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Survey of Reproduction of the Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius Paulus) in Electrical Transmission Towers in South-Central Georgia

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Survey of Reproduction of the Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius Paulus) in Electrical Transmission Towers in South-Central Georgia Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Spring 2006 Survey of Reproduction of the Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius Paulus) in Electrical Transmission Towers in South-Central Georgia Pamela Lynn Maney Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Recommended Citation Maney, Pamela Lynn, "Survey of Reproduction of the Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius Paulus) in Electrical Transmission Towers in South-Central Georgia" (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 696. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/696 This thesis (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SURVEY OF REPRODUCTION OF THE SOUTHEASTERN AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius paulus) IN ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION TOWERS IN SOUTH- CENTRAL GEORGIA by PAMELA L. MANEY (Under the Direction of John W. Parrish) ABSTRACT This study involved a survey of the distribution, and the reproductive biology of the rare southeastern subspecies of the American Kestrel, Falco sparverius paulus, which was found to be breeding in the hollow cross-arms of the 230 kV electrical transmission towers between the Offerman substation in the east, to Plant Mitchell (Putney), in the west, in south-central Georgia. This subspecies of the kestrel has declined in the southeastern United States by more than 80% over the last fifty years, and populations of F.s. paulus have nearly disappeared below the Fall Line in Georgia. The major factor contributing to this decline is the lack of adequate nest sites in this obligate secondary cavity nester. The current research showed this population in south-central Georgia to be the largest population of kestrels anywhere in the state of Georgia, and likely larger than any other population in the southeastern U.S., other than in central Florida, with more than two hundred-fifty nesting pairs being found in both summers of the study. The highest usage of tubular poles occurred when a second, nontubular, line ran parallel with the tubular, cross-armed line. A higher number of kestrels were observed nesting in poles that were located in farmland regions in both 2003 and 2004 than woodland or residential regions. In addition, kestrels were observed to nest in a tubular PVC-nest site, which was erected as a possible alternative nest site should any of the tubular, cross-armed transmission towers have to be removed in future years. Overall, this research continues the collection of data on F.s. paulus in southern Georgia, and continues to provide essential demographic data of this subspecies of concern in Georgia, as has been shown in previous studies of this subspecies in Florida. INDEX WORDS: Southeastern Kestrel, American Kestrel, F.s paulus, Electrical Transmission Towers, Reproduction, Demographics, Nesting 2 SURVEY OF REPRODUCTION OF THE SOUTHEASTERN AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius paulus) IN ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION TOWERS IN SOUTH- CENTRAL GEORGIA by PAMELA L. MANEY B.S., Georgia Southern University, 2002 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE STATESBORO, GEORGIA 2006 3 © 2005 Pamela L. Maney All Rights Reserved 4 SURVEY OF REPRODUCTION OF THE SOUTHEASTERN AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius paulus) IN ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION TOWERS IN SOUTH- CENTRAL GEORGIA by PAMELA L. MANEY Major Professor: John W. Parrish Committee: William S. Irby Jonathan Copeland Electronic Version Approved: May 2006 5 DEDICATION This thesis is written in recognition of my parents, Raymond and Sally Maney, for their support and guidance growing up. They taught me to reach for higher stars and obtain the goals that I set for myself. They have encouraged me to pursue a higher education and never quit. The pride radiating from them always helped me to work hard and do my best. I know that I will always be their little girl and they will love me forever no matter what. 