Use of radio-telemetry to reduce bias in nest searching

Larkin A. Powell; J. D. Lang; David G. Krementz; Michael J. Conroy

doi:10.1648/0273-8570-76.3.274

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Use of radio-telemetry to reduce bias in nest searching

Larkin A. Powell·J. D. Lang·David G. Krementz·Michael J. Conroy

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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.

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Journal of Field Ornithology Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 32.93953889877841° to 33.41539481578252° latitude; -83.89572143554688° to -83.56338500976562° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Larkin A. Powell, J. D. Lang, David G. Krementz, Michael J. Conroy. 2005. Use of radio-telemetry to reduce bias in nest searching. https://doi.org/10.1648/0273-8570-76.3.274

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