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Growth of the brown noddy (Anous stolidus) in the Dry Tortugas
Title
Growth of the brown noddy (Anous stolidus) in the Dry Tortugas.
Creator
Wolfe, Cynthia Ann, Florida Atlantic University, Mahoney, Sheila A.
Abstract/Description
Brown Noddy nestlings in the Dry Tortugas exhibit a growth rate that is slower than would be predicted, based on adult body size and mode of development. This pattern of prolonged growth is typical of tropical pelagic seabirds. An intraspecific comparison of growth rates among several populations of Brown Noddies indicates that growth of body mass of the Tortugas Noddies is significantly faster, the development period shorter, and the asymptotic size smaller than in Pacific populations....
Show moreBrown Noddy nestlings in the Dry Tortugas exhibit a growth rate that is slower than would be predicted, based on adult body size and mode of development. This pattern of prolonged growth is typical of tropical pelagic seabirds. An intraspecific comparison of growth rates among several populations of Brown Noddies indicates that growth of body mass of the Tortugas Noddies is significantly faster, the development period shorter, and the asymptotic size smaller than in Pacific populations. However, there were no differences among the populations in the rates of wing or culmen growth. The Bush Key nestlings appear to receive a higher quality diet that contains proportionally more fish, while the Pacific nestlings receive substantial amounts of squid. The Pacific nestlings also seem to be subjected to a thermally more stressful microclimate, which may necessitate the allocation of proportionally more of their total energy to thermoregulation and less to growth.
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Date Issued
1989
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14502
Subject Headings
Terns, Sea birds--Florida--Dry Tortugas
Format
Document (PDF)
A comparison of reproductive success in early and late breeding Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata) in the dry tortugas
Title
A comparison of reproductive success in early and late breeding Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata) in the dry tortugas.
Creator
Plantier, Terry Lynn., Florida Atlantic University, Mahoney, Sheila A.
Abstract/Description
Evidence indicates that earlier-nesting birds are often older, choose preferred nest sites, and have greater reproductive success than those nesting later. The Sooty Terns at Bush Key appear to follow a similar pattern. The first birds arrive at the west end of the breeding grounds three weeks earlier than birds at the east end and behaviorally appear to be older and more experienced. The west birds settle in the more desirable habitats (the west end was cooler than the east end) and laid...
Show moreEvidence indicates that earlier-nesting birds are often older, choose preferred nest sites, and have greater reproductive success than those nesting later. The Sooty Terns at Bush Key appear to follow a similar pattern. The first birds arrive at the west end of the breeding grounds three weeks earlier than birds at the east end and behaviorally appear to be older and more experienced. The west birds settle in the more desirable habitats (the west end was cooler than the east end) and laid larger eggs, hatched larger chicks, enjoyed greater hatchability, fed their chicks at a lower frequency when they were young, and had greater reproductive success than birds in the east. This was accomplished through a combination of choosing physically and thermally more favorable habitat, which was more centrally located, being more persistent incubators and brooders, and, by nesting earlier, having larger, less-easily eaten chicks by the time avian predators arrived on the island.
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Date Issued
1988
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14446
Subject Headings
Sooty tern, Sea birds--Florida--Dry Tortugas--Reproduction
Format
Document (PDF)
effects of a garbage-supplemented diet on the reproductive success of the White Ibis, Eudocimus albus (L.)
Title
The effects of a garbage-supplemented diet on the reproductive success of the White Ibis, Eudocimus albus (L.).
Creator
Rumbold, Darren George., Florida Atlantic University, Adams, Ralph M.
Abstract/Description
The reproductive success of White Ibises, Eudocimus albus (L.) was studied during the 1988 and 1989 nesting seasons at a wading bird colony in Florida. Evidence suggests that the diets of both adult and nestling Ibises included garbage from a nearby dump. The mean clutch size was 2.5 +- 0.72 in 1988 and 2.6 +- 0.72 in 1989. The probability of a nest surviving to produce at least one 10-day-old nestling was 45.8% and 54.1% for 1988 and 1989, respectively. Success was higher for nests on...
Show moreThe reproductive success of White Ibises, Eudocimus albus (L.) was studied during the 1988 and 1989 nesting seasons at a wading bird colony in Florida. Evidence suggests that the diets of both adult and nestling Ibises included garbage from a nearby dump. The mean clutch size was 2.5 +- 0.72 in 1988 and 2.6 +- 0.72 in 1989. The probability of a nest surviving to produce at least one 10-day-old nestling was 45.8% and 54.1% for 1988 and 1989, respectively. Success was higher for nests on islands at the periphery of the colony than on islands more centrally located. This resulted from reduced interactions between nesting Ibises and Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and, reduced egg predation by grackles (Quiscalus spp.) at the periphery of the colony. Both clutch size and reproductive success were within the ranges previously reported for Ibises at other colonies that did not supplement their diets with garbage.
