Breeding Ecology Nest Site Selection and Human Influence of White-Tailed Hawks on the Texas Barrier Islands
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Breeding Ecology Nest Site Selection and Human Influence of White-tailed Hawks on the Texas Barrier Islands by Carey L. Haralson, B.S. A Thesis In WILDLIFE SCIENCE Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved Dr. Clint W. Boal Committee Chair Dr. Craig Farquhar Dr. Mark C. Wallace Fred Hartmeister Dean of the Graduate School May, 2008 COPYRIGHT 2008, CAREY L. HARALSON Texas Tech University, Haralson, May 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project would not have been possible without funding from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the logistical support from the USGS - Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, USFWS - Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, NPS – Padre Island National Seashore, and the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Refuge. I also thank Houston Safari Club for their gracious scholarship, which helped personal ends meet when things were tight. I also extend my gratitude to Darrell Echols, Michelle Havens and Wade Stablein from Padre Island National Seashore, as well as Joe Saenz, Felipe Prieto, and Adolfo Cantu from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge for all of their assistance and suggestions. I also thank Dr. Lynn Drawe, Dr. Selma Glasscock and Dr. Terry Blankenship for always making room for me at the Welder Wildlife Refuge. I thank Dr. Clint Boal for giving me the opportunity to come to Texas Tech. The effort he put forth as my advisor to challenge and expand my professional skills, while offering encouragement and guidance are of immeasurable value and has certainly helped me prepare for my future goals. I thank my committee members: Dr. Mark Wallace and Dr. Craig Farquhar, their suggestions and expertise proved invaluable. A special thanks to Dr. David Wester and Dr. Matthew Butler for the countless hours they spent helping me with my analyses. I thank my fellow students, C. Huber, N. and H. Mannan, and many others that have provided me with camaraderie and counsel throughout the last few years. ii Texas Tech University, Haralson, May 2008 Finally I thank my family, DRH III, and J. and C. Heiting; thanks for your love, support and encouragement as I struggled to figured out where I was going. Thanks for teaching me how wonderful the outdoors can be and allowing me to grow up in an area where I was free to explore wildlife at an early age. I also thank N. Gripentrog for understanding the need for a sister to move across the country, and always being there to listen to my frustrations. Last but certainly not least, I thank my husband, B. N. Strobel, you were always there to offer support, encouragement, and love, in spite of the ordeals of your own research. Thanks for putting up with me on days when things did not go right. You are the “best technician” I had, and someone from whom I will never stop learning. iii Texas Tech University, Haralson, May 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................. xii I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 Literature Cited .................................................................................. 3 II. BREEDING ECOLOGY OF WHITE-TAILED HAWKS ON THE TEXAS BARRIER ISLANDS ...................................................................................... 4 Abstract .............................................................................................. 4 Introduction ........................................................................................ 5 Study Area ......................................................................................... 7 Methods............................................................................................ 11 Results .............................................................................................. 15 Discussion ........................................................................................ 20 Management Implications ................................................................ 26 Literature Cited ................................................................................ 27 III. NEST SITE SELECTION OF WHITE-TAILED HAWKS ON THE TEXAS BARRIER ISLANDS. ................................................................................... 43 Abstract ............................................................................................ 43 iv Texas Tech University, Haralson, May 2008 Introduction ...................................................................................... 44 Study Area ....................................................................................... 46 Methods............................................................................................ 50 Results .............................................................................................. 56 Discussion ........................................................................................ 58 Management Implications ................................................................ 62 Literature Cited ................................................................................ 63 IV. BEHAVIOR OF WHITE-TAILED HAWKS BREEDING AT TWO LEVELS OF HUMAN DISTURBANCE ON THE TEXAS BARRIER ISLANDS ...................................................................................................... 76 Abstract ............................................................................................ 76 Introduction ...................................................................................... 76 Study Area ....................................................................................... 79 Methods............................................................................................ 83 Results .............................................................................................. 87 Discussion ........................................................................................ 89 Management Implications ................................................................ 91 Literature Cited ................................................................................ 92 v Texas Tech University, Haralson, May 2008 ABSTRACT I conducted fieldwork on Matagorda, Mustang and North Padre Islands along the Texas coast in 2006 and 2007. I located breeding White-tailed Hawk (Buteo albicaudatus; WTHA) pairs using road and point surveys. I monitored productivity, and nest success for 64 actively nesting pairs. I compared the proportion of nesting pairs per occupied territory between islands. I used a nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test to determine differences between nestling and fledgling production on Matagorda and Mustang Islands. North Padre Island was omitted due to a small sample size. The mean earliest clutch initiation for all islands was March 3 (± 3.2 days). Observed nest success on North Padre Island (22.2%) was markedly lower than Matagorda (56.8%) and Mustang (58.3%) Islands. Mayfield nest success estimate for all sites was 41.6%. There was no difference in nestling production (Matagorda ¯x = 1.05 0.91; Mustang ¯x = 1.00 1.83) or in fledgling production (Matagorda ¯x = 0.89 0.87; Mustang ¯x = 1.08 1.16) between the two islands. Productivity on Mustang Island is not different than Matagorda Island despite having a high level of human disturbance. This may be a result of WTHAs adapting to human disturbance and breeding pairs having larger territories and no density-dependence influence, such as what may be occurring on Matagorda Island where WTHAs may be at population saturation. I measured nest site selection at 38 nest sites and 38 paired random sites. I created a resource selection probability function for WTHA nest site selection using a logistic regression model of the characteristics measured at a subset of 19 nest sites and paired random sites on Matagorda Island. Models were evaluated using Akaike vi Texas Tech University, Haralson, May 2008 Information Criterion. The best model on Matagorda Island used the parameters of shrub category, nearest-neighbor distance, and distance to road to correctly differentiate 83% of nest sites from random sites on Matagorda Island, 70% on Mustang Island, and 50% on North Padre Islands. I then created model sets for Mustang and North Padre Islands, of which the best model for both islands used the parameters of shrub height, shrub circumference, and their interaction. The resource selection probability function from the best model on Matagorda Island should be used with caution. Overall, it appears that densely branched and thorned shrub species are important to WTHA nest site selection. I conducted behavioral observations on breeding WTHA pairs on Matagorda, Mustang and North Padre Islands, Texas in 2007. These islands were classified into high human impact (Mustang and North Padre Islands) and low human impact (Matagorda Island). Observations were conducted only during 2-3.5 hours after sunrise, after which visibility decreased due to shimmer caused by radiated heat. I used a generalized liner model with a logit link function that