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Habitat Use and Home Range of American Bitterns (Botaurus

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Habitat Use and Home Range of American Bitterns (Botaurus HABITAT USE AND HOME RANGE OF AMERICAN BITTERNS (BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS) AND MONITORING OF INCONSPICUOUS MARSH BIRDS IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri – Columbia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by SOCHEATA K. LOR Dr. Leigh H. Fredrickson, Dissertation Supervisor DECEMBER 2007 The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the or dissertation entitled HABITAT USE AND HOME RANGE OF AMERICAN BITTERNS (BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS) AND MONITORING OF INCONSPICUOUS MARSH BIRDS IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA presented by Socheata Lor a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. ____________________________________________ Dr. Leigh H. Fredrickson _____________________________________________ Dr. Joshua J. Millspaugh _____________________________________________ Dr. John Toepfer _____________________________________________ Dr. Mark Ellersieck _____________________________________________ Dr. Ronald Drobney I dedicate this work to my parents, Chhoeurk Mak, who sacrificed everything for so many years, and to my father, Pao Lor, who sacrificed his life, so that their children can have better lives. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude towards my advisor and mentor, Dr. Leigh Fredrickson, for guiding me through the ecological processes, in space and time, through many field trips, classrooms, workshops, and other discussions. I am grateful to Dr. John Toepfer for the many ways in which he contributed to the project, including research ideas, advice on field methods, and use of radio-tracking equipment. I have the utmost appreciation for and benefitted from the advice and conversations with Dr. Ron Drobney, whose open-door policy to his office resulted in many productive and helpful discussions regarding wildlife, habitats, and career issues. I thank Dr. Josh Millspaugh for many helpful suggestions on quantitative and research techniques that made this project stronger. I appreciate Dr. Mark Ellersieck for agreeing to serve on my committee at such a late stage and I thank him for his comments and suggestions on my dissertation. My sincere gratitude goes to Dr. Rich Malecki, my former advisor at Cornell University, who continued to provide guidance and encouragement and editing of the first draft of this dissertation. I am forever grateful to Dan Van Eps for field and moral support from the very first day of this project. I can only imagine what the sample sizes would have been like without Dan’s sharp eyes and field instinct and the many hours he devoted to this project. This project would not have been possible without Maggie Anderson, refuge manager at Agassiz NWR. Through all the good and bad times, I am forever grateful for her drive, mentorship, and friendship throughout my career. Another wonderful mentor and dedicated biologist to whom I am indebted is Gary Huschle, wildlife biologist at Agassiz NWR. I thank him for showing me “the ropes” and especially for the long hours he put into this project. I thank the rest of the Agassiz staff for their assistance: Scot Wockenfuss for his many hours of vehicle emergency calls, repairs, and maintenance; ii Becky Carlson and Beulah Wikstrom for their assistance with paperwork and many other tasks involving technicians and volunteers. This project would not have been successful without the help of many dedicated technicians and volunteers who put in many long hours for meager stipend, room and board: Tammy Laney, Kari Ranallo (formerly Odefey), Valerie Carter, Ben Emmauel, Justin Fogle, Jessica Girard, Dave Kelm, Marion Laurenceau, Lora Loke, Nathan Mitchell, Beau Willsey, Matthew LaRoaque, and Morgan Thompson. I am thankful to all the supporters and grants received from many organizations: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3, National Wildlife Refuge System and Division of Migratory Bird Management; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus, Ltd., Elm Grove, WI; Eyes on Wildlife Curriculum, Perham School District, Perham, MN; Agassiz Audubon Society, Warren, MN; Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources. I would like to express my utmost gratitude for the support and encouragement I received from Nita Fuller, Chief of Refuges; Tom Worthington, Deputy Chief of Refuges; my supervisor, Patricia Heglund, Regional Refuge Biologist; and my co- workers, Melinda Knutson, Todd Sutherland, Lindsey Landowski, Warren Handke, and Hal Laskowski. I am forever grateful for their patience and understanding as I often “disappeared” to work on my dissertation. I also thank Brian Gray for his time and expertise on statistical advice. Finally, I thank my family, friends, and my very best friend and companion for 13 ½ years, Kanyoo, who endured many years of crankiness every time the word “dissertation” surfaced and any question related to the topic! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1: HABITAT USE AND NEST SURVIVAL OF AMERICAN BITTERNS (BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS) IN NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA ............................................................................................................................................. 1 ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 2 METHODS ......................................................................................................................... 6 Nest Search............................................................................................................. 6 Habitat Measurements............................................................................................ 8 Data Analysis........................................................................................................ 10 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 15 Nest Survival ........................................................................................................ 15 Wetland Nest Habitats.......................................................................................... 16 Grassland Nest Habitats ....................................................................................... 18 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................... 19 Nest Survival ........................................................................................................ 19 Wetland Nest Habitats.......................................................................................... 21 Grassland Nest Habitats ....................................................................................... 23 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................ 24 LITERATURE CITED..................................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 2: HOME RANGE AND FORAGING SITE SELECTION OF AMERICAN BITTERNS (BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS) IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.................................................................................................................. 41 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................... 41 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 42 STUDY SITE.................................................................................................................... 43 METHODS ....................................................................................................................... 45 Radio-telemetry.................................................................................................... 45 Foraging Sites....................................................................................................... 49 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 54 Home Range ......................................................................................................... 55 Telemetry Accuracy and Bias .............................................................................. 55 Site Fidelity .......................................................................................................... 56 Bird Measurements............................................................................................... 57 Habitats at Foraging Sites..................................................................................... 57 DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................
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