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Date Issued
1990
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14598
Subject Headings
Ibises--Food, Garbage as feed, Birds--Florida
Format
Document (PDF)
Population trends and breeding ecology of the Florida burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia floridana) on the Florida Atlantic University campus, 1990--2003
Title
Population trends and breeding ecology of the Florida burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia floridana) on the Florida Atlantic University campus, 1990--2003.
Creator
McKie, Annabelle C., Florida Atlantic University, Mahoney, Sheila A.
Abstract/Description
From 1990 to 2003 a study of the declining population of Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia floridana) on the Florida Atlantic University campus in Palm Beach County indicated that the location of unsuccessful owl (those not producing chicks) territories was the cause of their decline. Over the 14 years, the number of successful adult owls and the number of chicks remained fairly constant because they were located in areas where campus expansion remained minimal. Also, 76% of owls that reused...
Show moreFrom 1990 to 2003 a study of the declining population of Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia floridana) on the Florida Atlantic University campus in Palm Beach County indicated that the location of unsuccessful owl (those not producing chicks) territories was the cause of their decline. Over the 14 years, the number of successful adult owls and the number of chicks remained fairly constant because they were located in areas where campus expansion remained minimal. Also, 76% of owls that reused territories were reproductively successful, whereas only 43% of owls on newly-established territories were successful. Additionally, territories occupied for seven years or more averaged 1.27 chicks per territory per year, while territories occupied less than seven years averaged 0.17 chicks. Furthermore, all of the territories occupied for seven years or more produced chicks, but only 58% of territories occupied less than seven years did so. Territories located in Pomello sand produced more chicks, as burrows there never flooded and also were less exposed to construction. Chicks from territories with one burrow dispersed faster (75 days of age) than did those from territories with two or more burrows (119 days of age).
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Date Issued
2003
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13093
Subject Headings
Athene (Birds)--Florida, Burrowing owl--Ecology, Burrowing owl--Breeding
Format
Document (PDF)
A habitat suitability model for wading birds in a large subtropical lake: linking hydrologic fluctuations and nesting
Title
A habitat suitability model for wading birds in a large subtropical lake: linking hydrologic fluctuations and nesting.
Creator
Botta, Richard A., Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
Anthropogenic hydrologic alterations can affect the quality of lake littoral zone habitats for wading birds, such as the great egret (Ardea alba), snowy egret (Egretta thula), and white ibis (Eudocimus albus). One such lake in Florida, Lake Okeechobee, has experienced a marked decline in wading bird nesting since the 1970’s, concomitant with changes in lake level management. It’s hypothesized that a reduction in foraging habitat has led to the nesting decline; however, there is little...
Show moreAnthropogenic hydrologic alterations can affect the quality of lake littoral zone habitats for wading birds, such as the great egret (Ardea alba), snowy egret (Egretta thula), and white ibis (Eudocimus albus). One such lake in Florida, Lake Okeechobee, has experienced a marked decline in wading bird nesting since the 1970’s, concomitant with changes in lake level management. It’s hypothesized that a reduction in foraging habitat has led to the nesting decline; however, there is little quantitative evidence of this link. A habitat suitability model was developed for Lake Okeechobee wading birds that incorporate the spatial and temporal dynamics of environmental factors that affect wading bird foraging and tests whether foraging habitat is linked to numbers of nests.
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Date Issued
2014
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004082
Subject Headings
Birds -- Florida -- Lake Okeechobee -- Geographical distribution, Estuarine ecology -- Florida -- Lake Okeechobee, Restoration ecology -- Florida -- Lake Okeechobee, Water birds -- Habitat
Format
Document (PDF)
Factors Affecting Wading Bird Prey Concentrations in the Everglades During the Dry Season
Title
Factors Affecting Wading Bird Prey Concentrations in the Everglades During the Dry Season.
Creator
P. Brian Garrett, Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description
One factor that potentially controls the distribution and density of wading bird prey within open-water marsh habitats during seasonal drying events is the amount of available aquatic habitat, which is partly a function of the amount of microtopographic relief at a given location. To determine how microtopographic relief affects prey concentrations during dry-downs a simulation model was developed and run using empirical microtopographic data collected from the Everglades. The simulation...
Show moreOne factor that potentially controls the distribution and density of wading bird prey within open-water marsh habitats during seasonal drying events is the amount of available aquatic habitat, which is partly a function of the amount of microtopographic relief at a given location. To determine how microtopographic relief affects prey concentrations during dry-downs a simulation model was developed and run using empirical microtopographic data collected from the Everglades. The simulation suggests that those locations within the marsh with higher levels of microtopographic relief concentrate prey earlier during the dry-down period and potentially to greater densities overall. In addition, a model selection analysis was performed on field data to determine which set of factors displayed the greatest effects upon prey concentrations during drydown events. When examining the best selected a priori model it appears that the amount of available aquatic habitat, water depth, and macrophyte density have the strongest affects upon concentrations of prey during a seasonal drying event.
