Date of Award
12-22-2010
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Biology, MS
First Advisor
James Bednarz
Committee Members
Tanja McKay; Thomas Risch
Call Number
LD 251 .A566t 2010 C42
Abstract
The Swallow-tailed (Elanoides forficatus; STKI) and Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis; MIKI) both express relatively poor reproductive success in White River National Wildlife Refuge (WRNWR), east-central Arkansas. I studied the nesting ecology of both species in WRNWR to determine factors contributing to their low nest survival. I located 41 MIKI nests from 2008-2009 and documented 8 causes of nest failure. The overall estimated probability of nest survival was ~25%, but estimated daily nest survival varied between nest periods among and across years. I found no consistent predictors of nest survival among the variables I measured. Also, I determined snake excluder devices, as I applied them, were ineffective at preventing ratsnake predation of kite nests. I quantified nestling diet at 10 MIKI nests and documented the delivery of a wide variety of prey types, but dragonflies and cicadas were delivered most frequently. There was no significant difference between the number of cicadas in sample plots at nest and random sites, suggesting kites did not select nest sites based on the site's potential to support cicadas. Cicada emergence was spatiotemporally variable, but was best predicted by the presence of saplings. I found that the number of cicadas delivered to nests was temporally variable across years and speculate this was due to differences in water level and the degree of flooding in WRNWR. I located one STKI nest in 2008, but did not locate a nest in 2009. The nest in 2008 was abandoned when nestlings were ~7 days of age following the deployment of a camera by the nest. The nest was placed in a super-emergent overcup oak (Quercus lyrata) at a height approximately level with the surrounding canopy and was within 2 km of nests found in previous years.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Chiavacci, Scott James, "Nesting Ecology of the Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kite in White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas" (2010). Student Theses and Dissertations. 965.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/965
