Spatial Ecology of Wide-Ranging Birds
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By Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
November 13, 2017
Flight facilitates comparatively rapid access to large areas, and the study of the movements of birds is essential for learning their relationships to their environment, and for managing the resources on which they depend and conserving the communities in which they live. Often the amount of space used by raptors varies with behavior associated with the birds’ ages and with the annual cycle. For example, some adults use a smaller area during the nesting season than during the nonbreeding period of the year, and migratory birds can traverse vast areas between locales. Results from this research describe space use by raptors and the geographical links among areas used during the year and as birds’ pass through age classes, and these studies provides data about habitat associations. Knowing about birds’ use of space also is useful for assessing threats such as natural perturbations, environmental contamination, habitat fragmentation and loss, and responses to other forms of anthropogenic change to the environment.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Spatial patterns in occupancy and reproduction of Golden Eagles during drought: Prospects for conservation in changing environments
We used a broad-scale sampling design to investigate spatial patterns in occupancy and breeding success of territorial pairs of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Diablo Range, California, USA, during a period of exceptional drought (2014–2016). We surveyed 138 randomly selected sample sites over 4 occasions each year and identified 199 pairs of eagles, 100 of which were detected in focal sa
Authors
David Wiens, Patrick Kolar, W. Grainger Hunt, Teresa Hunt, Mark R. Fuller, Douglas A. Bell
Global positioning system and associated technologies in animal behaviour and ecological research
Biologists can equip animals with global positioning system (GPS) technology to obtain accurate (less than or equal to 30 m) locations that can be combined with sensor data to study animal behaviour and ecology. We provide the background of GPS techniques that have been used to gather data for wildlife studies. We review how GPS has been integrated into functional systems with data storage, data t
Authors
Stanley M. Tomkiewicz, Mark R. Fuller, John G. Kie, Kirk K. Bates
Wintering area DDE source to migratory white-faced ibis revealed by satellite telemetry and prey sampling
Locations of contaminant exposure for nesting migratory species are difficult to fully understand because of possible additional sources encountered during migration or on the wintering grounds. A portion of the migratory white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) nesting at Carson Lake, Nevada continues to be exposed to dichloro-diphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE) with no change, which is unusual, observed in
Authors
M.A. Yates, Mark R. Fuller, Charles J. Henny, W.S. Seegar, Jorge H. Garcia
Do migratory flight paths of raptors follow constant geographical or geomagnetic courses?
We tested whether routes of raptors migrating over areas with homogeneous topography follow constant geomagnetic courses more or less closely than constant geographical courses. We analysed the routes taken over land of 45 individual raptors tracked by satellite-based radiotelemetry: 25 peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus, on autumn migration between North and South America, and seven honey buzzar
Authors
K. Thorup, M. Fuller, T. Alerstam, M. Hake, N. Kjellen, R. Strandberg
Spacing and physical habitat selection patterns by peregrine falcons in central West Greenland
We examined nest-site spacing and selection of nesting cliffs by Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) in central West Greenland. Our sample included 67 nesting cliffs that were occupied at least once between 1972 and 1999 and 38 cliffs with no known history of Peregrine Falcon occupancy. We measured 29 eyrie, cliff, and topographical features at each occupied nesting cliff and unused cliff in 1998
Authors
Catherine S Wightman, Mark R. Fuller
Autumn migration and wintering areas of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus nesting on the Kola Peninsula, northern Russia
Four female Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus breeding on the Kola Peninsula, Russia, were fitted with satellite-received transmitters in 1994. Their breeding home ranges averaged 1175 (sd = ±714) km2, and overlapped considerably. All left their breeding grounds in September and migrated generally south-west along the Baltic Sea. The mean travel rate for three falcons was 190 km/day. Two Falcons
Authors
S.A. Ganusevich, T.L. Maechtle, W.S. Seegar, M.A. Yates, M.J. McGrady, M. Fuller, L. Schueck, J. Dayton, Charles J. Henny
American white pelican soaring flight times and altitudes relative to changes in thermal depth and intensity
We compared American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) soaring flight times and altitudes to model-produced estimates of thermal depth and intensity. These data showed that pelican soaring flight was confined to the thermal layer, and that the vertical extent of the soaring flight envelope increased with increases in thermal depth. Pelicans soaring cross-country between foraging and breedi
Authors
H.D. Shannon, G.S. Young, M. Yates, Mark R. Fuller, W. Seegar
Foraging flights of the white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus): Radiotracking and doubly-labelled water
Radiotracking transmitters were fitted to White-tailed Tropicbirds nesting at Culebra, Puerto Rico. Foragers were located by light aircraft out to 89 km SSW of the nesting colony, over a deep-water foraging area south of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico and west of St Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands. Two birds were followed out to 176 km NNW from the colony, over the Puerto Rico Trench, but these did not s
