Plasticity in incubation behavior and shading by king rails <i>Rallus elegans</i> in response to temperature

Clauser, Amanda J.; McRae, Susan B.

doi:10.1111/jav.01056

Cited by 44 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…During the mate-finding period, we deployed a whoosh net with a call lure. To catch breeders, we used mist nets to surround their nests during the last week of incubation (for additional details, see Clauser & McRae, 2016a). Each adult was banded with a U.S. Geological Survey numbered aluminum band and a unique combination of three colored spiral darvic flat bands (A.C. Hughes, UK), distributed as two on each leg.…”

Section: Capture Methods Morphometrics and Transmitter Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal home range dynamics and sex differences in habitat use in a threatened, coastal marsh bird

Kolts

McRae

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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A comprehensive understanding of spatiotemporal ecology is needed to develop conservation strategies for declining species. The king rail (Rallus elegans) is a secretive marsh bird whose range historically extended across the eastern United States. Inland migratory populations have been greatly reduced with most remaining populations inhabiting the coastal margins. Our objectives were to determine the migratory status of breeding king rails on the mid‐Atlantic coast and to characterize home range size, seasonal patterns of movement, and habitat use. Using radiotelemetry, we tracked individual king rails among seasons, and established that at least a segment of this breeding population is resident. Mean (±SE) home range size was 19.8 ± 5.0 ha (95% kernel density) or 2.5 ± 0.9 (50% kernel density). We detected seasonal variation and sex differences in home range size and habitat use. In the nonbreeding season, resident male home ranges coincided essentially with their breeding territories. Overwintering males were more likely than females to be found in natural emergent marsh with a greater area of open water. Females tended to have larger home ranges than males during the nonbreeding season. We report for the first time the use of wooded natural marsh by overwintering females. Brood‐rearing king rails led their young considerable distances away from their nests (average maximum distance: ~600 ± 200 m) and used both wooded natural and impounded marsh. King rails moved between natural marsh and managed impoundments during all life stages, but the proximity of these habitat types particularly benefitted brood‐rearing parents seeking foraging areas with shallower water in proximity to cover. Our results demonstrate the importance of interspersion of habitat types to support resident breeders. Summer draining of impounded wetlands that are seasonally flooded for wintering waterfowl allows regrowth of vegetation and provides additional habitat at a critical time for wading birds.

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Section: Capture Methods Morphometrics and Transmitter Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal home range dynamics and sex differences in habitat use in a threatened, coastal marsh bird

Kolts

McRae

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The refuge includes 550 ha of impoundments managed for overwintering waterfowl, as well as extensive natural marshes subject to prescribed burn (Rogers, Collazo, & Drew, 2013). King rails are the only species of long-billed rail breeding at the site, and detailed study of King Rail ecology and behavior has been ongoing at Mackay Island NWR for the last 7 years (for further information about the study population, see Clauser & McRae, 2016;Clauser & McRae, 2017;Kolts & McRae, 2017). Recordings were made using a Song Meter SM4 (Wildlife Acoustics) at 44.1 kHz and 16 bit.…”

Section: Field Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative acoustic differentiation of cryptic species illustrated with King and Clapper rails

Stiffler

Schroeder

Anderson

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Reliable species identification is vital for survey and monitoring programs. Recently, the development of digital technology for recording and analyzing vocalizations has assisted in acoustic surveying for cryptic, rare, or elusive species. However, the quantitative tools that exist for species differentiation are still being refined. Using vocalizations recorded in the course of ecological studies of a King Rail (Rallus elegans) and a Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) population, we assessed the accuracy and effectiveness of three parametric (logistic regression, discriminant function analysis, quadratic discriminant function analysis) and six nonparametric (support vector machine, CART, Random Forest, k‐nearest neighbor, weighted k‐nearest neighbor, and neural networks) statistical classification methods for differentiating these species by their kek mating call. We identified 480 kek notes of each species and quantitatively characterized them with five standardized acoustic parameters. Overall, nonparametric classification methods outperformed parametric classification methods for species differentiation (nonparametric tools were between 57% and 81% accurate, parametric tools were between 57% and 60% accurate). Of the nine classification methods, Random Forest was the most accurate and precise, resulting in 81.1% correct classification of kek notes to species. This suggests that the mating calls of these sister species are likely difficult for human observers to tell apart. However, it also implies that appropriate statistical tools may allow reasonable species‐level classification accuracy of recorded calls and provide an alternative to species classification where other capture‐ or genotype‐based survey techniques are not possible.

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“…At the embryonic stage, a reduction in incubation temperature negatively affects different aspects of nestling development, such as hatching success (Hepp et al 2006, Nord andNilsson 2011), nestling size (Ardia et al 2010, Nord andNilsson 2011), growth rate (DuRant et al 2010), fledging success (Hepp and Kennamer 2012) and survival (Berntsen and Bech 2016), and low incubation temperatures can increase the metabolic rate of nestlings Nilsson 2011, DuRant et al 2012). High incubation temperatures may be even more detrimental for the developing embryo (Webb 1987, Clauser and McRae 2017, but see Griffith et al 2016). Thus, incubating parents adopt various behaviors, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, incubating parents adopt various behaviors, e.g. shading of the eggs (Clauser and McRae 2017), or changing of nest site selection over the breeding season, to protect eggs from hyperthermia (Tieleman et al 2008, Nord andWilliams 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimentally increased nest temperature affects body temperature, growth and apparent survival in blue tit nestlings

Andreasson

Nord

Nilsson

2018

Journal of Avian Biology

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The thermal environment experienced by birds during early postembryonic development may be an important factor shaping growth and survival. However, few studies have directly manipulated nest temperature (T n) during the nestling phase, and none have measured the consequences of experimental heat stress on nestlings’ body temperature (T b). It is therefore not known to what extent any fitness consequences of development in a thermally challenging environment arise as a direct, or indirect, effect of heat stress. We, therefore, studied how experimentally increased T n affected T b in 8–12 d old blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus nestlings, to investigate if increased thermoregulatory demands to maintain normothermic T b influenced nestling growth and apparent long‐term survival. Nestlings in heated nest‐boxes had significantly higher T b compared to unheated nestlings during most of the experimental period. Yet, despite facing T n  50°C (as measured in the bottom of the nest cup below the nestlings), the highest nestling T b recorded was 43.8°C with nestlings showing evidence of controlled facultative hyperthermia without any increased nestling mortality in heated nests. However, body mass gain was lower in these nestlings compared to nestlings from control nest‐boxes. Contrary to our prediction, a larger proportion of nestlings from heated nest‐boxes were recaptured during their first winter, or subsequently recruited into the breeding population as first‐ or second‐year breeders. This result should, however, be treated with caution because of low recapture rates. This study highlights the importance of the thermal environment during nestling development, and its role in shaping both growth patterns and possibly also apparent survival.

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Plasticity in incubation behavior and shading by king rails Rallus elegans in response to temperature

Cited by 44 publications

References 47 publications

Seasonal home range dynamics and sex differences in habitat use in a threatened, coastal marsh bird

Seasonal home range dynamics and sex differences in habitat use in a threatened, coastal marsh bird

Quantitative acoustic differentiation of cryptic species illustrated with King and Clapper rails

Experimentally increased nest temperature affects body temperature, growth and apparent survival in blue tit nestlings

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