Microhabitat characteristics of Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus, nests at Cape Churchill, Manitoba

C. W. Boal; D. E. Andersen

doi:10.22621/cfn.v119i2.108

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Microhabitat characteristics of Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus, nests at Cape Churchill, Manitoba

C. W. Boal·D. E. Andersen

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Abstract

We examined microsite characteristics at 21 Lapland Longspur ( Calcarius lapponicus ) nests and land cover types in which they occurred in Wapusk National Park, Cape Churchill, Manitoba. Nests were located in four of six physiographic-vegetation land-cover types. Regardless of land-cover type, all but one nest was built on a pressure ridge or mound. Nests were built midway between the bottom and top of ridges or mounds with steeper slopes than was randomly available. Longspur nests had a distinctive southwest orientation (P < 0.001). Longspurs selected nest sites that consisted of comparatively greater amounts of shrub species and lesser amounts of moss than were randomly available. Nests were generally well concealed by vegetation (mean = 67.0%) and concealment was negatively associated with amount of graminoid species at the nest (P = 0.0005). Our nesting habitat data may facilitate a better understanding of breeding Lapland Longspur habitat requirements, and potential impacts of habitat degradation by increasing Snow Goose ( Chen caerulescens ) populations in the study area.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 58.49369382056807° to 58.938673187948304° latitude; -93.900146484375° to -92.735595703125° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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C. W. Boal, D. E. Andersen. 2005-04-01. Microhabitat characteristics of Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus, nests at Cape Churchill, Manitoba. https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v119i2.108

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