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Date Issued
2007
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000769
Subject Headings
Water birds--Florida--Everglades, Wetland ecology--Florida--Everglades, Bird populations--Climatic factors--Florida--Everglades
Format
Document (PDF)
Characteristics Affecting Prey Vulnerability and Avian Habitat Selection in the Florida Everglades
Title
Characteristics Affecting Prey Vulnerability and Avian Habitat Selection in the Florida Everglades.
Creator
Harris, Rachael L., Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description
The vulnerability of prey to capture plays a fundamental role in determining overall prey availability for wading birds. Structural complexity can act to decrease prey vulnerability and influence foraging habitat selection. To determine how structural complexity can affect habitat selection I conducted a use vs. availability study throughout the Florida Everglades in 2005 and 2006. Results indicated that wading birds chose foraging sites that had less emergent vegetation and a thicker...
Show moreThe vulnerability of prey to capture plays a fundamental role in determining overall prey availability for wading birds. Structural complexity can act to decrease prey vulnerability and influence foraging habitat selection. To determine how structural complexity can affect habitat selection I conducted a use vs. availability study throughout the Florida Everglades in 2005 and 2006. Results indicated that wading birds chose foraging sites that had less emergent vegetation and a thicker flocculent layer relative to random sites. Submerged vegetation, and the height of emergent vegetation did not affect wading bird site selection. A difference in habitat selection between years was evident due to hydrological conditions. Ideal hydrological conditions are probably the most important parameter to wading bird success. Other factors affecting prey vulnerability became increasingly important in years of poor hydrology, probably because the penalty for choosing low quality foraging habitat would be greater than in years of more optimal conditions.
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Date Issued
2007
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000754
Subject Headings
Everglades (Fla), South Florida Water Management District (Fla ), Wildlife management--Florida--Everglades, Bird populations--Florida--Everglades, Water birds--Florida--Everglades, Wetland ecology--Florida--Everglades
Format
Document (PDF)
Development, evaluation, and application of spatio-temporal wading bird foraging models to guide everglades restoration
Title
Development, evaluation, and application of spatio-temporal wading bird foraging models to guide everglades restoration.
Creator
Beerens, James M., Noonburg, Erik G., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
In south Florida, the Greater Everglades ecosystem supports sixteen species of wading birds. Wading birds serve as important indicator species because they are highly mobile, demonstrate flexible habitat selection, and respond quickly to changes in habitat quality. Models that establish habitat relationships from distribution patterns of wading birds can be used to predict changes in habitat quality that may result from restoration and climate change. I developed spatio-temporal species...
Show moreIn south Florida, the Greater Everglades ecosystem supports sixteen species of wading birds. Wading birds serve as important indicator species because they are highly mobile, demonstrate flexible habitat selection, and respond quickly to changes in habitat quality. Models that establish habitat relationships from distribution patterns of wading birds can be used to predict changes in habitat quality that may result from restoration and climate change. I developed spatio-temporal species distribution models for the Great Egret, White Ibis, and Wood Stork over a decadal gradient of environmental conditions to identify factors that link habitat availability to habitat use (i.e., habitat selection), habitat use to species abundance, and species abundance (over multiple scales) to nesting effort and success. Hydrological variables (depth, recession rate, days since drydown, reversal, and hydroperiod) over multiple temporal scales and with existing links to wading bird responses were used as proxies for landscape processes that influence prey availability (i.e., resources). In temporal foraging conditions (TFC) models, species demonstrated conditional preferences for resources based on resource levels at differing temporal scales. Wading bird abundance was highest when prey production from optimal periods of wetland inundation was concentrated in shallow depths. Similar responses were observed in spatial foraging conditions (SFC) models predicting spatial occurrence over time, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. The TFC index represents conditions within suitable depths that change daily and reflects patch quality, whereas the SFC index spatially represents suitability of all cells and reflects daily landscape patch abundance. I linked these indices to responses at the nest initiation and nest provisioning breeding phases from 1993-2013. The timing of increases and overall magnitude of resource pulses predicted by the TFC in March and April were strongly linked to breeding responses by all species. Great Egret nesting effort and success were higher with increases in conspecific attraction (i.e., clustering). Wood Stork nesting effort was closely related to timing of concurrently high levels of patch quality (regional scale) and abundance (400-m scale), indicating the importance of a multi-scaled approach. The models helped identify positive and negative changes to multi-annual resource pulses from hydrological restoration and climate change scenarios, respectively.
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Date Issued
2014
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004078, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004078
Subject Headings
Everglades National Park (Fla.) -- Environmental conditions, Restoration ecology -- Florida -- Everglades National Park, Water birds -- Florida -- Geographical distribution, Water birds -- Habitat -- Florida -- Everglades National Park, Wetland restoration -- Florida -- Everglades National Park
Format
Document (PDF)