Wood Duck Nest Sites in Bottomland Hardwood Forests of Mississippi

Lowney, Martin; Hill, Edward P.

doi:10.2307/3801140

Cited by 12 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Both large and small nest boxes at YNWR consistently produced as many or more recruits than did large boxes at NNWR, but small boxes produced <1 recruit at NNWR. The differences between sites may be related partly to the open, agricultural landscape surrounding YNWR, perhaps stimulating wood duck females to use boxes because relatively few natural cavities exist in and around YNWR (Lowney and Hill 1989). Intuitively, availability of natural cavities for wood ducks in NNWR may be greater than at YNWR, because the former area is largely composed of upland and lowland forests (Lowney and Hill 1989).…”

Section: Recruitment From Large and Small Nest Boxesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the mid-1990s, there were an estimated 100,000 nest boxes in North America that produced approximately 300,000 wood duck ducklings annually Holm 1994, Utsey andHepp 1997). Some portions of the wood duck's range are largely agricultural landscapes that lack suitable natural cavities, but adequate food and cover may exist to sustain these populations (Jones and Leopold 1967, Lowney and Hill 1989, Bellrose and Holm 1994, Davis et al 1999b. Thus, nest boxes may compensate for lack of forestland with suitable cavities in predominantly agricultural, deforested landscapes (e.g., Lowney and Hill 1989).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some portions of the wood duck's range are largely agricultural landscapes that lack suitable natural cavities, but adequate food and cover may exist to sustain these populations (Jones and Leopold 1967, Lowney and Hill 1989, Bellrose and Holm 1994, Davis et al 1999b. Thus, nest boxes may compensate for lack of forestland with suitable cavities in predominantly agricultural, deforested landscapes (e.g., Lowney and Hill 1989). Additionally, nest boxes may enhance production by southern populations of wood ducks, especially if boxes are managed during extended breeding seasons in the southern United States (Lowney andHill 1989, Davis et al 2007).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, nest boxes may compensate for lack of forestland with suitable cavities in predominantly agricultural, deforested landscapes (e.g., Lowney and Hill 1989). Additionally, nest boxes may enhance production by southern populations of wood ducks, especially if boxes are managed during extended breeding seasons in the southern United States (Lowney andHill 1989, Davis et al 2007). For example, nest boxes cleaned of abandoned eggs and down at 5 sites in South Carolina produced 35% more ducklings than those managed once during spring (Utsey and Hepp 1997).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Simulations of wood duck recruitment from nest boxes in Mississippi and Alabama

et al. 2015

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Since the early 20th century, wildlife managers have deployed artificial nesting structures for wood ducks (Aix sponsa) to increase availability of nest sites and local reproduction of the species. However, knowledge is lacking of the effects of nest structure size (i.e., large vs. small; Stephens et al. 1998) and reproductive data (e.g., clutch size, hatch date, duckling survival) on recruitment of wood ducks. We used stochastic simulation analyses to predict recruitment of wood ducks into late summer by analyzing data from a 6-year study of box-nesting wood ducks, and 4-year (Mississippi) and 2-year (Alabama) studies of radiomarked female wood ducks and their ducklings. Our index of recruitment was the number of radio-marked ducklings per nest box that survived until 1 September. Ducklings hatched after 1 June exhibited a 30-day survival probability of 0.29, which was nearly 3 times greater than those hatched before 1 June. In east-central Mississippi, 68% and 65% of total wood duck recruits from large and small boxes, respectively, were hatched and reared from June to August. In western Mississippi, 91% of recruits from each box size also were hatched and reared from June to August. Mean number of wood duck recruits produced from large boxes was greater than small boxes at each study site; each large box in western Mississippi produced approximately 4 recruits on average, whereas small boxes in east-central Mississippi produced approximately 1 recruit. Wood duck recruits in our study resulted primarily from late spring and summer hatched birds in contrast to most Nearctic ducks with adaptive, early nesting to promote recruitment. In Mississippi and similar southern environments, we recommend use of large boxes and cleaning boxes around 1 May after completion of initial nests, and emphasize the importance of late spring and summer duckling production to wood duck recruitment.

