Date of Award

Spring 5-3-2024

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Conservation

Advisor

Erik Blomberg

Second Committee Member

Amber Roth

Third Committee Member

Joseph Zydlewski

Additional Committee Members

Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran

Sabrina Morano

Abstract

The widespread availability of satellite tracking devices has made it possible to track individual migratory birds throughout the full annual cycle, examining how distribution and habitat use change between seasons and regions while also describing the characteristics of migratory movements. We used these devices to examine the full annual cycle ecology of American Woodcock (Scolopax minor; hereinafter woodcock), an early successional habitat specialist whose populations are declining throughout their range in eastern North America. We used these data to develop a multi-season distribution model for woodcock management in Pennsylvania, demonstrating the importance of considering habitat use across multiple seasons for migratory bird conservation. We also used woodcock migratory movements to demonstrate improved methods for classifying animal locations into migratory states, allowing inferences into migratory behavior despite sparse and incomplete data. We examined changes in woodcock habitat selection among seasons, finding that woodcock likely undergo a functional response in their habitat selection to changes in habitat availability throughout the full annual cycle. Finally, we described woodcock flight altitudes and their corresponding vulnerability to various airspace obstacles, finding that low altitude flights are likely a contributing factor to woodcocks’ disproportionate collisions with buildings. Stabilizing woodcock populations will likely require better understanding of woodcock ecology throughout the full annual cycle, as well as the threats they face at each stage. We hope that our comprehensive analysis of woodcock distribution, habitat use, and migration ecology throughout the full annual cycle will improve conservation of this iconic upland bird species.

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