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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 13 of 13
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Nest Defense- Grassland Bird Responses To Snakes, Kevin Ellison, Christine Ribic
Nest Defense- Grassland Bird Responses To Snakes, Kevin Ellison, Christine Ribic
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Predation is the primary source of nest mortality for most passerines; thus, behaviors to reduce the impacts of predation are frequently quantified to study learning, adaptation, and coevolution among predator and prey species. Video surveillance of nests has made it possible to examine real-time parental nest defense. During 1999-2009, we used video camera systems to monitor 518 nests of grassland birds. We reviewed video of 48 visits by snakes to 34 nests; 37 of these visits resulted in predation of active nests. When adult birds encountered snakes at the nest (n = 33 visits), 76% of the encounters resulted …
Identification Of Sprague's Pipit Nest Predators, Stephen K. Davis, Stephanie L. Jones, Kimberly Dohms, Teslin Holmes
Identification Of Sprague's Pipit Nest Predators, Stephen K. Davis, Stephanie L. Jones, Kimberly Dohms, Teslin Holmes
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Nest predation is the primary factor influencing grassland songbird reproductive success. Understanding factors driving spatial and temporal variation in nest survival requires that we identify the primary nest predators and factors influencing predator abundance and behavior. Predation events are rarely witnessed, and the identification of nest predators is inferred, often incorrectly, from nest remains or observations of potential predators. We used video photography to identify predators of Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii) nests in Saskatchewan and Montana. We monitored 60 nests in Saskatchewan and 11 nests in Montana and documented at least ten different species preying upon eggs and …
Bird Productivity And Nest Predation In Agricultural Grasslands, C.A. Ribic, Michael Guzy, Travis Anderson, David Sample, Jamie Nack
Bird Productivity And Nest Predation In Agricultural Grasslands, C.A. Ribic, Michael Guzy, Travis Anderson, David Sample, Jamie Nack
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Effective conservation strategies for grassland birds in agricultural landscapes require understanding how nesting success varies among different grassland habitats. A key component to this is identifying nest predators and how these predators vary by habitat. We quantified nesting activity of obligate grassland birds in three habitats [remnant prairie, cool-season grass Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields, and pastures) in southwest Wisconsin, 2002-2004. We determined nest predators using video cameras and examined predator activity using track stations. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) nested primarily in CRP fields, and Grasshopper Sparrow (A. savannarum) in …
Grassland Birds In Restored Grassland Of The Rainwater Basin Region In Nebraska, Jill Sporrong Utrup, Craig A. Davis
Grassland Birds In Restored Grassland Of The Rainwater Basin Region In Nebraska, Jill Sporrong Utrup, Craig A. Davis
Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences
Conservationists and managers mention grassland restorations as a conservation strategy to reverse the decline of grassland bird populations in the Great Plains. In the Rainwater Basin Region of southcentral Nebraska, state and federal resource agencies have used grassland restorations to protect wetlands from sedimentation and agrichemical runoff. These grassland restorations may also provide important habitat for breeding grassland birds. In this paper, we describe the abundance, composition, nesting success, and habitat requirements of breeding birds in grassland restorations in the Rainwater Basin Region. We observed 14 grassland bird species in 12 grassland restorations. The most abundant species were dickcissels ( …
Proximate And Landscape Factors Influence Grassland Bird Distributions, Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson
Proximate And Landscape Factors Influence Grassland Bird Distributions, Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Ecologists increasingly recognize that birds can respond to features well beyond their normal areas of activity, but little is known about the relative importance of landscapes and proximate factors or about the scales of landscapes that influence bird distributions. We examined the influences of tree cover at both proximate and landscape scales on grassland birds, a group of birds of high conservation concern, in the Sheyenne National Grassland in North Dakota, USA. The Grassland contains a diverse array of grassland and woodland habitats. We surveyed breeding birds on 2015 100 m long transect segments during 2002 and 2003. We modeled …
Influences Of Management Regimes On Breeding Bird Densities And Habitat In Mixed-Grass Prairie: An Example From North Dakota, Andrea A. Lueders, Patricia L. Kennedy, Douglas H. Johnson
Influences Of Management Regimes On Breeding Bird Densities And Habitat In Mixed-Grass Prairie: An Example From North Dakota, Andrea A. Lueders, Patricia L. Kennedy, Douglas H. Johnson
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
It is well known that North American grassland bird populations appear to be declining (Igl and Johnson 1997, Sauer et al. 2004). Most of these birds breed and winter in North America, so declines are likely associated with continental processes (Knopf 1994). Scientists have also observed parallel declines among species that have overlapping breeding ranges but disparate wintering distributions (Igl and Johnson 1997). These patterns suggest declines may be linked to problems on the breeding grounds.
