SPATIAL ECOLOGY AND HABITAT UTILIZATION OF MONTEZUMA QUAIL IN THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS OF TEXAS

Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) occur throughout the desert mountain ranges in the Trans-Pecos of Texas as well as Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. Limited information on life history and ecology of the species is available due to the cryptic nature of the bird. Home range, movements, and preferred habitats have been speculated upon in previous literature with the use of observational or anecdotal data. We used innovative trapping techniques and technologically advanced radio transmitters to assess these ecological parameters for Montezuma quail. The goal of this study was to monitor Montezuma quail to determine home range size, movements, and habitat preference for the Davis Mountains population. We captured a total of 72 birds over the course of two years (2009 – 2010) (36M, 35F, 1 Undetermined). Thirteen individuals with >25 locations/bird were used to estimate the home range, movement, and habitat selection analyses. Home ranges (95% kernel density estimators) averaged 12.83 ha and varied greatly (0.02 – 43.29 ha). Maximum straight-line distances between known locations within home ranges varied from 0.73 – 14.83 km. Distances of movements were greater than previously reported. Preferred habitats consisted of Canyon Mountain Savannah and Foothill Slope Mountain Savannah across three spatial scales. Although our study was able to address some basic ecological attributes of Montezuma quail, additional research is warranted to better understand their population dynamics.