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Post‐independence fledgling ecology in a migratory songbird: implications for breeding‐grounds conservation
Author(s) -
Streby H. M.,
Peterson S. M.,
Kramer G. R.,
Andersen D. E.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
animal conservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.111
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1469-1795
pISSN - 1367-9430
DOI - 10.1111/acv.12163
Subject(s) - threatened species , warbler , ecology , geography , habitat , understory , foraging , nest (protein structural motif) , home range , range (aeronautics) , bird conservation , biology , canopy , materials science , biochemistry , composite material
Abstract For migratory songbirds, breeding‐grounds conservation and management plans are generally focused on habitat associated with locations of singing males and sometimes nesting females. However, habitat structure is often different in areas used for raising fledglings compared with areas used for song territories, and very little is known about habitat use by fledglings after independence from adult care. From 2010 to 2012, we used radiotelemetry to monitor 68 fledgling golden‐winged warblers V ermivora chrysoptera after independence from adult care in mixed managed forests of M innesota, US and M anitoba, C anada. This species is of high conservation concern in the US , is listed as threatened in C anada and is listed as near threatened on the I nternational U nion for C onservation of N ature R ed L ist. We assessed distance and orientation of independent fledgling movements and we used compositional analysis to test for selection among cover types. Fledglings of this species, commonly described as a shrubland specialist, selected mature forest (78% of locations) over all other cover types, and foraged in forest canopy and understory in mixed‐species flocks. Fledgling golden‐winged warbler movements were apparently associated with habitat optimization (although prioritizing foraging over predator avoidance), and likely not with commencement of migration, or scouting future breeding territories. Ten days after independence, fledglings were an average of 1238 m north of their nest, which may be related to homing‐target formation and the species' northward range expansion. We conclude that consideration for independent fledgling habitat associations is necessary for developing full‐fledged forest management plans on the breeding grounds of migratory songbirds.