Habitat Preferences of Nesting Southeastern American Kestrels in Florida: The Importance of Ground Cover

Miller, Karl E.; Butryn, Ryan S.; Leone, Erin H.; Martin, Jason

doi:10.1656/058.018.0209

Cited by 7 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Covariates included were the same as described for occupancy, with the addition of incubation initiation date, cavity height, snag dbh, and the exclusion of nonlinear effects of stand age. Kestrels may have a delay in finding and occupying new nest sites (Brown et al 2014), but given kestrels' preference for short vegetation (Smallwood 1987, Miller et al 2019 To increase parsimony for all modeling, we first tested all covariates in univariate models and only included significant covariates, i.e., where the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the parameter estimate did not overlap zero, in final model selection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kestrels and many early successional cavity nesters in the Northwestern U.S. and western Canada prefer stands one to four years post fire (Hobson andSchieck 1999, Saab et al 2004, but see Saab et al 2007). As stands increase in age they become lower quality habitat for kestrels because there is less open ground and taller vegetation (Smallwood 1987, Smallwood and Collopy 2009, Miller et al 2019. At snag densities of ≤ 7.5 snags/ha, southeastern kestrel occupancy tended to peak in stands ≤ 5 years old (Fig.…”

Section: Occupancymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus; hereafter, southeastern kestrel) is a secondary cavity nester associated with open habitats, such as longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), sandhill, and early successional forest, characterized by short vegetation interspersed with trees, snags, or other artificial structures that could be used for hunting perches or nest sites (Smallwood 1987, Hoffman and Collopy 1988, Miller et al 2019. However, knowledge of southeastern kestrel occupancy and reproduction in early successional forests and their relationship to stand age, stand size, and snag density is limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the largest remaining populations of this subspecies resides in early successional forest in peninsular Florida (FWC 2013). Additionally, our knowledge of this subspecies is largely driven by nest-box studies (Smallwood et al 2009, Brown et al 2014, Miller et al 2019. Although nest boxes are an important management tool (Toland andElder 1987, Smallwood andCollopy 2009), an understanding of southeastern kestrel occupancy and reproduction in natural cavities of varying snag sizes and densities is needed (McClure et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our first objective was to determine how stand age, stand size, and snag density explain southeastern kestrel occupancy, nest survival, and productivity (the number of young fledged per successful nest) and we made several predictions. First, we expected southeastern kestrel occupancy to decline as stands age because southeastern kestrels prefer open habitat characterized by short vegetation (Smallwood 1987, Miller et al 2019) and the early successional forest at our study site exhibits rapid regrowth after disturbance (Myers 1990). Second, we expected southeastern kestrel occupancy to increase with stand size because kestrels may prefer large habitat patches for nesting, presumably to ensure availability of sufficient prey resources (Smallwood et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Snag density and stand age, but not stand size, explain occupancy and reproduction of an imperiled cavity nester in early successional forest

Beatty¹,

Miller²,

Fletcher³

2022

ACE

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Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionABSTRACT. Many early successional and disturbance-dependent bird species have declined over the past several decades. Cavitynesting birds in early successional forests are vulnerable because they often require specific habitat characteristics and frequent disturbance events. We examined whether stand age (a proxy for forest succession), stand size, and snag density explained occupancy, nest survival, and productivity of a threatened cavity nester, the Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus), in natural cavities in early successional forest (≤ 15 years since treatment). We conducted point counts, nest searching, and monitoring during the 2018-2019 breeding seasons in sand pine (Pinus clausa) scrub habitat in Ocala National Forest, Florida. Stands were created by either a clearcut, a clearcut followed by prescribed burn, or wildfire. Occupancy probability tended to peak in stands ≤ 5 years old, but this varied with snag density: β standage²xsnagdensity = -1.40, 95% CI (-2.57, -0.23). Even slight increases in snag density were related to large increases in occupancy across stand ages. For example, our occupancy model predicted that if there were 5 snags/ha, there was a 70% probability of occurrence (per point) in a four-year-old stand, whereas 1 snag/ha led to expected occupancy probability of 30%. Nest survival was best explained by snag density: β snagdensity = 0.71, 95% CI (0.12, 1.46). Neither occupancy nor nest survival were explained by stand size. Productivity did not have a relationship with any measured covariate. Our data indicate that snag density is an important measure of habitat quality for cavity-nesting birds and that interpreting stand age without considering the role of snag density may lead to under-or overestimating habitat quality of stands. Occupancy probability and nest survival had a low positive correlation across clearcut stands, but not in prescribed burns or wildfires. These results emphasize caution when extrapolating predictions from clearcuts to wildfire or prescribed burn stands.La densité de chicots et l'âge du peuplement, mais pas la taille du peuplement, expliquent l'occupation et la reproduction d'un nicheur cavicole menacé en forêt de début de succession

