Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system
Although most emergent wetlands across central North America have been destroyed or degraded, wetland restoration in recent decades has provided new habitat resources for wetland birds in agriculturally dominated landscapes. The goals of wetland restorations often include providing habitat for migra...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Resilience Alliance
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ace-eco.org/vol16/iss1/art6/ |
| _version_ | 1828080534076522496 |
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| author | Auriel M. V. Fournier Joseph D. Lancaster Aaron P. Yetter Christopher S. Hine Tyler Beckerman Jacob Figge Antonio Gioe Macayla Greider-Wagner Devin Jen Cody Johnson Max R. Larreur Abigail Shaw Kayanna Wolter Michael Wood Daniel K. Wu Benjamin J. O'Neal Heath M. Hagy |
| author_facet | Auriel M. V. Fournier Joseph D. Lancaster Aaron P. Yetter Christopher S. Hine Tyler Beckerman Jacob Figge Antonio Gioe Macayla Greider-Wagner Devin Jen Cody Johnson Max R. Larreur Abigail Shaw Kayanna Wolter Michael Wood Daniel K. Wu Benjamin J. O'Neal Heath M. Hagy |
| author_sort | Auriel M. V. Fournier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although most emergent wetlands across central North America have been destroyed or degraded, wetland restoration in recent decades has provided new habitat resources for wetland birds in agriculturally dominated landscapes. The goals of wetland restorations often include providing habitat for migratory and breeding waterfowl and other wetland birds. One such restored wetland complex in the Illinois River Valley, the Emiquon Preserve, is isolated from most flooding events of the Illinois River allowing the growth of persistent emergent vegetation that was quickly colonized by breeding wetland birds. We examined nest occurrence and variables influencing site selection, nest success, and changes in nest density across stages of the wetland succession cycle. We located 327 nests from nine species of wetland birds (American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus; American Coot, Fulica americana; Black-crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax; Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus; Common Gallinule, Gallinula galeata; Green Heron, Butorides virescens; Least Bittern, Ixobrychus exilis; Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps; Sora, Porzana carolina) during 2013-2019. Common Gallinules were more likely to nest in persistent emergent vegetation than other cover types. American Coots and Least Bitterns selected nest sites based on water depth. Black-necked Stilt and Black-crowned Night-Heron nests were less successful in deeper water. Black-necked Stilt, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Common Gallinule nests were less successful with later initiation dates. Nest density did not vary between persistent emergent and hemi-marsh cover types. Across 2013-2019 we estimated an average of 372 nests/year for six marsh-nesting bird species at Emiquon, including two state-endangered (Common Gallinule and Black-crowned Night-Heron) and one state-threatened (Least Bittern). Wetlands restored from agricultural fields can quickly provide critical breeding habitat for marsh-nesting birds of conservation concern, although continued management is needed to provide resources to maintain persistent emergent vegetation communities as individual marshes transition through the marsh cycle. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:21:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75c0de4cfc0b45a8adf0028a18b0ce47 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1712-6568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:21:27Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-75c0de4cfc0b45a8adf0028a18b0ce472023-01-02T08:50:54ZengResilience AllianceAvian Conservation and Ecology1712-65682021-06-0116161782Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland systemAuriel M. V. Fournier0Joseph D. Lancaster1Aaron P. Yetter2Christopher S. Hine3Tyler Beckerman4Jacob Figge5Antonio Gioe6Macayla Greider-Wagner7Devin Jen8Cody Johnson9Max R. Larreur10Abigail Shaw11Kayanna Wolter12Michael Wood13Daniel K. Wu14Benjamin J. O'Neal15Heath M. Hagy16Forbes Biological Station-Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana, ILForbes Biological Station-Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana, ILForbes Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana ILForbes Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana ILUniversity of Missouri, Champaign, ILIowa State University, Ames, IAFranklin College, Franklin, INUniversity of Wisconsin Steven's Point, College of Natural Resources, Steven's Point, WIUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana, ILEureka College, Eureka, ILFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fort Myers, FLIndiana University, Bloomington, INFranklin College, Franklin, INFranklin College, Franklin, INUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MIFranklin College, Franklin, INForbes Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana, ILAlthough most emergent wetlands across central North America have been destroyed or degraded, wetland restoration in recent decades has provided new habitat resources for wetland birds in agriculturally dominated landscapes. The goals of wetland restorations often include providing habitat for migratory and breeding waterfowl and other wetland birds. One such restored wetland complex in the Illinois River Valley, the Emiquon Preserve, is isolated from most flooding events of the Illinois River allowing the growth of persistent emergent vegetation that was quickly colonized by breeding wetland birds. We examined nest occurrence and variables influencing site selection, nest success, and changes in nest density across stages of the wetland succession cycle. We located 327 nests from nine species of wetland birds (American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus; American Coot, Fulica americana; Black-crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax; Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus; Common Gallinule, Gallinula galeata; Green Heron, Butorides virescens; Least Bittern, Ixobrychus exilis; Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps; Sora, Porzana carolina) during 2013-2019. Common Gallinules were more likely to nest in persistent emergent vegetation than other cover types. American Coots and Least Bitterns selected nest sites based on water depth. Black-necked Stilt and Black-crowned Night-Heron nests were less successful in deeper water. Black-necked Stilt, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Common Gallinule nests were less successful with later initiation dates. Nest density did not vary between persistent emergent and hemi-marsh cover types. Across 2013-2019 we estimated an average of 372 nests/year for six marsh-nesting bird species at Emiquon, including two state-endangered (Common Gallinule and Black-crowned Night-Heron) and one state-threatened (Least Bittern). Wetlands restored from agricultural fields can quickly provide critical breeding habitat for marsh-nesting birds of conservation concern, although continued management is needed to provide resources to maintain persistent emergent vegetation communities as individual marshes transition through the marsh cycle.https://www.ace-eco.org/vol16/iss1/art6/marsh birdsmarsh succession cyclenest-site selectionnest successshorebirdswetland restoration |
| spellingShingle | Auriel M. V. Fournier Joseph D. Lancaster Aaron P. Yetter Christopher S. Hine Tyler Beckerman Jacob Figge Antonio Gioe Macayla Greider-Wagner Devin Jen Cody Johnson Max R. Larreur Abigail Shaw Kayanna Wolter Michael Wood Daniel K. Wu Benjamin J. O'Neal Heath M. Hagy Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system Avian Conservation and Ecology marsh birds marsh succession cycle nest-site selection nest success shorebirds wetland restoration |
| title | Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system |
| title_full | Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system |
| title_fullStr | Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system |
| title_short | Nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system |
| title_sort | nest success and nest site selection of wetland birds in a restored wetland system |
| topic | marsh birds marsh succession cycle nest-site selection nest success shorebirds wetland restoration |
| url | https://www.ace-eco.org/vol16/iss1/art6/ |
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