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Behavior and Ethology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology

Possible Role Of Breeding Phenology, Brood Size, And Male Parental Care On The Number Of Nesting Attempts By Female Eastern Bluebirds, A Facultatively Multibrooded Species, Michael Daniel Patton Jan 2020

Possible Role Of Breeding Phenology, Brood Size, And Male Parental Care On The Number Of Nesting Attempts By Female Eastern Bluebirds, A Facultatively Multibrooded Species, Michael Daniel Patton

Online Theses and Dissertations

To maximize reproductive output, several species of songbirds attempt to raise two or more broods in a single breeding season. The results of previous studies have revealed much variation among species in the factors that influence the likelihood of female songbirds attempting to raise multiple broods during a breeding season. As such, additional studies are needed to better understand the roles of early breeding, brood sizes, and, especially, male parental care in determining the likelihood of having multiple broods. My objective, therefore, was to examine the possible effects of breeding initiation date, brood size, and male provisioning behavior on the …


Perceived Predation Risk And The Responses Of Adult And Nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor), Natalia May Maass Jan 2019

Perceived Predation Risk And The Responses Of Adult And Nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor), Natalia May Maass

Online Theses and Dissertations

Some species of birds have alarm calls that are functionally referential and provide their nestlings with information about the level of threat predators may pose. Although several investigators have examined the responses of nestlings of species with open-cup nests to the anti-predator calls of adults, few have conducted such studies with cavity-nesting species of birds. Therefore, the objectives of my study were to examine the vocal responses of cavity-nesting adult Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to different nest predators, some able and others unable to enter nest cavities, and to examine the responses of nestlings to those vocalizations. My study was …


Habitat Use And Nightly Activity Patterns Of Bats On A Military Landscape In Western Kentucky, Carson E. Mcnamara Jan 2019

Habitat Use And Nightly Activity Patterns Of Bats On A Military Landscape In Western Kentucky, Carson E. Mcnamara

Online Theses and Dissertations

Bat populations of eastern North America continue to decline due to the cumulative effects of White-nose Syndrome, habitat loss, and anthropogenic disturbances across the landscape. Unique stressors exist on military installations, such as noise created during training activities. Given the scarcity of data that exists for these widespread ownerships, I created predictive models for nightly bat activity related to local habitat, landscape, and military use parameters. Bat activity was assessed during the summers of 2016 and 2017 using full-spectrum acoustic detectors across the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center (WHFRTC), a ca. 4200 ha military landscape in the Interior Rivers …


Vocalizations Of Adult American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius): Effect Of Breeding Stage, Sex, And Context On Call Use And Characteristics, Mark Winland Jan 2019

Vocalizations Of Adult American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius): Effect Of Breeding Stage, Sex, And Context On Call Use And Characteristics, Mark Winland

Online Theses and Dissertations

American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) are small falcons with a vocal repertoire known to consist of three different vocalizations: whine, chitter, and klee calls. However, the characteristics and contextual use of these calls have not been quantified. To determine the characteristics of these calls and better understand possible functions, I conducted a combined observational and experimental study of American Kestrels in Madison County, Kentucky, from February to July 2013. I observed kestrels and recorded all vocalizations uttered by males and females during different breeding stages and different behavioral contexts. In addition, I conducted playback experiments using the whine, chitter, and klee …


Variation In Mass And Wing Loading Of Nestling American Kestrels: Possible Effects Of Nestling Behavior And Adult Provisioning Behavior, Doug Mitchell Jan 2018

Variation In Mass And Wing Loading Of Nestling American Kestrels: Possible Effects Of Nestling Behavior And Adult Provisioning Behavior, Doug Mitchell

Online Theses and Dissertations

Among birds, the rapid growth rates of altricial young help reduce mortality by reducing the amount of time spent in the nest. However, in species where a high degree of maneuverability and speed is required (i.e. aerial insectivores), it is important that nestlings not gain excess weight. Nestlings in some species must attain an efficient wing loading just prior to fledging to facilitate mobility for hunting and evading predators. My objective was to examine the mass of nestling American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) during the mid- to late nestling period and specifically to determine the possible effects of attaching small lead …


Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus Wollekaeki) Play Behaviors On San Cristóbal Island, Ecuador, Mary Ann Kincer Jan 2016

Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus Wollekaeki) Play Behaviors On San Cristóbal Island, Ecuador, Mary Ann Kincer

Online Theses and Dissertations

My thesis concerns observations of play activities from videotapes of Galápagos sea lions on San Cristóbal Island from mid-summer of 2008. I begin with a discussion of ideas about play and types of play, elaborate the conceptual system of projects and routines in play, and provide a brief description of sea lion taxonomy and forms of play specific to Galápagos sea lions. Observing approximately 713 minutes of videotapes, I coded approximately 161.5 minutes of play projects and routines. Of the 713 minutes, 241 minutes were used in training, and 472 were coded independently by two coders for reliability. The two …


Factors Influencing Pre-Fledging Mass Recession Of Nestling Tree Swallows, Katrina Deann Reeda Moeller Jan 2016

Factors Influencing Pre-Fledging Mass Recession Of Nestling Tree Swallows, Katrina Deann Reeda Moeller

Online Theses and Dissertations

Fledglings of some aerial insectivores experience pre-fledgling mass recession, possibly to achieve an optimum wing loading by the time of fledging. However, studies of aerial insectivores to date have been limited to two species of swifts (Apodidae), and additional studies of species of aerial insectivores are needed to determine if factors contributing to pre-fledging mass recession vary among species. Thus, my objective was to examine factors contributing to pre-fledging mass recession by nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). My study was conducted during the 2015 breeding season at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky. Nestling Tree Swallows (n …


American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius) May Use Tail-Pumping To Maintain Balance, Joshua Suich Jan 2016

American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius) May Use Tail-Pumping To Maintain Balance, Joshua Suich

Online Theses and Dissertations

When perched, several species of small falcons, including American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), often pump their tails, but the possible function of this behavior is unknown. My objective was to use observations and experiments to examine the possible function(s) of tail-pumping by American Kestrels. Fieldwork was conducted from March 2015 to December 2015 at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky. During observations of focal kestrels, I noted their behavior (e.g., landing on a perch, hunting, or consuming prey), including when and how often they pumped their tails (i.e., rapid movement of the tail down, then back up to …


Flight Vocalizations And Displays Of Adult Chimney Swifts (Chaetura Pelagica): Description And Function, Louise Ann Peppe Jan 2015

Flight Vocalizations And Displays Of Adult Chimney Swifts (Chaetura Pelagica): Description And Function, Louise Ann Peppe

Online Theses and Dissertations

The vocalizations of many songbirds have been well documented and analyzed, but less is known about the vocal behavior of many non-passerines, including swifts. While flying alone as well as during aerial displays with conspecifics, Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) often utter a twitter call consisting of a series of high-frequency chip notes. However, little is known about the possible function(s) of swift flight displays and their twitter call. My objectives were to record, analyze, and document the aerial behaviors and associated vocalizations of adult Chimney Swifts. I studied swifts at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky, where …


Fate Of Captive-Reared Bobwhite Quail Released In Central Kentucky, Adam Carter Jan 2015

Fate Of Captive-Reared Bobwhite Quail Released In Central Kentucky, Adam Carter

Online Theses and Dissertations

The fate of pen-raised bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) released onto two farms (Site 1 and 2) and a reclaimed coal surface mine (Site 3) in south-central Kentucky during the summers of 2008 and 2009 was assessed. Of the 57 bobwhite quail radio-tagged and released in this study, the fate of 26 (45%) was unknown because the telemetry signal was lost and the birds could not be located. Within 34 days after release, mortality of the remaining 31 radio-tagged birds was 100%. Raptors, coyotes, and mesomammal predators were responsible for most (84%) of the identified quail mortality; accounting for the deaths …


Offspring Retrieval Behaviors After Brood Loss In The Convict Cichlid, Heather Witherspoon Govert Jan 2015

Offspring Retrieval Behaviors After Brood Loss In The Convict Cichlid, Heather Witherspoon Govert

Online Theses and Dissertations

Parents provide care for their young in several different ways. One of these is searching for and retrieving any young that may become displaced from their nest. In monogamous biparental species, parents may share care of their young, including retrieval efforts. Convict cichlids (Amatitlania siquia) are an example of a monogamous biparental fish that show shared parental care of young. In the wild, these cichlids defend nests and search for missing young in response to complete or catastrophic brood loss. This retrieval behavior is important for both parents because parents, especially the males, have been observed to abandon their mate …


