INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF OCELLATED TURKEYS IN CAMPECHE, MEXICO by JON T. MCROBERTS, B.S., M.S., M.B.A. A DISSERTATION IN WILDLIFE SCIENCE Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Mark C. Wallace Chairperson of the Committee Philip S. Gipson Matthew J. Butler Rogelio Carrera Treviño C. Brad Dabbert Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School December 2014 Copyright 2014, Jon T. McRoberts Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project would not have been possible had it not been for the great people of Campeche. I never met a Campechano who wasn’t anxious to offer assistance or encouragement. Several Mexican friends deserve mention for their contributions: Carlos and Oscar Moreno were always eager to help at La Montaña and when I was in Campeche City. Carlos opened his home to me and I have many fond memories of shared laughs, adventures, a few disasters, and amazing meals. Oscar could be counted on to help any way he could, and at a moment’s notice. The extended Moreno family was a pleasure to spend time with and I appreciate their hospitality and patience, especially during the first field season as I adapted to a new language. Angel, Myra, Christian, and Johnny Garnica quickly became my Mexican family and I enjoyed all of our time spend together at La Montaña. Despite my continued efforts, I wasn’t able to break anything that Angel couldn’t eventually fix. Myra is the best cook in Campeche, possibly Mexico, and I’ll dream of the meals shared among geckos, an open fire, and a leaky roof. Christian was a great field assistant and Johnny was an essential translator during my relatively quiet first field season in Mexico. Jorge Sansores deserves as much credit as anyone in Campeche for making this research project a reality. He showed the world what results were possible with proper ocellated turkey management and I am grateful that he shared his wisdom and experiences with wildlife Campeche. Jorge is a gentleman, a scholar, and a gracious friend. I value our time spent on the front porch in Cano Cruz and appreciate his ii Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 friendship. Aurelio Sanchez opened his home on many occasions and was helpful with field efforts. It would be no exaggeration to claim that Aurelio knows more about ocellated turkey behavior than anyone I’ve met. He seems to know what a turkey will do before it does. Manuel Olaguibel became a great friend during this project, made life in the Cano Cruz a pleasure, and is generous beyond compare. La Pintada, Cancun, Holbox, St. Paul, Nashville, the Pich camp, and beyond; I’ve enjoyed all the great adventures and memories and I hope for many more. Eunice Bocanegra and Carlos Yong at Santa Genoveva were instrumental during the 2012–2013 field seasons and I appreciate the access to their property and the resources contributed. Guillermo Castillo is a talented wildlife biologist working at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur—Campeche who became a good friend and valued collaborator. I look forward to working together in the future and appreciate all the assistance with obtaining manuscripts published in Spanish and for procuring lab space at the university. Lastly, the auto mechanics of Campeche deserve particular credit, especially Angel and el Bigote. If it weren’t for these men much less would have been accomplished; I lost a tire here, cracked an axle there, but on we rolled. Many people stateside also deserve credit for their contributions to this research project. My PhD committee was a great help and exceptionally tolerant of the challenges we faced during this project. Mark Wallace became chair of my committee midway through the project and never missed a beat. His attention to detail and experience with wild turkey research has been a valuable contribution during my years as a graduate student. Phil Gipson always made time for my questions and provided unwavering iii Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 support during my education at Texas Tech. I always enjoyed our lunch meetings when I was frequently reminded to consider the “big picture” as opposed to being consumed by minor details. Matt Butler taught me more about quantitative wildlife ecology than anyone else during our 7 years of working together, and for this I am grateful. We have shared laughs and adventures (many of them in Mexico) and I hope they will continue for the years to come. Rogelio Carrera Treviño introduced me to wildlife conservation in Mexico and has shared his skills with this project as he developed an amazing wildlife research and educational program in northern Mexico. Brad Dabbert contributed his knowledge of game bird ecology and helped to identify new ecological processes that I would have otherwise missed. I had an excellent doctoral committee and I value the