Seasonal fecundity and post-fledging survival and habitat selection of Henslow's Sparrow
Advisor Information
L. LaReesa Wolfenbarger
Location
UNO Criss Library, Room 225
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
4-3-2016 9:45 AM
End Date
4-3-2016 10:00 AM
Abstract
The Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is a grassland dependent bird listed as threatened or endangered in thirteen states. Over the past fifty years, populations of this species have declined by over 90% in many areas. The major driver of this decline is habitat loss and degradation. I am conducting a study examining the rates of fledgling survival and patterns of dispersal from the nesting area during the post-fledging period, as well as the seasonal fecundity of breeding females. The post-fledging period is the time after young leave the nest but before they cease being reliant on parental care. The post-fledging period has been identified as a time of potentially high mortality for many bird species, and has never been studied for Henslow’s Sparrow. Seasonal fecundity is defined as the number of offspring surviving per breeding season per female. This is obtained by measuring overall nest success, as well as the rates of re-nesting after both successful and unsuccessful nests. Together, the rates of fledgling survival and seasonal fecundity estimated by this study will be valuable to managers attempting to make more informed estimates of population trends for this rare species. This study is being conducted on a native prairie in southwest Missouri.
Seasonal fecundity and post-fledging survival and habitat selection of Henslow's Sparrow
UNO Criss Library, Room 225
The Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is a grassland dependent bird listed as threatened or endangered in thirteen states. Over the past fifty years, populations of this species have declined by over 90% in many areas. The major driver of this decline is habitat loss and degradation. I am conducting a study examining the rates of fledgling survival and patterns of dispersal from the nesting area during the post-fledging period, as well as the seasonal fecundity of breeding females. The post-fledging period is the time after young leave the nest but before they cease being reliant on parental care. The post-fledging period has been identified as a time of potentially high mortality for many bird species, and has never been studied for Henslow’s Sparrow. Seasonal fecundity is defined as the number of offspring surviving per breeding season per female. This is obtained by measuring overall nest success, as well as the rates of re-nesting after both successful and unsuccessful nests. Together, the rates of fledgling survival and seasonal fecundity estimated by this study will be valuable to managers attempting to make more informed estimates of population trends for this rare species. This study is being conducted on a native prairie in southwest Missouri.
Additional Information (Optional)
Winner of Honorable Mention Graduate Oral Presentation