Home-Range Size and Site Tenacity of Overwintering Le Conte's Sparrows in a Fire Managed Prairie

• Published in: The Wilson journal of ornithology Vol. 122; no. 1; pp. 139 - 145
• Main Authors: Baldwin, Heather Q., Jeske, Clinton W., Powell, Melissa A., Chadwick, Paul C., Barrow, Wylie C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Fort Collins The Wilson Ornithological Society 01.03.2010; Wilson Ornithological Society
• Subjects: Ammodramus; Animal behavior; Bird banding; Birds; Brazoria; Censorship; Cold weather; Emberizidae; Emigration; Environmental protection; Grasses; Habitat conservation; Habitats; Influence; Prairies; Prescribed fire; Radio transmitters; Research s; Sparrows; Studies; Temperature effects; Wetland ecology; Wildlife conservation; Wildlife sanctuaries; Winter; United States
• ISSN: 1559-4491; 1938-5447
• DOI: 10.1676/08-160.1

We evaluated home-range size and site tenacity of Le Conte's Sparrows (Ammodramus lecontii) during winter 2002–2003 at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. Twenty-six wintering Le Conte's Sparrows were radiomarked in 1- and 2-year post-burn units, and monitored for ∼10 days. Additionally, 1-ha plots on each 1-, 2- and 3-year (n  =  15) post-burn units were flush-netted once monthly. Telemetry results indicated Le Conte's Sparrows were sedentary during winter with a 50% probability mean home-range of 2.41 ha (72% < 1 ha) and a 95% probability mean home range of 10.31 ha (44% < 1 ha and 55% < 1.5 ha). Home-range size did not differ between post-burn year 1 and 2 (P  =  0.227). Le Conte's Sparrows appeared to exhibit a behavioral response to flush-netting (P < 0.001) with estimated capture probability of 0.462 and recapture probability of 0.056. Our findings suggest Le Conte's Sparrows remain fairly sedentary throughout the winter.