Authors
C.J. Pennycuick, F.C. Shaffner, M.R. Fuller, H.H. Obrecht, L. Sternberg
Flight facilitates comparatively rapid access to large areas, and the study of the movements of birds is essential for learning their relationships to their environment, and for managing the resources on which they depend and conserving the communities in which they live. Often the amount of space used by raptors varies with behavior associated with the birds’ ages and with the annual cycle. For example, some adults use a smaller area during the nesting season than during the nonbreeding period of the year, and migratory birds can traverse vast areas between locales. Results from this research describe space use by raptors and the geographical links among areas used during the year and as birds’ pass through age classes, and these studies provides data about habitat associations. Knowing about birds’ use of space also is useful for assessing threats such as natural perturbations, environmental contamination, habitat fragmentation and loss, and responses to other forms of anthropogenic change to the environment.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Spatial patterns in occupancy and reproduction of Golden Eagles during drought: Prospects for conservation in changing environments
We used a broad-scale sampling design to investigate spatial patterns in occupancy and breeding success of territorial pairs of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Diablo Range, California, USA, during a period of exceptional drought (2014–2016). We surveyed 138 randomly selected sample sites over 4 occasions each year and identified 199 pairs of eagles, 100 of which were detected in focal sa
Authors
David Wiens, Patrick Kolar, W. Grainger Hunt, Teresa Hunt, Mark R. Fuller, Douglas A. Bell
Global positioning system and associated technologies in animal behaviour and ecological research
Biologists can equip animals with global positioning system (GPS) technology to obtain accurate (less than or equal to 30 m) locations that can be combined with sensor data to study animal behaviour and ecology. We provide the background of GPS techniques that have been used to gather data for wildlife studies. We review how GPS has been integrated into functional systems with data storage, data t
Authors
Stanley M. Tomkiewicz, Mark R. Fuller, John G. Kie, Kirk K. Bates
Wintering area DDE source to migratory white-faced ibis revealed by satellite telemetry and prey sampling
Locations of contaminant exposure for nesting migratory species are difficult to fully understand because of possible additional sources encountered during migration or on the wintering grounds. A portion of the migratory white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) nesting at Carson Lake, Nevada continues to be exposed to dichloro-diphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE) with no change, which is unusual, observed in
Authors
M.A. Yates, Mark R. Fuller, Charles J. Henny, W.S. Seegar, Jorge H. Garcia
Do migratory flight paths of raptors follow constant geographical or geomagnetic courses?
We tested whether routes of raptors migrating over areas with homogeneous topography follow constant geomagnetic courses more or less closely than constant geographical courses. We analysed the routes taken over land of 45 individual raptors tracked by satellite-based radiotelemetry: 25 peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus, on autumn migration between North and South America, and seven honey buzzar
Authors
K. Thorup, M. Fuller, T. Alerstam, M. Hake, N. Kjellen, R. Strandberg
Spacing and physical habitat selection patterns by peregrine falcons in central West Greenland
We examined nest-site spacing and selection of nesting cliffs by Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) in central West Greenland. Our sample included 67 nesting cliffs that were occupied at least once between 1972 and 1999 and 38 cliffs with no known history of Peregrine Falcon occupancy. We measured 29 eyrie, cliff, and topographical features at each occupied nesting cliff and unused cliff in 1998
Authors
Catherine S Wightman, Mark R. Fuller
Autumn migration and wintering areas of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus nesting on the Kola Peninsula, northern Russia
Four female Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus breeding on the Kola Peninsula, Russia, were fitted with satellite-received transmitters in 1994. Their breeding home ranges averaged 1175 (sd = ±714) km2, and overlapped considerably. All left their breeding grounds in September and migrated generally south-west along the Baltic Sea. The mean travel rate for three falcons was 190 km/day. Two Falcons
Authors
S.A. Ganusevich, T.L. Maechtle, W.S. Seegar, M.A. Yates, M.J. McGrady, M. Fuller, L. Schueck, J. Dayton, Charles J. Henny
American white pelican soaring flight times and altitudes relative to changes in thermal depth and intensity
We compared American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) soaring flight times and altitudes to model-produced estimates of thermal depth and intensity. These data showed that pelican soaring flight was confined to the thermal layer, and that the vertical extent of the soaring flight envelope increased with increases in thermal depth. Pelicans soaring cross-country between foraging and breedi
Authors
H.D. Shannon, G.S. Young, M. Yates, Mark R. Fuller, W. Seegar
Foraging flights of the white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus): Radiotracking and doubly-labelled water
Radiotracking transmitters were fitted to White-tailed Tropicbirds nesting at Culebra, Puerto Rico. Foragers were located by light aircraft out to 89 km SSW of the nesting colony, over a deep-water foraging area south of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico and west of St Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands. Two birds were followed out to 176 km NNW from the colony, over the Puerto Rico Trench, but these did not s
Authors
C.J. Pennycuick, F.C. Shaffner, M.R. Fuller, H.H. Obrecht, L. Sternberg