friendships that have resulted from our time together. It was a privilege to work with such a talented and diverse group of professionals. I’m not sure I would have gotten through some of the tough days in Campeche without the support of Katrina Cardwell. She kept me grounded throughout my time in Campeche and also while in Lubbock. Katrina also deserves credit for all the little things that keep life moving forward and I don’t thank her for help support often enough. Thank you! My parents, Jim and Mimi, and my sister, Lucinda, were supportive and tolerant throughout my time as a graduate student. I recognize that decamping for the Yucatán Peninsula wasn’t an expected career path, but their interest and support meant a lot to me. I also appreciate the encouragement of my aunt, Lucinda Baker, PhD, who knows firsthand that there are both peaks and valleys during a doctoral degree. iv Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 I would also like to express my gratitude to Glenn Chambers who offered me my first wildlife job in 1998 and has been a loyal mentor ever since. I appreciate his consistent support and for joining me for a week in Campeche. Tom Hughes, of the National Wild Turkey Federation, is a pragmatic biologists and a man I respect greatly. We traveled together during I made my first trip to Campeche and Tom has been a loyal supporter of this project since its inception. Heather Whitlaw has been a professional inspiration and a trusted friend for years; from elk camp to bear hunting, it’s been a pleasure. To say that fellow natural resources graduate students at Texas Tech made the years memorable would be an understatement and when thinking back to some of our times together I can only shake my head and smile. Mike Panasci, Nicole Quintana, Peter Schlichting, Grant Sorensen, Jennifer Timmer, Thomas Warren, and Sean Yancy all know where the bodies are buried. I’ll be looking forward our next adventure. In closing, I’d like to thank Dr. Warren Ballard for the opportunities he provided during the course of 2 graduate degrees. Warren was an excellent advisor and a valued friend. He deserves the credit for making this project happen and I will be forever grateful his contributions, support, humor, and friendship. His passing at the mid-point of the ocellated turkey project left a gap that no one could fill, simply because there isn’t a person who possesses the same mix of professional qualifications, character, combativeness, and generosity that is, or would ever be, nearly as distinctive as Warren. This was a memorable project and I am grateful to have shared the experience with many great friends…thank you all. v Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii ABSTRACT x LIST OF TABLES xiv LIST OF FIGURES xv CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 Literature Cited 4 II. THE ECOLOGY AND NATURAL HISOTRY OF THE OCELLATED TURKEY 8 Species Overview 8 Identification 9 Distribution 13 Life History 14 Conservation 20 Priorities for Future Research 23 Literature Cited 24 III. FIELD METHODS FOR RESEARCHING OCELLATED TURKEYS 28 Abstract 28 Introduction 29 Study Area 31 vi Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 Methods 32 Results 34 Discussion 37 Management Implications 43 Acknowledgements 44 Literature Cited 46 IV. OCELLATED TURKEY DIETS AND FEEDING ECOLOGY IN AND AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT OF CAMPECHE, MEXICO 52 Abstract 52 Introduction 53 Study Area 54 Methods 55 Results 57 Discussion 58 Management Implications 63 Acknowledgements 64 Literature Cited 65 V. LESSONS FROM AN OCELLATED TURKEY TRAP AND TRANSFER EVENT IN CAMPECHE, MEXICO 73 Abstract 73 Introduction 74 Study Area 75 vii Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 Methods 76 Results 77 Discussion 79 Management Implications 82 Acknowledgements 83 Literature Cited 84 VI. ANNUAL SURVIVAL, CAUSE-SPECIFIC MORTALITY, AND AGE-SEX STRUCTURE OF OCELLATED TURKEYS IN CAMPECHE, MEXICO 89 Abstract 89 Introduction 90 Study Area 91 Methods 92 Results 93 Discussion 94 Management Implications 97 Acknowledgements 98 Literature Cited 99 VII. REPRODUCTIVE SEASON HOME RANGES AND DISPLACEMENT DISTANCES OF OCELLATED TURKEYS IN CAMPECHE, MEXICO 103 Abstract 103 Introduction 104 viii Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 Study Area 105 Methods 106 Results 108 Discussion 109 Management Implications 112 Acknowledgements 113 Literature Cited 114 VIII. CONCLUSION 120 Literature Cited 123 APPENDIX A. SOUND INTENSITY OF THE REPRODUCTIVE CALLS OF MALE OCELLATED TURKEYS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH 126 Literature Cited 127 ix Texas Tech University, Jon T. McRoberts, December 2014 ABSTRACT The ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) is a neotropical galliform native to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and northern portions of Belize and Guatemala.