Habitat associations of migrating and overwintering grassland birds in Southern Texas
Condor
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Abstract
We report on the habitat associations of 21 species of grassland birds overwintering in or migrating through southern Texas, during 1991-1992 and 1992-1993. Ninety percent of our grassland bird observations were made during winter and spring, and only 10% occurred during fall. Grassland species made up a high proportion of the total bird densities in grassland and shrub-grassland habitats, but much lower proportions in the habitats with more woody vegetation. Fewer grassland species were observed in grassland and woodland than in brushland, parkland, and shrub-grassland habitats. Grassland birds generally were found in higher densities in habitats that had woody canopy coverage of < 30%; densities of grassland birds were highest in shrub-grassland habitat and lowest in woodland habitat. Species that are grassland specialists on their breeding grounds tended to be more habitat specific during the nonbreeding season compared to shrub-grassland specialists, which were more general in their nonbreeding-habitat usage. Nonetheless, our data demonstrate that grassland birds occur in a variety of habitats during the nonbreeding season and seem to occupy a broader range of habitats than previously described.
Suggested Citation
Igl, L.D., and Ballard, B.M., 1999, Habitat associations of migrating and overwintering grassland birds in Southern Texas: Condor, v. 101, p. 771-782, https://doi.org/10.2307/1370064.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Habitat associations of migrating and overwintering grassland birds in Southern Texas |
| Series title | Condor |
| DOI | 10.2307/1370064 |
| Volume | 101 |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Cooper Ornithological Society |
| Contributing office(s) | Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 12 p. |
| First page | 771 |
| Last page | 782 |