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A Framework For Reproductive Models Of Mourning Doves, David L. Otis

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Population models can be used to aid in development and evaluation of harvest management strategies for game species. No current models are available for the Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), which is considered a migratory game bird in 37 states. A predictive model for annual reproduction is a necessary component of such a model. I used a simple construct based on parameters of the Mourning Dove breeding cycle to develop probability distributions of annual per capita reproduction for each of five geographical regions in the U.S. Confidence intervals for model predictions included average estimates from published studies in all regions except …