Reintroduced prairie dog colonies change arthropod communities and enhance burrowing owl foraging resources

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Duval ◽  
Walter Whitford
2000 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha J. Desmond ◽  
Julie A. Savidge ◽  
Kent M. Eskridge
Keyword(s):  

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Ray ◽  
Nancy E. McIntyre ◽  
Mark C. Wallace ◽  
Andrew P. Teaschner ◽  
Monty G. Schoenhals

Author(s):  
Mark Martell ◽  
Patrick Redig ◽  
Jill Nibe

The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), was once widely distributed throughout the western United States and Canada (Bent 1938), and was considered common on the prairie dog towns of South Dakota and Nebraska (Cooke 1888, Over and Thomas 1920). Recently however, concern over the birds status has resulted in its being listed as; "endangered" in two states (MN and lA), "threatened" across its range in Canada, and of "special concern" in seven states (WA, OR, CA, MT, WY, ND, FL) (Martell1990). Land management practices including grazing, shooting, and poisoning on prairie dog colonies, the primary nesting habitat of burrowing owls in the Great Plains, has the potential to greatly affect owl populations. Information on population sizes and trends, the location of wintering areas, and the degree of nest site fidelity is needed to monitor and manage this species on public lands.


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (7) ◽  
pp. 1375-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha J. Desmond ◽  
Julie A. Savidge ◽  
Thomas F. Seibert

The spatial patterns of burrowing owl (Speotyto cunicularia) nests in black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns were examined in the Nebraska panhandle during the spring and summer of 1989–1991. Because of higher nest densities (≥ 0.20 nests/ha) and internest distance requirements, it was not possible for owls to demonstrate patterns other than random in the smaller (< 35 ha) prairie dog towns. In large prairie dog towns (> 35 ha), burrowing owls were less dense (≤ 0.20 nests/ha), and choice of nest sites by pairs resulted in a clumped nest distribution. In prairie dog towns < 35 ha, nearest neighbor distance was positively related to prairie dog town size, whereas no relationship was found between prairie dog town size and nearest neighbor distance for towns ≥ 35 ha. Burrow availability was not responsible for clumping. Ample burrows were available throughout the towns in 1990 and 1991. In 1991, two towns with clumped distributions of owls showed no differences in numbers of burrows around active owl nests and random burrows throughout the towns. Other possible explanations for clumping, including food availability and reduced predation risk, are discussed.


The Condor ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Morgan Davies ◽  
Marco Restani

AbstractBurrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) populations have declined extensively throughout much of North America, and modeling demography may assist conservation. However, few studies have estimated adult survival, and fewer still have determined juvenile survival. In 2003 and 2004 we monitored survival of 40 radio-tagged juveniles during the postfledging period in the Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota, where owls nested in black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies. Survival averaged 0.57 (95% CI: 0.41–0.73) prior to autumn migration. Mortality was highest during the first two weeks after nest departure when juveniles were flightless, and two to three weeks later when juveniles became independent. Predation or starvation was implicated in most deaths. Distribution and abundance of escape cover (number of prairie dog burrows within 30 m of nests and size of the natal prairie dog colony) did not affect survival. Body condition and brood size at the time of radio-tagging also did not influence survival. Juvenile owls exhibited nest-centered dispersal, and averaged 108 ± 21 (SE) m and 82 ± 17 m from nests at initiation of migration in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Mean dates of departure from the study area were 2 September (± 3 days) 2003 and 24 August (± 2 days) 2004. Mortality during the postfledging period accounted for approximately two-thirds of mortality in the first year of life.


BMC Ecology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Ruiz Ayma ◽  
Alina Olalla Kerstupp ◽  
Alberto Macías Duarte ◽  
Antonio Guzmán Velasco ◽  
José I. González Rojas

The Condor ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Alverson ◽  
Stephen J. Dinsmore

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