Could bigger be better? Patch size and simulated conspecific cues in Manitoba’s tall-grass prairie

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Date
2017
Authors
Prokopanko, Erin
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Abstract
The mechanisms driving avian patch-size sensitivity in tall-grass prairie are still unknown, but are likely linked to habitat selection. I attempted to determine whether Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Le Conte’s Sparrows (Ammodramus leconteii) use conspecific attraction as a means of habitat selection. I played simulated conspecific cues in 7 uninhabited prairie sites in south-central Manitoba in May 2014. I did not detect any individuals of either species during June 2014, indicating that either they did not respond to conspecific cues, that some factor(s) of my sites made them unsuitable, or that there are other stimuli ultimately driving habitat selection in these species. I also found possible evidence of heterospecific attraction in Savannah Sparrows that may warrant further investigation. Patch size and openness are likely the main factors affecting colonization, so conservation efforts should focus on maintaining larger and more open sites, rather than restoring prairie fragments under 5 ha.
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Le Conte's Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Manitoba, Tall-grass prairie, Passerines, Patch-size sensitivity, Conspecific attraction, Habitat selection
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