Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1996 Foraging Behavior and Habitat Selection of Insectivorous Migratory Songbirds at Gulf Coast Stopover Sites in Spring. Chao-chieh Chen Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Chen, Chao-chieh, "Foraging Behavior and Habitat Selection of Insectivorous Migratory Songbirds at Gulf Coast Stopover Sites in Spring." (1996). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6323. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6323 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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FORAGING BEHAVIOR AND HABITAT SELECTION OF INSECTIVOROUS MIGRATORY SONGBIRDS AT GULF COAST STOPOVER SITES IN SPRING A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries by Chao-Chieh Chen B.S., National Cheng Kung University, 1987 M.S., National Taiwan Normal University, 1989 December 1996 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9720337 UMI Microform 9720337 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank my major professor, Robert B. Hamilton, for his support, guidance, and thoughtful discussion during important stages of my dissertation. I thank Barry Moser, my minor professor in experimental statistics, for his excellent teaching ability; he has helped me change from a person with little knowledge of statistics to one who really appreciates statistics. I wish to thank Wylie C. Barrow, Jr., for his introduction to the field of foraging behavior. It is always a pleasure to work with him both in the field and at the dv.sk. J. V. Remsen, Jr., gave me a broader view of ornithology. I regret that I did not get an oppurtunity to learn more from him. I thank Richard M. Pace, in., for his suggestion on how to analyze use-and- availability data and for giving me a chance to explore such an important topic in wildlife management. I also thank Donald M. Baltz for his participation in my exams. Special thanks go to my fellow graduate students and assistants, Keith Ouchley, Jim Lind, Sharon Lind, Richard Waynor, and many other field assistants as great companions during the study. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................. viii ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER 1. FORAGING ECOLOGY AND HABITAT SELECTION OF INSECTIVOROUS MIGRATORY SONGBIRDS AT GULF COAST STOPOVER SITES............................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1 METHODS.......................................................................................................... 7 Study A rea ...................................................................................................... 8 Recording M ethods........................................................................................ 10 Data Analysis................................................................................................. 14 RESULTS............................................................................................................ 21 Vegetation Profiles among Plots................................................................. 21 Foraging Behavior......................................................................................... 23 Habitat Selection ............................................................................................ 44 DISCUSSION..................................................................................................... 55 Foraging Behavior......................................................................................... 55 Habitat Selection ............................................................................................ 56 Plant Species U se........................................................................................... 58 Community Consideration............................................................................ 61 Comments about Methodology ..................................................................... 62 CONSERVATION APPLICATIONS.............................................................. 67 LITERATURE CITED....................................................................................... 69 CHAPTER 2. ANALYSIS OF SEARCHING MOVEMENTS OF INSECTIVOROUS MIGRATORY SONGBIRDS AT GULF COAST STOPOVER SITES............................................................................................ 80 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 80 METHODS.......................................................................................................... 84 Study A rea...................................................................................................... 84 Recording Methods........................................................................................ 85 Data Analysis................................................................................................. 87 RESULTS............................................................................................................ 91 Searching Movements among Species......................................................... 94 Conditions Affecting Searching Movements.............................................. 97 DISCUSSION..................................................................................................... 104 LITERATURE CITED....................................................................................... 110 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 3. COMPARISONS OF DIFFERENT METHODS IN CALCULATING AVIAN FORAGING RATES............................................ 116 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 116 METHODS......................................................................................................... 119 Study A rea ..................................................................................................... 119 Recording Methods....................................................................................... 120 Calculation ..................................................................................................... 123 Data Analysis................................................................................................ 125 RESULTS..........................................................................................................