Syftet med den här studien var att undersöka om revirstorleken påverkar den reproduktiva framgången hos lövsångarhanar. Datan samlades in i södra Sverige mellan 1984 och 1988 och består av etableringsdatum av revir, revirstorlek, antal partners (en eller ingen), datum för parning, antal ägg i kullen och antal flygga ungar. Det fanns inget samband mellan revirets storlek och de olika variablerna. Inte heller fanns det något samband mellan revirstorlek och hanens ålder när samma individ följdes över tid. Det fanns inget samband mellan revirstorlek och huruvida hanarna parades eller inte. Sammanfattningsvis påverkar inte revirstorleken hanens reproduktiva framgång. Istället finns det andra faktorer som troligtvis påverkar, som revirets kvalitet (t.ex. föda och predatorskydd), hanens ankomsttid, hanens sångrepertoar, hanens ålder samt föräldrarnas kondition. / The aim of this study was to examine if territory size of Willow Warbler males affects reproductive success. The data were collected in the south of Sweden between 1984 and 1988 and consist of date of establishing territory, territory size, number of partners (one or none), date of pairing, number of laid eggs and number of fledglings. There were no relationships between territory size and the different variables, nor was there a relationship between age of the male and territory size when following the same individual over time. There was also no relationship between territory size and whether or not the males reproduced or not. In summary, I could find no relationship between territory size and male reproductive success. Instead, other factors are likely to affect reproductive success, such as territory quality (i.e., abundance of food, safety from predation), male time of arrival, male song repertoire, male age and the body condition of the male and his partner.

Noise pollution can mask or distort bird songs, which inhibits mating success, predator detection, and parental response to begging calls. Road noise can cause lowered density and reproductive success in songbirds. I examined the impact of construction noise on reproductive success and territory selection of golden-cheeked warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia) at 3 sites: adjacent to road construction, adjacent to road-noise only, and a control with no noise or construction activity. I also examined birds' responses to experimental playback of construction noise to determine if warblers alter behavior in the presence of introduced road construction noise, if they have habituated to construction noise, and whether habituation is hindering their reproductive success. I used the Vickery reproductive index to evaluate productivity and automatic recording units to assess the levels of ambient noise in each site. From 2007-2009, productivity was stable in the road-noise only site and showed more annual variation in the construction and control sites; productivity was nearly identical in the latter 2 sites in 2008 and 2009. There was no significant difference in productive territory locations based on distance from road. Ambient noise was similar in the construction and roadnoise only sites but significantly different from the control. To examine habituation and territory placement, I (1) used construction noise playback to individual birds and evaluated occurrence of behavioral response as a function of distance from the roadway, and (2) established broadcast stations that simulate construction noise to determine impacts on territory selection. Of 88 surveys, 6 birds responded to construction noise playback. I conducted 18 control surveys and observed 1 behavioral response. All birds that responded were located greater than or equal to 140 m from the road. I established 3 broadcast stations per season in 2008 and 2009. In each year I placed broadcast units on the edges of randomly chosen territories identified during the previous field season. There was not a significant difference in mean territory shifts for broadcast and non-broadcast unit territories, and territory shifts did not show patterns in directionality or in reproductive success. Results suggest that construction noise does not appear to affect behavior or reproductive success of golden-cheeked warblers.

In this thesis my initial goal was to use yellow warblers to examine the effect of paternal care on female mate choice. I first examined whether mate choice based on paternal care could be considered adaptive. Paternal care was variable among males and important to female fitness, but, contrary to a previous report, male chest striping could not be used to predict paternal care. Females did not compensate for reductions of male parental care, which resulted in significantly reduced nestling growth. In chapter two I tested the idea that monogamy in birds is maintained because of the need for biparental care. I reduced the need of strict biparental care by providing pairs at some nests with supplemental food, and found that the main effect of supplemental food was on maternal, not paternal behaviour. The first two chapters suggest that males and females provide for their brood independently from each other, which is in disagreement with current models on the maintenance of biparental care. These models assume that any given factor must affect maternal and paternal care equally for biparental care to be maintained. In Chapter three I showed that the effects of brood size and nestling age on parental care are similar for both sexes. In Chapter four I deal with age-related changes in reproductive success and the possible effects on female mate choice. Age affected the likelihood of breeding in females, but only the time of breeding in males. These changes were accompanied by age-related increases in size in both sexes. These results raise the possibility of age-related increases in parental ability, and female preference for older males.

The golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) inhabits lower elevations on reclaimed surface mines in Kentucky, an indication of recent range expansion in this imperiled species. In 2004 and 2005, I compared breeding habitat between the golden-winged warbler and blue-winged warbler (V. pinus) in eastern Kentucky at landscape, territory, and nest site scales. Distance to forest edge averaged 38 m for the golden-winged warbler and 33 m for the blue-winged warbler. Maximum territory size averaged 1.5 ha for the golden-winged warbler and 2.1 ha for the blue-winged warbler. The golden-winged warbler occurred at higher elevations (up to 912 m) than the blue-winged warbler (up to 693 m). Golden-winged warblers occurred on flatter slopes when coexisting with bluewinged warblers. A higher percentage of grass cover occurred in golden-winged warbler territories where blue-winged warblers were absent compared to territories of either species where the two coexisted. Golden-winged warblers coexisting with blue-winged warblers were more often found in shrub cover than when they established territories in absence of blue-winged warblers. Management for the golden-winged warbler should focus on enhancement of transition zones between forest edges and open grasslands, especially at higher elevations.

Successful forest management requires an understanding of the habitat requirements of individual species at multiple spatial scales. The cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea) is a neotropical migratory songbird that has recently gained widespread attention as a species of conservation and management concern. It breeds in mature, deciduous forests of eastern North America and has experienced precipitous range-wide declines over the last 40 years. Although Kentucky likely supports one of the largest breeding populations of the species, no information exists on cerulean warbler habitat selection within the state. The overall purpose of this study was to identify important habitat features associated with cerulean warbler distribution on breeding grounds in eastern Kentucky. In 2004 and 2005, I examined cerulean warbler distribution and associated vegetative characteristics within a hierarchical framework at the stand, territory, and nest-site levels. I used the Information-Theoretic approach to develop 2 sets of a priori models. The first set of models attempted to explain cerulean warbler site occupancy through presence and absence data obtained from point counts. The second set of models attempted to explain differences between preferred song perches and available habitat. Due to small sample size, nest-site information was not used in modeling efforts. Results from presence and absence modeling were inconclusive as no habitat-related differences were identified between occupied and unoccupied locations within the study area. However, territory modeling revealed three potentially important predictors of cerulean warbler habitat: large diameter trees, east-facing aspect, and increased shrub cover. This study reinforces general patterns observed throughout the cerulean warblers breeding range. Although the mechanisms causing cerulean warbler declines are still poorly understood, conservation and management efforts directed toward protecting and establishing large tracts of mature forest with large trees on mesic, sheltered sites should be a reasonable approach to managing cerulean warbler populations on the breeding grounds.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2001. / Adviser: J. Michael Reed. Submitted to the Dept. of Biology. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-144). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, May 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Apr. 20, 2010). "School of Biological Sciences." Includes bibliographical references.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb. 24, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dr. Frank Thompson and Dr. Mickey Heitmeyer, Dissertation Supervisors. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Nest and perch locations of Black-throated Blue Warblers in West Virginia, Virginia, and New Hampshire were examined to determine the structural similarities of the vegetation surrounding these sites and to determine the contribution of each location to the description of the territory. Principle component analysis (PCA) was used to determine habitual variables correlated with the location of the nest and perches. Factors derived from the analyses were combinations of either macro or microhabitat subsets of vegetational variables. In the nest site analysis, four macrohabitat factors described the presence of major tree species, along with structural characteristics of the overstory and understory. The interaction of overstory and understory was expressed by the density of vegetation in various layers in the nests. The 4 microhabitat factors were concerned with structures within 1 meter of the nest. Pattern analysis of vegetation structure suggests nest site placement depends on the layering of a discrete overstory and on a particular subset of structural variables which are present in the understory across habitats. Principal component analysis of perch data produced a set of 4 factors describing the contribution of macro and microhabitat variables. Microhabitat factors were highly correlated with the variables DISTANCE FROM TRUNK, LENGTH OF BRANCH, SIZE OF BRANCH, and PERCH HEIGHT. The most strongly correlated macrohabitat variables were BIRCH IMPORTANCE VALUE and % CANOPl COVER. These data indicate males are located at the lower edge of the canopy in mature forests in areas relatively free of understory. Comparison of these data with similar variables measured at nest sites showed male perches are not correlated with nesting locations. In addition, the variation in habitat models based on perches was twice as large as models based on nest sites. When male Black-throated Blue Warblers obtain a territory, habitat is incorporated which is used by the female for nesting, but not by the male for singing or foraging. These nesting sites have less variation in the vegetation surrounding them than perches utilized by the males. / Ph. D.