Effect Of Variation In Nestling Hunger Levels On The Begging Behavior Of Nestlings And The Provisioning Behavior Of Adult American Kestrels, Katheryn Ann Watson Jan 2015

Effect Of Variation In Nestling Hunger Levels On The Begging Behavior Of Nestlings And The Provisioning Behavior Of Adult American Kestrels, Katheryn Ann Watson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about how variation in nestling begging intensity influences the behavior of adult raptors and how responses of adult males and females to such variation might differ. My objective was to manipulate the begging intensity of nestling American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) and examine the responses of adult males and females. I studied 12 pairs of kestrels nesting in nest boxes from 1 March to 1 July 2014 at the Blue Grass Army Depot, Madison County, Kentucky. Nest boxes were modified with a separate compartment for a camcorder to record nestling behavior, and a second camcorder was placed outside …


Reproductive Biology Of Syntopic Blackside Dace And Southern Redbelly Dace In Two Kentucky Streams, Brajaan Hayes Jan 2015

Reproductive Biology Of Syntopic Blackside Dace And Southern Redbelly Dace In Two Kentucky Streams, Brajaan Hayes

Online Theses and Dissertations

When a rare endemic species and an ecologically similar, but more cosmopolitan species share habitat, understanding how they interact with each other is important for conservation efforts. This is especially true if both species rely on the same spawning habitat, which could potentially lead to competitive displacement or hybridization. It is known that the federally threatened Blackside Dace and common Southern Redbelly Dace are ecologically similar species, occur syntopically in Kentucky in the upper Cumberland River basin, and utilize some of the same host species for nest sites; however, it is unclear if the two fish species are spawning site …


Effects Of Supplemental Food On The Behavior, Aggression, And Paternity Status Of Male Indigo Buntings (Passerina Cyanea), Bradley Mcleod Jan 2015

Effects Of Supplemental Food On The Behavior, Aggression, And Paternity Status Of Male Indigo Buntings (Passerina Cyanea), Bradley Mcleod

Online Theses and Dissertations

Breeding is an energetically costly activity for birds. If energy-limited, birds may alter their time budgets, reducing time spent in some activities and spending more time in others. To date, no experimental study has investigated the possible effect of food availability on male mate guarding behavior. Additionally, previous results from food supplementation studies are mixed. My objectives were to determine how food supplementation might influence the breeding behavior of male Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea). I predicted that, compared to non-supplemented males, food-supplemented males would: 1) spend less time foraging, 2) spend more time singing, 3) spend more time mate guarding, …


Effect Of Predator Type, Season, Brood Size, And West Nile Virus Infection On The Nest Defense Behavior Of Male And Female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Kayde L. Gilbert, Gary L. Ritchison Dec 2014

Effect Of Predator Type, Season, Brood Size, And West Nile Virus Infection On The Nest Defense Behavior Of Male And Female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Kayde L. Gilbert, Gary L. Ritchison

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Parent birds may benefit by defending nests from potential predators if such behavior increases the likelihood that their young will survive. However, such behavior may also be costly, with some risk of injury or even death. Thus, because birds seek to maximize life-time reproductive success rather than current reproductive success, parents must assess the danger posed by a potential nest predator and then choose appropriate responses (Radford and Blakey 2000)


Vocal Responses Of Adult Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) To Potential Nest Predators And The Behavioral Responses Of Nestlings, Erin E. Grabarczyk Jan 2014

Vocal Responses Of Adult Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) To Potential Nest Predators And The Behavioral Responses Of Nestlings, Erin E. Grabarczyk

Online Theses and Dissertations

The alarm calls of some birds are functionally referential and may provide nestlings with information about the threat posed by potential predators. However, few investigators have examined the responses of nestlings in cavity nests to the anti-predator vocalizations of adults. Therefore, the objectives of my study of cavity-nesting Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) were to examine (1) the vocal responses of adult Eastern Bluebirds to different predators, and (2) the behavioral responses of nestlings to those adult vocalizations. My study was conducted from April - July 2013 at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky. Pairs of Eastern Bluebirds …