Friday, May 23, 2008
Wintering Waterbirds Compensate for Changing Wetland Habitat
Regional patterns of rainfall, evaporation, and vegetation growth can result in dramatic changes in wetlands over a single season. The changes constantly challenge waterbirds that depend on them to survive, but little is known about how the birds change their daily movements and use of habitats to compensate. In a new publication, USGS scientists Oriane Taft, Peter Sanzenbacher, and Susan Haig report on movements of wintering dunlin in the agriculture wetlands of the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Results suggest that dunlin seek out wet, unvegetated habitat throughout the winter, and their home range expands as potential compensation when habitat becomes less available. Knowledge of strategies used by waterbirds to respond to natural habitat fluctuations provides valuable information for developing wetland conservation strategies.
Taft, O.W., Sanzenbacher, P., Haig, S.M., 2008, Movements of wintering dunlin Calidris alpina and changing habitat availability in an agricultural wetland landscape: Ibis, v. 150, p. 541-549. [FullText] Catalog No: 1741
Contact:
Susan
Haig,
FRESC,
541-750-7482,
susan_haig@usgs.gov
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