Migrating Birds' Use of Stopover Habitat in the Southwestern United States

Ruth, Janet M.; Diehl, Robert H.; Felix, Rodney K.

doi:10.1525/cond.2012.120020

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Many wildlife species rely on wetland and riparian habitats along rivers in semi-arid environments and some are dependent on associated agricultural resources situated along river floodplains. Migratory birds, in particular, are reliant on the Rio Grande corridor to meet energetically demanding life-cycle events in an otherwise xeric and unproductive landscape [ 16 , 20 – 23 ]. From October to February, the MRGV supports hundreds of thousands of overwintering waterbirds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land Use, anthropogenic disturbance, and riverine features drive patterns of habitat selection by a wintering waterbird in a semi-arid environment

et al. 2018

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River ecosystems in semi-arid environments provide an array of resources that concentrate biodiversity, but also attract human settlement and support economic development. In the southwestern United States, land-use change, drought, and anthropogenic disturbance are compounding factors which have led to departures from historical conditions of river ecosystems, consequently affecting wildlife habitat, including important wintering areas for migratory birds. The Rio Grande (River) in central New Mexico is the lifeblood of the Middle Rio Grande Valley (MRGV), maintaining large urban and agricultural centers and riparian and wetland resources, which disproportionately support a diversity of wildlife. The MRGV has been identified as the most important wintering area for the Rocky Mountain Population of greater sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis tabida). Presently, however, changes in the hydrogeomorphology of the Rio Grande and landscape modification by humans have reshaped the MRGV and winter habitat for sandhill cranes. To evaluate these impacts, we investigated how land-use practices, anthropogenic disturbance, and river morphology influenced patterns of diurnal and roosting habitat selection by sandhill cranes. During the diurnal period, sandhill cranes relied heavily on managed public lands selecting agriculture crops, such as corn fields, and wetlands for foraging and loafing while avoiding areas with increasing densities of human structures. Sandhill cranes selected areas for roosting in the Rio Grande characterized by shallower water interspersed with sandbars, wide channel width, low bank vegetation, and farther away from disturbances associated with bridges. Our results establish and identify the central processes driving patterns of diel habitat selection by wintering sandhill cranes. Land use and riverine trends have likely gradually reduced winter habitat to managed public lands and limited reaches of the Rio Grande, underscoring the importance of natural resources agencies in supporting migratory birds and challenges involved when managing for wildlife in highly pressured semi-arid environments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land Use, anthropogenic disturbance, and riverine features drive patterns of habitat selection by a wintering waterbird in a semi-arid environment

et al. 2018

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“…For species in the western flyway, breeding and non-breeding ranges occur in western North America where the largest ecological barriers to migration are deserts. The western deserts are comparatively smaller than the oceanic barriers in the east, and many are associated with mountains, or in some cases rivers, that may act to facilitate migration (Carlisle et al, 2009;Ruth et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration distance, ecological barriers and en‐route variation in the migratory behaviour of terrestrial bird populations

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2016

Global Ecol. Biogeogr.

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Aim Seasonal migration is a common strategy used by terrestrial birds that breed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Evidence suggests that long‐distance migrants have limited flexibility in migratory behaviour during the onset of migration but greater flexibility during the migration journey. Here, we examine how two geographical factors are correlated with en‐route flexibility. Due to stronger time‐selection pressures, we expected species with longer migration distances to have greater en‐route variation, that increases when large ecological barriers to migration are present. Location Western Hemisphere. Methods We estimated annual population‐level migration trajectories for 55 terrestrial bird species over 7 years (2009–15) based on occurrence information from eBird. We calculated migration speed and annual variation in migration speed, timing and location. We examined these metrics as a function of migration distance for species in the eastern (n = 41) and western (n = 14) migration flyways. The eastern flyway contains two large ecological barriers to migration, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Results Spring migration speeds exceeded autumn migration speeds in both flyways. Migration speeds were faster in the eastern flyway during both seasons. Annual variation in migration speed increased as migration distances increased in both flyways during both seasons. Annual variation in migration timing and location increased as migration distance increased in the eastern flyway during both seasons. In the western flyway, annual variation in migration timing and location increased as migration distance increased, but only during the autumn migration. Main conclusions Increasing time‐selection pressures related to migration distance and ecological barriers were associated with greater en‐route variation in migratory behaviour. Variation in migration speed was most consistently associated with variation in migratory behaviour, whereas variation in migration timing and location differed by season and was strongest when large ecological barriers were present. Our results suggest that the capacity to respond to environmental variation during migration increases as migration distances increase.

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“…1) and thus have application for monitoring migratory behaviour along entire sections of a flyway (Kelly et al 2012, Shamoun-Baranes et al 2014, Bauer et al 2017, Dokter et al 2018, Van Doren and Horton 2018, Nilsson et al 2019. At local or regional scales, WSR has effectively been used to identify important stopover sites for migratory birds (Diehl et al 2003, Buler and Moore 2011, Ruth et al 2012, Buler and Dawson 2014 Fig. 4), wintering sites for waterfowl (Buler et al 2012), and key roost sites for birds (e.g.…”

Section: Identification and Management Of Conservation Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives and challenges for the use of radar in biological conservation

et al. 2019

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Radar is at the forefront for the study of broad‐scale aerial movements of birds, bats and insects and related issues in biological conservation. Radar techniques are especially useful for investigating species which fly at high altitudes, in darkness, or which are too small for applying electronic tags. Here, we present an overview of radar applications in biological conservation and highlight its future possibilities. Depending on the type of radar, information can be gathered on local‐ to continental‐scale movements of airborne organisms and their behaviour. Such data can quantify flyway usage, biomass and nutrient transport (bioflow), population sizes, dynamics and distributions, times and dimensions of movements, areas and times of mass emergence and swarming, habitat use and activity ranges. Radar also captures behavioural responses to anthropogenic disturbances, artificial light and man‐made structures. Weather surveillance and other long‐range radar networks allow spatially broad overviews of important stopover areas, songbird mass roosts and emergences from bat caves. Mobile radars, including repurposed marine radars and commercially dedicated ‘bird radars’, offer the ability to track and monitor the local movements of individuals or groups of flying animals. Harmonic radar techniques have been used for tracking short‐range movements of insects and other small animals of conservation interest. However, a major challenge in aeroecology is determining the taxonomic identity of the targets, which often requires ancillary data obtained from other methods. Radar data have become a global source of information on ecosystem structure, composition, services and function and will play an increasing role in the monitoring and conservation of flying animals and threatened habitats worldwide.

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Migrating Birds' Use of Stopover Habitat in the Southwestern United States

Cited by 15 publications

References 41 publications

Land Use, anthropogenic disturbance, and riverine features drive patterns of habitat selection by a wintering waterbird in a semi-arid environment

Land Use, anthropogenic disturbance, and riverine features drive patterns of habitat selection by a wintering waterbird in a semi-arid environment

Migration distance, ecological barriers and en‐route variation in the migratory behaviour of terrestrial bird populations

Perspectives and challenges for the use of radar in biological conservation

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