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Section: Recruitment From Large and Small Nest Boxesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Simulations of wood duck recruitment from nest boxes in Mississippi and Alabama

et al. 2015

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“…The NNWR is located in Oktibbeha, Winston, and Noxubee counties in the Interior Flatwoods Region of Mississippi (33815 0 N, 88846 0 W). The refuge encompasses nearly 20,000 ha of lowland and gently rolling upland landscape (Pettry 1977, Lowney andHill 1989). Permanent lotic wetlands included the Noxubee River and Cypress, Oktoc, and Loakfoma Creeks.…”

Section: Noxubee National Wildlife Refugementioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of Wood Duck Ducklings and Broods in Mississippi and Alabama

et al. 2007

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Although North American wood ducks (Aix sponsa) are well‐studied throughout their range, researchers know little about demographic and environmental factors influencing survival of ducklings and broods, which is necessary information for population management. We studied radiomarked female and duckling wood ducks that used nest boxes and palustrine wetlands at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (NNWR) in Mississippi, USA, in 1996–1999, and riverine wetlands of the Tennessee‐Tombigbee Rivers and Waterway (TTRW) system in Alabama in 1998–1999. We estimated survival of ducklings and broods and evaluated potentially important predictors of duckling survival, including age and body mass of brood‐rearing females, hatch date of ducklings, duckling mass, brood size at nest departure, inter‐day travel distance by ducklings, site and habitat use, and daily minimum air temperature and precipitation. At NNWR, survival of 300 radiomarked ducklings ranged from 0.15 (95% CI = 0.04‐0.27) to 0.24 (95% CI = 0.13‐0.38) and was 0.21 (95% CI = 0.15‐0.28) for 1996–1999. Our overall estimate of brood survival was 0.64 (n = 91; 95% CI = 0.54‐0.73). At TTRW, survival of 129 radiomarked ducklings was 0.29 in 1998 (95% CI = 0.20‐0.41) and 1999 (95% CI = 0.13‐0.45) and was 0.29 (95% CI = 0.20‐0.40) for 1998–1999. Our overall estimate of brood survival was 0.71 (n = 38; 95% CI = 0.56‐0.85). At NNWR, models that included all predictor variables best explained variation in duckling survival. Akaike weight (wi) for the best model was 0.81, suggesting it was superior to other models (<0.01 < wi < 0.18). We detected 4 competing models for duckling survival at TTRW. Inter‐day distance traveled by ducklings was important as this variable appeared in all 4 models; duckling survival was positively related to this variable. Patterns of habitat‐related survival were similar at both study areas. Ducklings in broods that used scrub‐shrub habitats disjunct from wetlands containing aggregations of nest boxes had greater survival probabilities than birds remaining in wetlands with such nest structures. Managers may increase local wood duck recruitment by promoting availability of suitable brood habitats (e.g., scrub‐shrub wetlands) without aggregations of nest boxes that may attract predators and by dispersing nest boxes amid or adjacent to these habitats. We did not determine an optimal density of nest boxes relative to local or regional population goals, which remains important research and conservation needs.

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Current and projected abundance of potential nest sites for cavity‐nesting ducks in hardwoods of the north central United States

Denton¹,

Roy²,

Soulliere³

et al. 2011

J Wildl Manag

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Clearing of hardwood forests was widespread in the north central region of the United States at the turn of the 20th century, but largely subsided by the 1920s. Hardwood trees in the region have since regenerated and matured into sizes capable of producing nest cavities suitable for cavity-nesting ducks. We estimated regional nest-site abundance for cavity-nesting ducks during 2008, 2018, and 2028 from cavity density and tree-abundance estimates obtained at 4 hardwood forest sites in conjunction with Forest Inventory and Analysis data and tree-growth modeling software from the United States Forest Service (Forest Vegetation Simulator). Land cover data were used to determine area of hardwood forests 0.5 km, 0.5-1 km, 1-1.5 km, 1.5-2 km, and >2 km from wetlands and open water available to cavity-nesting ducks. We estimated 13.2 million, 17.0 million, 19.0 million, and 20.1 million potential duck nest cavities available 0.5 km, 1 km, 1.5 km, and 2 km of water, respectively, in the region and predicted nest cavity abundance will increase 41% from 2008 to 2028. Hardwood forests in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin currently have the highest abundances of potential nest sites, but cavity-bearing forests in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin were more commonly proximate to wetlands and open water. Because current and future estimates indicate sufficient nest sites to support growing cavitynesting duck populations in the north central United States, we recommend regional management efforts focus on protecting, restoring, and maintaining quality wetlands in proximity to hardwood forests.

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Wood Duck Nest Sites in Bottomland Hardwood Forests of Mississippi

Cited by 12 publications

References 14 publications

Simulations of wood duck recruitment from nest boxes in Mississippi and Alabama

Simulations of wood duck recruitment from nest boxes in Mississippi and Alabama

Survival of Wood Duck Ducklings and Broods in Mississippi and Alabama

Current and projected abundance of potential nest sites for cavity‐nesting ducks in hardwoods of the north central United States

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