Date of Award
1-27-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Biology, MS
First Advisor
Than Boves
Committee Members
Travis Marsico; Virginie Rolland
Call Number
LD251 .A566t 2016 R39
Abstract
To reverse declining population trends for migratory birds, a full annual and life cycle conservation approach is necessary. However, two life history stages of relatively high mortality—the migratory and the post-fledging periods—are not well-understood for most declining bird species, including the Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), a declining species considered vulnerable to extinction. Here, I explored the possibility of using geolocators to obtain migration data for Cerulean Warblers and examined potential negative effects of applying these devices to this species, finding no effects during the breeding season of deployment but lowered annual return rates compared with color-banded control counterparts. I also tracked radio-tracked fledgling Cerulean Warblers throughout their dependent period (0-36 days post-fledging) to document dispersal patterns, test for changing habitat selection behavior as the fledglings aged, compare habitat used by fledglings with adult nesting habitat, and provide an estimate of their survival.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Raybuck, Douglas William, "Migration and the post-fledging period: Examining two critical stages of the Cerulean Warbler life cycle" (2017). Student Theses and Dissertations. 602.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/602
