Friday, March 27, 2009
Divorce American Kestrel Style Does Not Affect Nesting Success
Most birds return to the same areas to nest, and some pair with the same mates. However, there may be advantages for birds that change territories or mates. Monitoring dispersal is important as it may affect the abundance, distribution, and genetics of a population. USGS wildlife biologists Karen Steenhof and Brit Peterson conducted a long-term assessment of mate and site fidelity and breeding dispersal distances of American kestrels in southwestern Idaho. Findings include low site fidelity for both male and female kestrels. Further, a majority of birds that nested in consecutive years on the study area had a different mate the second year, often when the previous mate was alive and nesting in the area. Switching mates or nesting sites did not affect nesting success. The cost of waiting for a mate from the previous year could be high in species that are short-lived, such as the kestrel.
Steenhof, K., Peterson, B.E., 2009, Site fidelity, mate fidelity, and breeding dispersal in American kestrels: The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, v. 121, no. 1, p. 12-21. [FullText] Catalog No: 1907
Contact:
Martin
Fitzpatrick,
FRESC,
541-750-1032,
Martin_Fitzpatrick@usgs.gov
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