Use of radio-telemetry to reduce bias in nest searching
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Abstract
We used traditional searching, as well as radio-telemetry, to find 125 Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) nests during 1994–1996 at the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA. We compared daily nest survival rates for 66 nests of radio-marked birds with 59 nests of birds found through systematic searching. By using radio-telemetry, we found Wood Thrush nests in higher elevation pine habitats, in addition to the more usual hardwood forests with moist soils. We found nests of radio-marked birds farther from streams than nests found by systematic searching. Thirty-two percent of radio-marked birds' nests were found at the tops of slopes, compared to 15% of the nests found by traditional searching. In addition, radio-marked birds generally moved up-slope for re-nesting attempts. Although the distribution of nests found with telemetry and searching varied, daily nest survival did not vary between the two groups. Radio-telemetry provided new information about Wood Thrush nesting habitats. We believe radio-telemetry can be a valuable addition to traditional searching techniques; it has the potential to provide a sample of nests free from a priori habitat biases.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Use of radio-telemetry to reduce bias in nest searching |
| Series title | Journal of Field Ornithology |
| DOI | 10.1648/0273-8570-76.3.274 |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Year Published | 2005 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Association of Field Ornithologists |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 5 p. |
| First page | 274 |
| Last page | 278 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| Other Geospatial | Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |