Sex Determination of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
North American Bird Bander
6414_Twedt.pdf
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Abstract
I identified sexual dimorphism in wing length (unflattened chord) of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) within the central Mississippi Alluvial Valley (northeast Louisiana and west-central Mississippi) and used this difference to assign a sex to captured wrens. Wrens were identified as female when wing length was less than 57.5 mm or male when wing length was greater than 58.5 mm. Verification of predicted sex was obtained from recaptures of banded individuals where sex was ascertained from the presence of a cloacal protuberance or brood patch. Correct prediction of sex was 81% for adult females and 95% for adult males. An alternative model, which categorized wrens with wing lengths of 58 and 59 mm as birds of unknown sex, increased correct prediction of females to 93% but reduced the number of individuals to which sex was assigned. These simple, predictive, wing-length-based models also correctly assigned sex for more than 88% of young (hatching-year) birds.
Suggested Citation
Twedt, D., 2004, Sex Determination of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley: North American Bird Bander, v. 29, no. 4, p. 171-174.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Sex Determination of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley |
| Series title | North American Bird Bander |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Year Published | 2004 |
| Language | English |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 171-174 |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | North American Bird Bander |
| First page | 171 |
| Last page | 174 |