Local and hemispheric movements of Great Egrets (Ardea alba)

Transcription

1 Local and hemispheric movements of Great Egrets (Ardea alba) John Brzorad (Lenoir-Rhyne Univ.) Roland Kays (NC Museum of Natural History) Alan Maccarone (Friends Univ.) Sara Schweitzer (NC Wildlife Resources Commission)

2 Acknowledgements Students: Ava Maccarone Caitlin Rubow Brittany Coursen Josh Keener Bayleigh Hamilton

3 Acknowledgements Molecular sex determination: Dr. Dave Shealer: Loras College Animations: Glenn Xavier Dr. Somayeh Dodge Department of Geography and Environmental Science University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

4 3 components united to make this type of research possible 1. Trapping adult egrets away from the colony 2. Telemetry using GPS/GSM e-obs 48g bird solar Base station for 5 min gps downloads and ACC data

5 3. Web-based animal tracking

6 Long-term research goal

7 This Talk Has Two Purposes: 1. Reveal the expanding capabilities of telemetry 2. Provide descriptive information on the seasonal activities of Great Egrets including: Migration tracks with wind data Flight frequencies and geography use patterns around breeding colonies with range sizes and sizes of individual-specific foraging areas Post- breeding activities

8 Introductions: 5 Great Egrets all male All but one adopted by a local school and followed daily on Movebank Trapped Breed Migrate Mr Kelley 1342g 3/28/13 to 10/17/13 L. Mattamuskeet Niagara Mattamuskeet 211 days Mr Palma 1142g 3/30/13 to 2/11/14 L. Mattamuskeet Mass. Cuba 319 days Mr. Bisbing 1102g 4/21/13 to 12/31/14 Corolla, NC Corolla, NC Columbia 255 days Newbern 1309g 4/28/13 to 1/27/14 Eliz. City, NC Eliz. City, NC Mattmusk. 275 days g 5/20/13 to 12/25/13 Wichita, KS Wichita, KS Mariland, MX 220 days

9 Migration Flight Direction & Wind Direction Timing of Departure

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11 Bisbing Migration South Wind speed m/sec NC Bahamas Cuba Jamaica Columbia (severe drought) 1day 19 days 14 days

12 Magaly Reyes Ardila MSc Biology Management and Wildlife Conservation The transmitter and the remains were Heron found in Lot No. 16 of the San Miguel, Vereda The Navajo town of El Copey Cesar, Colombia. One of the farm workers reports that he saw the dead heron and its transmitter about two months ago (end of January), but did not handle the dead bird says "did not see any wounds on the bird " ; this observation and comments from the residents of the property (Figure 3) on the severe drought may be expected that the death of the bird is due to heavy summer conditions at the site.

13 Mr. Palma Captured: Mattamuskeet Breeding: Gloucester, MA Winter: FL, Cuba

14 Palma Migration North Mattamuskeet NC Bronx Conn. N. Mass. Stratton Isl. ME Gloucester 1d 1d 1d 1d

15 Palma Migration South 59 h over Atlantic 10/25 Depart MA 10/28 Arrive FL 3 sunrises 2.45 days at sea

16 Migration Segments 4 Birds 25 Segments Number Segments Departure Time AM PM

17 Activity around breeding colonies Animations Time away from nest or roost (food provisioning trip) Number of sites visited between colony/roost visit Distance flown between colony/roost visits Approximate home range size Area used for foraging territory

18 Mr. Kelley Captured: Lake Mattamuskeet Breeding: Niagara River Winter: Lake Mattamuskeet

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21 First Colony Visit Julien Day Last Colony Visit days N=127 visits to colony 2,328 km flown Avg. 18.3km/visit

22 Mr. Kelley: Niagara River First visit to colony Last visit to colony Minutes Away From Nest Number of Sites Visited migration Distance Flown between visits (km) Time (Julian Date) Post breeding

23 30.1 km 2 5km

24 1.02 km 2 5km

25 Home Range Sizes (km 2 ) of 5 Great Egrets During the Breeding Seaso Coastal Tidal 48 Great Lakes Lotic 30 Coastal Brackish 25 Mid Western Lotic 10 Gum Swamp 2 10 km

26 Post-Breeding Movements Palma (Gloucester, Coastal tidal): None. Stayed at colony into October 2691 (Kansas): Stayed on foraging grounds (30 days), then flew 6 km to Zoo roost (21 days) Kelley (Niagara): 57 km to east. Stayed 71 days in post-breeding area Newbern (NC Swamp): 33 km to NW. Stayed 84 days in post-breeding area Bisbing (NC Coastal/Brackish): 75 km south. Stayed 100 days

27 Kansas

28 Observations/ Questions The longest migrations occur at night ENV-Data option in Movebank allows comparison between flight direction and wind speed and direction: Great Egrets may time departure on favorable winds. We can quantify number of nest visits, and distance flown, in building an energetics model, home range, foraging territory size Species requirements can be quantified w/r/t area of wetland/aquatic areas Birds change energy expenditure with breeding season reflecting chick needs Birds appear to 1) rest and recoup during post-breeding 2) typically move to a post-breeding location after chicks fledge

29 Thank You! Questions?