Dataset Information

Post-fledging habitat use in a declining songbird.

ABSTRACT: Background:Fledglings of many mature forest-dependent Neotropical songbirds move from mature forest habitats into areas of thick vegetation such as regenerating clearcuts. The Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), a Neotropical migratory songbird, is a species of conservation concern across its range and it is listed as endangered in Indiana. This species has declined faster than any other species of wood-warbler in North America. Most prior research on Cerulean Warblers has examined the breeding biology, but there are no data on habitat use by fledgling Cerulean Warblers. Our research aimed to determine where fledgling Cerulean Warblers dispersed after they left their nest, but before they migrated to their wintering grounds. Methods:Since 2007, Cerulean Warbler breeding populations have been monitored in Yellowwood and Morgan-Monroe state forests in southern Indiana as part of a 100-year study called the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment. To identify habitats used by fledgling Cerulean Warblers, we captured by hand or mist-nets, adult and juvenile Cerulean Warblers once young had fledged from a nest. We attached radio-transmitters to individuals and tracked each bird daily using radio-telemetry. Radio-telemetry data were collected from May to July 2015-2017, and microhabitat data on fledgling locations and random locations were collected during the same years in the month of July. Results:Fledgling presence, when compared to random non-use sites, was positively correlated to presence of grapevines, greater vertical vegetation density, and greater ground and canopy cover. Fledgling presence was negatively correlated with white oak abundance, aspect, basal area, and the abundance of mature trees that Cerulean Warbler adults use for nesting. Conclusions:Our study is the first to demonstrate that Cerulean Warbler fledglings occupy habitats that are characterized by specific habitat components. Fledgling sites were located in areas with high vegetation density, such as clusters of grapevine, which provided cover from predators. Identifying Cerulean Warbler habitats throughout the breeding season can better inform natural resource personnel on how to manage forests to meet the habitat needs of this rapidly declining migratory songbird.

SUBMITTER: Delancey CD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6718152 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Post-fledging habitat use in a declining songbird.

Delancey Clayton D CD Islam Kamal K

PeerJ 20190830

<h4>Background</h4>Fledglings of many mature forest-dependent Neotropical songbirds move from mature forest habitats into areas of thick vegetation such as regenerating clearcuts. The Cerulean Warbler (<i>Setophaga cerulea</i>), a Neotropical migratory songbird, is a species of conservation concern across its range and it is listed as endangered in Indiana. This species has declined faster than any other species of wood-warbler in North America. Most prior research on Cerulean Warblers has exami ...[more]

PMID: 31531266

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Project description:Life history traits and environmental conditions influence reproductive success in animals, and consequences of these can influence subsequent survival and recruitment into breeding populations. Understanding influences on demographic rates is required to determine the causes of decline. Migratory species experience spatially and temporally variable conditions across their annual cycle, making identifying where the factors influencing demographic rates operate challenging. Here, we use the Whinchat Saxicola rubetra as a model declining long-distance migrant bird. We analyse 10 years of data from 247 nesting attempts and 2519 post-fledging observations of 1193 uniquely marked nestlings to examine the influence of life history traits, habitat characteristics and weather on survival of young from the nestling stage to local recruitment into the natal population. We detected potential silver spoon effects where conditions during the breeding stage influence subsequent apparent local recruitment rates, with higher recruitment for fledglings from larger broods, and recruitment rate negatively related to rainfall that chicks experienced in-nest. Additionally, extreme temperatures experienced pre- and post-fledging increased fledging success and recruitment rate. However, we could not determine whether this was driven by temperature influencing mortality during the post-fledging period or later in the annual cycle. Brood size declined with hatching date. In-nest survival increased with brood size and was highest at local temperature extremes. Furthermore, nest survival was highest at nests surrounded with 40%-60% vegetation cover of Bracken Pteridium aquilinum within 50 m of the nest. Our results show that breeding phenology and environmental factors may influence fledging success and recruitment in songbird populations, with conditions experienced during the nestling stage influencing local recruitment rates in Whinchats (i.e. silver spoon effect). Recruitment rates are key drivers of songbird population dynamics. Our results help identify some of the likely breeding season mechanisms that could be important population drivers.

Project description:Many species depend on multiple habitats at different points in space and time. Their effective conservation requires an understanding of how and when each habitat is used, coupled with adequate protection. Migratory shorebirds use intertidal and supratidal wetlands, both of which are affected by coastal landscape change. Yet the extent to which shorebirds use artificial supratidal habitats, particularly at highly developed stopover sites, remains poorly understood leading to potential deficiencies in habitat management. We surveyed shorebirds on their southward migration in southern Jiangsu, a critical stopover region in the East Asian Australasian Flyway (EAAF), to measure their use of artificial supratidal habitats and assess linkages between intertidal and supratidal habitat use. To inform management, we examined how biophysical features influenced occupancy of supratidal habitats, and whether these habitats were used for roosting or foraging. We found that shorebirds at four of five sites were limited to artificial supratidal habitats at high tide for ~11-25 days per month because natural intertidal flats were completely covered by seawater. Within the supratidal landscape, at least 37 shorebird species aggregated on artificial wetlands, and shorebirds were more abundant on larger ponds with less water cover, less vegetation, at least one unvegetated bund, and fewer built structures nearby. Artificial supratidal habitats were rarely used for foraging and rarely occupied when intertidal flats were available, underscoring the complementarity between supratidal roosting habitat and intertidal foraging habitat. Joined-up artificial supratidal management and natural intertidal habitat conservation are clearly required at our study site given the simultaneous dependence by over 35,000 migrating shorebirds on both habitats. Guided by observed patterns of habitat use, there is a clear opportunity to improve habitat condition by working with local land custodians to consider shorebird habitat requirements when managing supratidal ponds. This approach is likely applicable to shorebird sites throughout the EAAF.

Dataset Information

Post-fledging habitat use in a declining songbird.

Publications

Post-fledging habitat use in a declining songbird.

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