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J. A. Spendelow

Publications and source records attributed to J. A. Spendelow.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1997

Female Roseate Tern fledges a chick following the death of her mate during the incubation period

Despite the death of her mate during the incubation period and a shortage (or lack of availability) of food in nearby waters, a female Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) nesting at the Falkner Island Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Connecticut was able to raise a chick to fledging in 1995 without human assistance. The growth and development of this chick was slower than that of other single chicks in the colony; it never weighed more than 90 g and did not fledge until 32 days of age. Despite this exceptional female's ability to rear a chick on her own, this observation supports the idea that biparental care is important in Roseate Terns, particularly during years of food shortage.

Waterbirds↗
USGS1995

Colony differences in response to trapping in roseate terns

Both members of seabird pairs are normally required to fledge young. Seabirds that nest in sites accessible to predators usually have one parent in attendance during the egg/chick phase. Time devoted to foraging can vary with individual skill and age, prey availability and abundance (Seamy 1978), and distance to foraging grounds (Safina 1990). Although average skill of similar-aged individuals should not vary from colony to colony (Ryder 1980), prey availability and abundance, and spatial distribution of foraging grounds may vary. Thus, the percent of time both members of a pair are present at the nest site may vary in different colonies. In this paper, we examine parental behavior in response to trapping in Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) nesting in three of the six major colonies in the northeastern United States: Cedar Beach, New York, Falkner Island, Connecticut; and Bird Island, Massachusetts. Roseate Terns were listed on the United States? Endangered Species List in 1987. We were interested in differences among colonies in how often both parents were present, how soon a mate returned to the nest if one parent was temporarily removed, how soon a trapped bird returned to the nest after release, and the time during which the nest was left unguarded. We feel it is important to recognize and make management decisions based on colony differences where they exist. Our study follows directly from earlier work at Cedar Beach on trapping vulnerability of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) and Roseate Terns. Nisbet reported that Roseate Terns at Bird Island required about three hours to return to the nest after trapping.

Condor↗
USGS1994

Sources of variation in loss rates of color bands applied to adult roseate terns ( Sterna dougallii ) in the western North Atlantic

A model-based analysis was done to test several hypotheses concerning the rates of loss of butt-ended color bands placed on adult Roseate Terns ( Sterna dougallii ) in the western North Atlantic. These birds were captured and color banded from 1987-1991 at four colony sites, and recaptured from 1989-1992 as part of a study of the population dynamics of this species. Two types of color bands, Darvic and celluloid, were used, but only one band type was used for each individual bird. Each bird was given three color bands. The estimated probability that a bird with all color bands present during one breeding season still had all color bands during the next breeding season was 0.87. The analysis provided no evidence that colony site, cohort, calendar year of banding, age of color band, or whether or not the bands were heat-sealed closed, were important sources of variation in band-retention probabilities.

The Auk↗
USGS1991

Postfledging survival and recruitment of known-origin roseate terns (Sterna dougallii) at Falkner Island, Connecticut

From 1981-1990, 166 (10.1%) of 1636 Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) chicks banded from 1978-1985 at Falkner Island, Connecticut, [USA] and 68 (1.0%) of 6904 chicks banded during the same time period at all other colony sites in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts, were recaptured as breeding adults at Falkner Island. An analysis of the recapture data of the natal-site recruits resulted in an estimated average survival-and-return rate of 14.7% for the 3-yr period from fledging to first breeding. Assuming a 10% 'permanent' emigration rate of surviving young to other colony sites, the overall prebreeding survival or maturation rate to age 3 of all fledglings raised at Falkner Island from 1978-1985 was estimated to be about 16%. The 1636 chicks banded at Falkner Island comprised only 19.7% of the total of 8540 chicks banded in the three-state area, but the 166 adults that returned to their natal colony site accounted for 71.4% of the 234 known-age survivors from the 1978-1985 cohorts that had nested at Falkner Island through 1990. The recapture as adults of birds first banded as chicks provides an estimate of the maximum degree to which the breeding population at this site was sustained by natal-site recruitment. The capture of a large number of unbanded birds and birds banded as adults elsewhere indicates, however, that about two-thirds of the recent additions to the Roseate Tern breeding population at Falkner Island were immigrants recruited from other colony sites.

Connecticut↗
USGS1990

Capture-recapture estimation of prebreeding survival rate for birds exhibiting delayed maturation

Many species of seabirds exhibit delayed maturity and do not return to the natal colony to breed for several years after fledging. Capture-recapture studies are frequently conducted at such breeding colonies and often include marking of young birds. However, because of the absence of these birds from the natal colony during the first few years after banding, the data do not fit neatly into existing capture-recapture models. Here we present a method for estimating prebreeding survival rate from capture-recapture studies on species exhibiting such patterns of delayed maturation. We illustrate the method using data from a capture-recapture study of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii ) on Falkner Island, Connecticut. The method appears to work well and emphasizes the potential to tailor capture-recapture models to specific field situations.

Journal of Field Ornithology↗
USGS1989

Patterns of species co-occurrence of nesting colonial Ciconiiformes in Atlantic coast estuarine areas

Patterns of co-occurrence of 11 species of nesting colonial Ciconiiformes in estuarine areas of the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida were examined using Reciprocal Averaging and Detrended Correspondence Analyses. The first RA ordination axis categorized the species into two groups: species of large birds that often nest in the tops of large trees, and species of smaller birds that usually nest lower down in trees, bushes, or on the ground. The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) showed the largest positive ordination score on this axis, followed by the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) and the Great Egret (Casmerodius albus). The other 8 species were clumped on the first ordination axis and showed little separation. The second RA axis showed an ordering of relative species abundances along an apparent north-south gradientThere were no consistent similarities of ordination scores of any species pairs or groups on all the major axes, suggesting that no consistent similarities in relative abundances of 2- or 3-species 'assemblages' were found throughout the entire Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Colonial Waterbirds↗
USGS1987

Relationships between nesting populations of wading birds and habitat features along the Atlantic Coast

Using previously published atlas data for 122 mixed-species wading bird colonies on islands along the Atlantic coast (Maine to Florida, 1976-77), we examined relationships between population sizes of 11 species of egrets, herons, ibises, and wood storks (Mycteria americana) and nine habitat variables. On nautical charts, we measured four island characteristics (area, length, width, shape), three isolation factors (distances to nearest island, mainland, and a water barrier),, and two variables related to potential feeding habitat within 5 km of the center of the colony (wetland area and land-water interface, i.e., the linear distance between the marsh/upland and all water bodies within the same 5-km radius). One univariable and five multivariable .procedures were used to determine which habitat features were best related to population size .(all species combined). Multicollinearity problems among the variables limited interpretation for most procedures. Both univariable and the multivariable procedures indicated that land-water interface was the most important of the nine variables, but for all models, less than 10% of the total variance was explained (rz is less than 0.10). The size of the colony was not related to the amount of wetland area (within 5-km).per se. Colony data showed better 'structure' when examined on the basis of geographic and disturbance gradients. Population sizes of colonies near man-altered habitats were compared with those surrounded by relatively natural habitats in three geographic zones: north, middle, and south. Significant differences were found in colony size among the three zones (south largest) and between disturbance types. Surprisingly, in all three zones, colonies near man-altered areas were larger on average than those near more natural habitats in this region. A possible reason for this difference is suggested.

Book chapter↗