Assessment of lesser prairie‐chicken translocation through survival and lek surveys

Abstract

Translocation is a management tool used to restore or augment wildlife populations, but outcomes of translocations are often poorly documented and can have varying levels of success for improving wildlife population declines. The lesser prairie‐chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a prairie grouse endemic to the southern Great Plains. In response to declining abundance and distribution, in 2023 lesser prairie‐chickens were listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act in different states. Translocation is a potential management response to population declines when there is an availability of unoccupied habitats, but translocation efficacy has not been evaluated for lesser prairie‐chickens. We translocated 411 lesser prairie‐chickens seasonally from 2016‐2019 and monitored the translocated lesser prairie‐chicken population from 2017–2022. To assess translocation as a management tool for lesser prairie‐chickens, we estimated survival for 2017–2020 and conducted lek surveys during 2017–2022. Over a fifth (22.8%, n = 94) of translocated birds either died or went missing within the first 2 weeks following release. Survival rates of translocated birds during the breeding (0.44 ± 0.02 [SE]) and nonbreeding (0.55 ± 0.03 [SE]) seasons were relatively low compared to nontranslocated lesser prairie‐chickens in other studies (0.63–0.93 for breeding season; 0.43–0.87 for non‐breeding season). Twenty‐seven percent of translocated birds survived to the breeding season after release (i.e., >1 year). Translocated lesser prairie‐chickens initiated 28 lekking sites over the study period. We estimated 77% of males available >2 weeks post release participated in lekking activity. The number of leks and male high counts on leks in the study area increased after translocation, peaking one year post‐translocation (an overall increase of 250% and 340%, respectively). However, both the number of leks and male high counts decreased (48% and 39%, respectively) within 3 years after translocation cessation. Establishment of leks and increasing lek attendance directly following translocation initially suggested that translocation could be a viable management tool. However, survival rates after translocation and declining lek counts following translocation indicates that the increased population abundance and occupied range from this translocation effort may be unsustainable. Our results highlight the necessity of monitoring to determine outcomes of a large lesser prairie‐chicken translocation. Other management strategies, such as targeted grassland restoration and management in areas of greatest lesser prairie‐chicken density, could be more beneficial for conservation of lesser prairie‐chicken populations.

Lesser prairie‐chicken dispersal after translocation: Implications for restoration and population connectivity

“…Observed movements were >5 times longer than those measured in native populations (Earl et al, 2016) and likely contributed to mortality for translocated birds. Of all released birds, 13.1% died (n = 54) and 9.7% went missing (n = 40) within the first 2 weeks after release, indicating potentially substantial mortality associated with the act of translocation, adjustment to the new environment, and dispersal movement after translocation (Teige et al, 2023). High initial mortality rates are not unprecedented among prairie grouse translocations; Mathews et al (2022) found similar rates of mortality (0.992 daily survival) within the first 40 days after Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) translocation.…”

“…Between fall 2016 and spring 2019, we translocated 411 lesser prairie‐chickens captured on leks to the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands using a hard release technique (not including measures that would facilitate a gradual transition to the release site; De Milliano et al., 2016). The initial fall 2016 release was primarily males (26 males, 1 female); all subsequent releases were in spring and had similar numbers of males and females (Berigan et al., 2022; Teige et al., 2023). We equipped birds translocated during fall 2016 and spring 2017–2019 with 11‐g bib‐style very‐high‐frequency (VHF) transmitters.…”

“…De Milliano et al, 2016). The initial fall 2016 release was primarily males (26 males, 1 female); all subsequent releases were in spring and had similar numbers of males and females (Berigan et al, 2022;Teige et al, 2023). We equipped birds translocated during fall 2016 and The release site on the Cimarron National Grassland in 2016-2017 was on USDA-Forest Service land adjacent to the P3 lek, a small active lek to the south of the Cimarron River.…”

“…In 2019, we released all birds translocated to the Cimarron National Grassland at the L4 site (Figure 1; Teige et al, 2023).…”

“…Translocation is a common technique in prairie grouse management; numerous prairie grouse translocations have occurred in the last few decades, often with anecdotal observations of extreme dispersal movements after translocation (Coates et al., 2006; Hamerstrom Jr & Hamerstrom, 1951; Vogel, 2015). However, widespread monitoring of translocations is rare, as are evaluations of how these dispersal movements affect the efficacy of translocations (Snyder et al., 1999; Teige et al., 2023). Dispersal following translocation can negatively affect translocation success due to mortality and diffusion throughout the release site, especially for sage and other prairie grouse (i.e., Centrocercus spp, Tympanuchus spp; Reese & Connelly, 1997, Snyder et al., 1999).…”