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENT I wish to thank Dr. John Parrish for his assistance with data collection and analysis. Also, his guidance and leadership throughout the project has helped me tremendously. His enthusiasm for kestrels and wildlife has changed my outlook on how society impacts the environment. He has been a big influence in helping me decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. Thanks also to my committee members, Dr. Jonathan Copeland and Dr. William Irby, for their helpful suggestions during my thesis. I especially want to thank Price Houston for coming to our rescue when our research vehicle left us stranded. He has also provided patience and support until the end. Also, I want to thank all of my family for their assistance and support. A special thanks goes to my mother, Sally Maney, for accompanying me to collect data in June 2004. I wish to thank Hope Beasley for assisting me with data collection for July 2004. I want to recognize Dr. Carole Griffiths, for providing DNA analysis on kestrels. Lastly, a big thanks goes to Georgia Power and the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee for providing funding for this thesis project. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENT……………………………………………………………….…7 LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………..9 LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………...10 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………...………12 Kestrels In Decline………...……………….………….…………………12 Study Species…………………………………………………………….14 230 Kv Electrical Transmission Towers In South- Central Georgia……………….…………………………………………………..16 Objectives.….……………………………………………………………17 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS………………...…………………………….….18 Study Site…..…………………………………………………………….18 Data Collection…………………………………………………………..19 Statistical Analysis……………………………………………………….19 3. RESULTS……..……….………………………………………………..……..….20 4. DISCUSSION………………...…………………………………………………...23 LITERATURE CITED……….………………………………………………………….39 8 LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1: Southeastern American Kestrel use of tubular, cross-armed transmission towers as nest-sites along an 80km transect from Offerman to Putney, Georgia, in the summer of 2003 and 2004…………………………………………………………………………....26 9 LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1: A recent Breeding Bird Survey map of the summer distribution of the American Kestrel, Falco sparverius, in Canada and the United States………………….27 Figure 2: A 230 Kv electrical transmission tower in south-central Georgia….…..……..28 Figure 3: A PVC replacement nest site on a tower which possess lattice (non-tubular) cross-arms which previously did not provide any nesting cavities……………………....28 Figure 4: The map of where the study was conducted in south-central Georgia, between Putney and Offerman (Dougherty Co. and Pierce Co., respectively), Georgia………….29 Figure 5: A close-up map of where the study was conducted in south-central Georgia, showing both Putney (west end) and Offerman (east end)……………………………....30 Figure 6: The three main types of landscapes that the power lines run through are: a) farmland, b) residential areas, and c) woodlands…………………………………...…31 Figure 7: A close-up of the hollow, tubular cross-arms of 230 kV electrical transmission towers…………………………… …………………………………...………………….32 Figure 8: An example of an alternative nest structure placed on towers when the tubular cross-arms are being replaced……………………………………………………………32 Figure 9: Monthly totals of male Southeastern American Kestrels observed at individual transmission towers in south-central Georgia in 2003 and 2004…………..33 Figure 10: Monthly totals of female Southeastern American Kestrels observed at individual transmission towers in south-central Georgia in 2003 and 2004…………..34 Figure 11: Average monthly totals of male and female Southeastern American Kestrels observed at individual transmission towers in south-central Georgia in both 2003 and 2004………………………………………………………………………………………35 Figure 12: Comparison of how single- and double-lined power poles affect the number of poles used by Southeastern American Kestrels in 2003 and 2004(in 2003, χ2=35.05, d.f.= 1, p=0.05; in 2004, χ2=29.85, d.f.= 1, p= 0.05)……………………………………36 Figure 13: A comparison of number of poles used by Southeastern American Kestrels in 2003 and 2004 for three different landscape types (woodlands, rural, and farmland) (in 2003, χ2= 6.2, d.f.= 2, and p= 0.05; in 2004, χ2=2.74, d.f.= 2, and p> 0.05)…………....37 10 LIST OF FIGURES (CONT.) Page Figure 14: Average number of poles occupied by nesting kestrels, for 2003 and 2004, in different landscapes located within the single and the double-lined sections (g=22.781, d.f.= 2, p= 0.001)………………………………………………………………………...38 11 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Kestrels in Decline Birds all across the world once had vast continents to range over. The numbers of birds were numerous in many instances. Within the past 250 years, more than 140 bird species have become extinct. Many birds are not endangered but suffer because humans have altered the landscape. What was once grassland habitat has now turned into farmland or urban areas. In Southern Europe, the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) hunts for insects in open country. Pesticide usage has killed off many of these insects, leaving the Lesser Kestrel at risk (Woodward 1997). Logging almost
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