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Breeding Biology Of Chuck-Will's-Widows: Incubation, Brooding, And Provisioning Behavior And Characteristics Of Nest Sites, Ryan Sean O'Connor

Online Theses and Dissertations

Chuck-will's-widows (Antrostomus carolinensis) are cryptically colored grounding-nesting nightars that breed throughout much of the eastern United States, primarily in mixed-forest habitat. Because of their cryptic plumage and nocturnal habits, little is known about their behavior, particularly their breeding and nesting behavior. Thus, my objectives were to: (1) quantify patterns of incubation behavior (e.g., on bouts vs. off bouts) and the respective roles of males and females, (2) quantify the brooding and provisioning behavior of males and females, and, (3) compare the characteristics of nest sites and randomly selected unused sites to determine those features important in nest site selection.

My …

Winter Behavior And Ecology Of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis): Home Ranges, Habitat Use, And Effect Of Weather On Foraging Behavior, Todd J. Weinkam

Online Theses and Dissertations

Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are widespread across eastern North America, but populations appear to be susceptible to extreme winter weather. Declines in population following cold winters in states like Kentucky suggest the need to better understand winter-specific habitat requirements and behavioral responses to inclement weather. My objectives were to 1) describe the size and habitat composition of the home ranges of wintering bluebirds, and 2) examine the effects of weather (i.e., temperature, wind speed, and snow presence) on habitat occupancy, group size, and foraging behavior. My study was conducted at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, …

Wintering White-Throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia Albicollis): Home Ranges, Aggression And Corticosterone, Marissa Ann Buschow

Online Theses and Dissertations

White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) are songbirds that spend the non-breeding season in southeastern North America, where they form philopatric territorial flocks. Flocks exhibit dominance hierarchies, with dominance rank associated with an individual's age and prior residence in the territory. Although social behaviors within flocks are well studied, few studies have described winter home ranges. I tagged white-throated sparrows (n = 12) in Madison County, Kentucky, with 0.9-g radio transmitters during the winter of 2010-2011. Locations were entered into ArcGIS and home range sizes were estimated with 50% and 95% kernel analysis for individuals with at least five locations. Mean core …

Facultative Adjustment Of Pre-Fledging Mass Recession By Nestling Chimney Swifts (Chaetura Pelagica), Sagan Brianne Goodpaster

Online Theses and Dissertations

In species that are susceptible to mass-dependent flight costs, particularly seabirds and aerial insectivores, mass recession is a crucial aspect of the nestling period, ensuring fledglings will have an appropriate wing loading. My objectives were to determine if mass recession by Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) nestlings is intrinsically controlled or facultatively adjusted by nestlings, and if mass recession is driven by changes in parental behavior (i.e., reduced provisioning rates) or nestling behavior (i.e., reduced solicitation of feedings). Nestling swifts (N = 69) were divided into three groups: controls, half-weighted, or weighted. Half-weighted and weighted nestlings had 0.6-0.7-g or 1.2-1.3-g lead …

Effects Of Variation In Hunger Levels On Begging Behavior Of Nestlings And The Provsioning Behavior Of Male And Female Eastern Phoebes, Christopher Adam Heist

Online Theses and Dissertations

Nestling birds solicit food from their parents using conspicuous vocalizations and visual begging displays and there is considerable empirical evidence suggesting that nestling begging represents honest signals of need, and that adults use these signals to determine provisioning rates. Less is known about how males and females may differ in their response to changes in nestling begging behavior as a result of variation in hunger levels, or how nestling begging and adult provisioning may be influenced by brood number (i.e., first versus second broods).

To examine these parent-offspring interactions, I first manipulated hunger levels of whole broods of nestling Eastern …