

American Redstart ◽

Plumage Colouration ◽

Adult Females ◽

American Redstarts ◽

Second Year

Most studies investigating the function and evolution of ornaments have focused on males. Variation in ornaments may also reflect individual quality and convey information in females. We examined correlations between female plumage colour and reproductive variables in the sexually dichromatic songbird, the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla (L., 1758)). Female American Redstarts display yellow, carotenoid-based plumage patches on their tails, wings, and flanks. Using reflectance spectrometry, we quantified brightness (feather structure) and “yellowness” (hue and chroma) of tail and flank feathers to examine whether female plumage colour varies with age, reproductive success, parental care, and the plumage colour of mates. Female plumage varied with age, with adult (after-second-year) females having brighter tail feathers than first-year females. We failed to find a relationship between female plumage colour and pairing or first-egg dates. However, adult females with brighter tails visited their nests less frequently and first-year females with brighter tails fledged fewer offspring. Adult females with brighter tails also mated with males who provided less care. In addition, adult females with yellower flanks paired with males with brighter flanks and with males who provided less parental care. We suggest that plumage colouration in female American Redstarts can act as a signal of individual age and quality.

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Using Isotopic Variance to Detect Long-Distance Dispersal and Philopatry in Birds: An Example with Ovenbirds and American Redstarts

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/106.4.732 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 106 (4) ◽

pp. 732-743 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Keith A. Hobson ◽

Leonard I. Wassenaar ◽

Erin Bayne

Keyword(s):

Long Distance Dispersal ◽

Long Distance ◽

Setophaga Ruticilla ◽

Seiurus Aurocapillus ◽

Breeding Sites ◽

Breeding Populations ◽

Forest Sites ◽

American Redstarts ◽

Second Year ◽

Prince Albert National Park

AbstractUnderstanding movements of individual birds between breeding sites (breeding dispersal) or between natal sites and the site of first breeding (natal dispersal) is crucial to the modeling of population dynamics. Unfortunately, these aspects of demography are poorly understood for avian species in general, and for migratory songbirds in particular. This is because it is often impossible to sample broadly enough to relocate marked birds that have moved. We used stable-hydrogen (δD) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses of the feathers of 139 American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) and 193 Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) to evaluate evidence for individuals molting feathers at locations other than their breeding sites from the previous year. We sampled outer rectrices from breeding populations at three extensive boreal forest sites (Prince Albert National Park and Duck Mountain, Saskatchewan, and Lac La Biche, Alberta) and at three isolated forest tracts (Cypress Hills, and Moose Mountain, Saskatchewan, and Turtle Mountain, Manitoba) in western Canada. Based on outlier analysis of δD measurements, we found evidence for long-distance dispersal ranging from 0–29% of individuals. For both species, second-year birds had higher variance in δD values suggesting they had a higher probability of originating from elsewhere compared to after-second-year birds.Utilización de la Variación Isotópica para Detectar Dispersión de Larga Distancia y Filopatría en las Aves: Un ejemplo con Seiurus aurocapillus y Setophaga ruticillaResumen. Entender los movimientos de aves individuales entre sitios de cría (dispersión reproductiva) o entre el sitio de nacimiento y el sitio del primer evento reproductivo (dispersión natal) es crucial para modelar la dinámica de poblaciones. Desafortunadamente, estos aspectos demográficos están poco entendidos para las especies de aves en general y para las aves canoras migratorias en particular. Esto se debe a que es usualmente imposible realizar muestreos lo suficientemente amplios como para relocalizar a las aves marcadas que se desplazaron. Usamos análisis de isótopos estables de hidrógeno (δD) y carbono (δ13C) de las plumas de 139 individuos de Setophaga ruticilla y de 193 individuos de Seiurus aurocapillus para evaluar la presencia de individuos que han mudado sus plumas en localidades distintas a las de sus sitios reproductivos del año anterior. Muestreamos las rectrices externas en poblaciones reproductivas de tres sitios extensos de bosque boreal (Parque Nacional Prince Albert y Duck Mountain, Saskatchewan, y Lago La Biche, Alberta) y de tres parches de bosque aislados (Cypress Hills y Moose Mountain, Saskatchewan, y Turtle Mountain, Manitoba) en el oeste de Canadá. Basados en análisis de datos extremos (outliers) de medidas de δD, encontramos evidencia de dispersión de larga distancia que comprendió entre el 0–29% de los individuos. Para ambas especies, las aves del segundo año de vida presentaron mayor varianza en los valores de δD, sugiriendo que poseen una mayor probabilidad de haberse originado en algún otro lugar comparado con aves de más de dos años de vida.

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