Ornithology Commons^™

Vocalizations Influence Roost-Site Selection In Overwintering Cavity-Nesting Birds In Eastern Washington, Shelby M. Hunter

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Primary cavity-nesting birds are keystone species because the annual tree cavities they excavate become critical habitat for other species. In eastern Washington, most primary cavity-nesting birds are year-round residents. They increase overwinter survival by night roosting in cavities and forming flocks. The timing of roost site selection can impact the quality of a roost site, thus selecting a roost site too late reduces the odds of selecting the most favorable microclimate available. Birds in flocks use alarm calls to warn of threats and contact calls to promote group cohesion. My study asks if timing of roost site selection and vocalizations …