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Supplemental Feeding of Northern Bobwhite Affects Red‐Tailed Hawk Spatial Distribution
Author(s) -
TURNER ASHLEY S.,
CONNER L. MIKE,
COOPER ROBERT J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2006-303
Subject(s) - colinus , buteo , bobwhite quail , predation , ecology , predator , biology , geography , zoology , quail
Supplemental feeding is a widely used management practice in areas managed for northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ; hereafter quail). Although food provisioning is intended to benefit quail directly, it may also indirectly affect predators by allowing them to focus on the increased concentration of prey. We studied the effects of food supplementation for northern bobwhite on red‐tailed hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis ) space use in a longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) ecosystem in southwestern Georgia. We used radiotelemetry to determine whether hawks were attracted to areas where supplemental feeding occurred. We found hawks almost 3 times closer to feeding sites (224 ± 96 m; x̄ ± SE) than expected (638 ± 96 m). Our data provide an example of a common game management practice having an unintended influence on a top predator.