Avian Response To Meadow Restoration In The Central Great Plains, Rosalind B. Renfrew, Douglas H. Johnson, Gary R. Lingle, W. Douglas Robinson
Avian Response To Meadow Restoration In The Central Great Plains, Rosalind B. Renfrew, Douglas H. Johnson, Gary R. Lingle, W. Douglas Robinson
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Native grassland is one of the most heavily degraded of all North American ecosystems, and restoration of altered grasslands is a tool used to mitigate some of the biological ramifications of past land use practices. Providing habitat for grassland-dependent bird species often is one of the many goals of restoration. We evaluated the efficacy of meadow restoration for breeding birds in the Nebraska Platte River Valley by comparing the bird community and vegetation structure on 25 natural (original sod) and 25 restored meadows. We conducted principal components analyses on the vegetation structure and on the bird community, and modeled the …
A Historical Perspective: Changes In Grassland Breeding Bird Densities Within Major Habitats In North Dakota Between 1967 And 1992-1993, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Harold A. Kantrud
A Historical Perspective: Changes In Grassland Breeding Bird Densities Within Major Habitats In North Dakota Between 1967 And 1992-1993, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Harold A. Kantrud
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Population declines of many grassland-nesting birds are now widely recognized. Fundamental to understanding these declines is knowing if they are caused by changes in the availability of suitable habitats or changes in the densities of birds within those habitats. We address that issue with information from systematic surveys of breeding birds throughout North Dakota in 1967, 1992, and 1993. We compared the availability of 8 major habitat types, and the densities of 24 species of grassland birds in each habitat type, for 128 randomly selected quarter-sections (64.7 ha or 160 ac) that were surveyed in each of those years. Between …
Grassland Bird Use Of Crp Fields That Differ By Age-Class And Cover Type, Kristel K. Bakker, Sarah L. Eggebo, Kenneth F. Higgins, David E. Naugle
Grassland Bird Use Of Crp Fields That Differ By Age-Class And Cover Type, Kristel K. Bakker, Sarah L. Eggebo, Kenneth F. Higgins, David E. Naugle
Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences
During the past 50 years increasing agricultural practices have transformed native habitats into row~crop fields, making the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass lands important habitat for wildlife populations. Limited information exists on how nongame grassland bird species relate to different stand ages and cover types of Conservation Reserve Program. Conservation Reserve Program grassland study sites (n = 42) were stratified by stand age (old [10-13 years] and new [0-3 years] grasslands), and cover types (CPI-cool-season grasslands and CPZ-warm-season grasslands) in eastern South Dakota. Field age rather than cover type was more predictive of grassland bird occurrence and density. Sedge wrens …
Could The Area-Sensitivity Of Some Grassland Birds Be Affected By Landscape Composition?, David Joseph Horn, Rolf R. Koford
Could The Area-Sensitivity Of Some Grassland Birds Be Affected By Landscape Composition?, David Joseph Horn, Rolf R. Koford
Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences
Several grassland bird species have been shown to be area sensitive. This area sensitivity occurs when a species' frequency of occurrence, or relative abundance, tends to be lower in smaller fields. The detection of area sensitivity, however, is not consistent among studies because a species may exhibit area sensitivity in one study, but not in another. We tested the hypothesis that a species' area sensitivity varies depending on the amount of grassland in the landscape. The study took place in central North Dakota during the 1996 and 1997 breeding seasons on 46 fields enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). …
Guidelines For Finding Nests Of Passerine Birds In Tallgrass Prairie, Maiken Winter, Shawn E. Hawks, Jill A. Shaffer, Douglas H. Johnson
Guidelines For Finding Nests Of Passerine Birds In Tallgrass Prairie, Maiken Winter, Shawn E. Hawks, Jill A. Shaffer, Douglas H. Johnson
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
The productivity of birds is one of the most critical components of their natural history affected by habitat quality. Birds might occur at high densities in a given habitat patch but have low nesting success. Such "population sinks" would not be detected if observers relied solely on estimates of bird density. Therefore, it is essential to monitor nests and determine their outcomes. Although interest in grassland-nesting passerines has increased greatly during the last decade, we still know little about factors affecting their nesting success. To stimulate more research in this area, we summarize several methods for nest-searching and provide suggestions …
Assemblages Of Breeding Birds As Indicators Of Grassland Condition, Sharon Freshman Browder, Douglas H. Johnson, I. J. Ball
Assemblages Of Breeding Birds As Indicators Of Grassland Condition, Sharon Freshman Browder, Douglas H. Johnson, I. J. Ball
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
We developed a measure of biological integrity for grasslands (GI) based on the most influential habitat types in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota. GI is based on proportions of habitat types and the relationships of these habitat types to breeding birds. Habitat types were identified by digital aerial photography, verified on the ground, and quantified using GIS. We then developed an index to GI based on the presence or abundance of breeding bird species. Species abundance data were obtained from 3 min roadside point counts at 889 points in 44, 4050 ha study plots over a 2-year period. …
Habitat Associations Of Migrating And Overwintering Grassland Birds In Southern Texas, Lawrence D. Igl, Bart M. Ballard
Habitat Associations Of Migrating And Overwintering Grassland Birds In Southern Texas, Lawrence D. Igl, Bart M. Ballard
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
We report on the habitat associations of 21 species of grassland birds over- wintering in or migrating through southern Texas, during 1991-1992 and 1992-1993. Ninety percent of our grassland bird observations were made during winter and spring, and only 10% occurred during fall. Grassland species made up a high proportion of the total bird densities in grassland and shrub-grassland habitats, but much lower proportions in the habitats with more woody vegetation. Fewer grassland species were observed in grassland and woodland than in brushland, parkland, and shrub-grassland habitats. Grassland birds generally were found in higher densities in habitats that had woody …