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Occupancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Snag density and stand age, but not stand size, explain occupancy and reproduction of an imperiled cavity nester in early successional forest

Beatty¹,

Miller²,

Fletcher³

2022

ACE

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Sex difference in natal dispersal distances of Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos in Scotland

Whitfield

Fielding

Anderson³

et al. 2023

Ibis

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Natal dispersal distance (NDD) is critical in understanding and defining populations and their conservation. It is defined as the linear distance between the natal location and first reproductive (‘effective NDD’) or potential reproductive (‘gross NDD’) location. It is a measure of gene flow and the functional connectivity across generations between individuals breeding in the same or different geographies. NDD is difficult to record in large raptors. GPS‐satellite telemetry has facilitated its recording. Previous Scottish studies showed that gross and effective NDD were apparently equivalent, and an algorithm based on telemetric data could identify the territory settlement timing and location of birds originally tagged as nestlings. We analysed natal dispersal data from 39 Golden Eagles GPS‐tagged in Scotland to estimate NDD. Raw median estimates were 29.8 km for males (n = 22) and 58.6 km for females (n = 17), 38.1 km averaged across sexes. Males had significantly shorter NDD, as theoretically predicted. Our NDD estimates were shorter but not grossly dissimilar to those from the USA, where sex differences in NDD had not been confirmed. Respective sample sizes may underly the latter contrast in confirmation. We also showed that in the absence of data from sexed birds, NDD estimates can be different. Natal dispersal duration was not related to NDD, suggesting that time to prospect a territory opportunity was not associated with the selected territory's distance from the natal site. The previous status of the subsequent settled territory (occupied or vacant) was also not related to NDD. We conclude that sex differences in NDD are important in application to population demography and conservation. Although we found no support for two other potential drivers of NDD (natal dispersal duration and previous territory status), identifying additional influences on NDD is in its infancy in large raptors and deserves more study.

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Annual Survivorship and Movement Ecology of Migrant American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) Overwintering in North Texas

Kaleta

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American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) are a small falcon with an expansive range across North America. However, kestrels have been reported to be declining since the 1960s, with the primary cause of decline unknown. With previous research focusing on the summer breeding season, researchers have called for additional investigation in understudied wintering and migratory periods. In Chapter 2, I quantified annual survivorship against five covariates of migrant kestrels wintering in north Texas to contribute to population level analyses across the kestrel's expansive range. Notably, I found that juvenile survival is similar to that of adults once on the wintering grounds, and that aspects of urbanization may increase survival in wintering kestrels. In Chapter 3, I outlined kestrel movement ecology by quantifying migration phenology, performance, and patterns. Additionally, I identified breeding and stopover sites and analyzed both winter and summer home ranges. In this analysis, I contributed three additional migration tracks to the five currently published. Further, I reported the first loop and indirect migration patterns to our knowledge. Overall, this research highlights understudied aspects of the kestrel full annual cycle in the winter and migratory periods, providing insight into possible causes for kestrel declines.

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Habitat Preferences of Nesting Southeastern American Kestrels in Florida: The Importance of Ground Cover

Cited by 7 publications

References 16 publications

Snag density and stand age, but not stand size, explain occupancy and reproduction of an imperiled cavity nester in early successional forest

Snag density and stand age, but not stand size, explain occupancy and reproduction of an imperiled cavity nester in early successional forest

Sex difference in natal dispersal distances of Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos in Scotland

Annual Survivorship and Movement Ecology of Migrant American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) Overwintering in North Texas

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