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Ecology and Management of Blackbirds (Icteridae) in North America

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Ecology and Management of Blackbirds (Icteridae) in North America ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF BLACKBIRDS (ICTERIDAE) IN NORTH AMERICA Edited by George M. Linz • Michael L. Avery • Richard A. Dolbeer Front cover: Multiple-Species Flock of Blackbirds (Icteridae). Photographed in a sunflower field in central North Dakota. Photo by H. Jeffrey Homan. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2017 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed on acid-free paper International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-498-79961-4 (Hardback) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http:// www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Linz, George M. (George Michael), editor. | Avery, Michael L., editor. | Dolbeer, Richard A., editor. Title: Ecology and management ofblackbirds (Icteridae) in North America | editors, George M. Linz, Michael L. A very, and Richard A. Dolbeer. Description: Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: LCCN 20160590991 ISBN 9781498799614 (hardback: alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Blackbirds--North America. | Icteridae--North America. Classification: LCC QL696.P2475 E25 20171 DDC 598.8/74--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016059099 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Dedications This book is dedicated to my parents George W. and Theresa C. Linz who successfully raised eight children on an award-winning Pennsylvania dairy farm and my wife Linda Marlene Linz who works and plays beside me on our fantasy farms in Pennsylvania and North Dakota. George M. Linz Growing up along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, I was forever encouraged by my parents, Bud and Nancy Avery, to explore the outdoors and to appreciate what I found there. This book is dedicated to them, and to my ever-supportive wife, Joy, who brings just that to each day we are together. Michael L. Avery This book is dedicated to my wife, Saundra and daughters, Jennie and Cynthia. These remarkable women provided unwavering support, encouragement and excellent advice during my adventures working with blackbirds and other wildlife in North America and abroad. I also dedicate this book to John L. Seubert, my mentor in the early days of my research on blackbirds. Richard A. Dolbeer Contents Preface..............................................................................................................................................vii Editors ...............................................................................................................................................ix Contributors ......................................................................................................................................xi Chapter 1 History of Regulations, Policy, and Research Related to Conflicts between Blackbirds and People ........1 George M. Linz, Michael L. Avery, and Richard A. Dolbeer Chapter 2 Ecology and Management of Red-Winged Blackbirds .................................................................... 17 George M. Linz, Page E. Klug, and Richard A. Dolbeer Chapter 3 Ecology of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds ............................................................................................ 43 Daniel J. Twedt Chapter 4 Ecology and Management of the Common Grackle ........................................................................65 Brian D. Peer and Eric K. Bollinger Chapter 5 The Brown-Headed Cowbird: Ecology and Management of an Avian Brood Parasite ..................77 Brian D. Peer and Virginia E. Abernathy Chapter 6 Effects of Habitat and Climate on Blackbird Populations ............................................................. 101 Greg M. Forcey and Wayne E. Thogmartin Chapter 7 Dynamics and Management of Blackbird Populations .................................................................. 119 Richard A. Dolbeer Chapter 8 Chemical Repellents ...................................................................................................................... 135 Scott J. Werner and Michael L. Avery Chapter 9 Frightening Devices ....................................................................................................................... 159 Michael L. Avery and Scott J. Werner v vi CONTENTS Chapter 10 Strategies for Evading Blackbird Damage ..................................................................................... 175 George M. Linz and Page E. Klug Chapter 11 Allowable Take of Red-Winged Blackbirds in the Northern Great Plains .................................... 191 Michael C. Runge and John R. Sauer Chapter 12 The Economic Impact of Blackbird Damage to Crops ..................................................................207 Stephanie A. Shwiff, Karina L. Ernest, Samantha L. Degroot, Aaron M. Anderson, and Steven S. Shwiff Chapter 13 The Future of Blackbird Management Research ........................................................................... 217 Page E. Klug Index .............................................................................................................................................. 235 Preface Urban and rural residents across North America commonly note various species of blackbirds (Icteridae) in their backyards, wetlands, and agricultural fields or simply observe them as large flocks of birds flying overhead. The arrival and departure of blackbirds signify changes in season. In early spring, blackbirds begin calling and displaying from perches to initiate the breeding season, bringing a sense of joy in expectation of warmer days and regeneration. Agriculturalists, however, are aware that newly seeded crops, especially corn and rice, are vulnerable to foraging blackbirds. In the post- breeding fall season, blackbirds gather in flocks augmented by the recently fledged young birds. These congregations, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands, leave their night roosts at daybreak in awesome, synchronous flight displays to forage or to begin southward migration. Although these are spectacular shows of bird life, agriculturalists brace for swarms of blackbirds seeking energy-rich crops to supply the fuel for feather molt and migration. During winter, blackbirds gather in large roost- ing congregations in the southern United States, often in association with the nonrelated and nonnative European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). These large winter roosts, often containing several million birds, can create numerous problems related to public health and agricultural damage. A.A. Allen’s “The Red-Winged Blackbird: A Study in the Ecology of a Cat-Tail Marsh,” published in 1914, was arguably the foundation for the more than 1,000 descriptive and experi- mental studies on the life history and management of blackbirds. There are several reasons for this abundance in publications that continue to this day. First, blackbirds are relatively easy to access and observe. Second, blackbirds show a range of breeding strategies such as polygyny (red-winged blackbirds and yellow-headed blackbirds), monogamy (common grackles), and brood parasitism (brown-headed cowbirds). Third, these species often interact in overlapping breeding habitats and nonbreeding season foraging and roosting habitats, but they differ markedly in breeding strategy and specific habitat and food requirements. Finally, blackbirds are considered economically impor- tant because they damage newly planted and ripening crops. The pioneering publication, F.E.L. Beal’s 1900 treatise “The Food of the Bobolink, Blackbirds, and Grackles,” stimulated studies on the ecology of blackbirds in relation to the problems of crop damage. Subsequent generations of investigators followed Beal’s lead and scrutinized the economic impact of blackbirds on numerous crops, especially corn, rice, and sunflower but also barley, oats, peanuts,
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