Cause specific mortality of mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) chicks in eastern Colorado: phase III. A pilot field study

Cause specific mortality of mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) chicks in eastern Colorado: phase III. A pilot field study

The mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) is a species of special concern in Colorado with >50% of the continental population believed to breed in the eastern half of the state. In eastern Colorado breeding plovers primarily use short-grass prairie habitats consisting of grasslands with and without black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and agricultural fields. The nesting ecology of mountain plovers has been well-studied across the species’ breeding range and nest success is similar among the eastern Colorado short grass habitats (Dreitz and Knopf 2007). However, chick survival and brood movement patterns were found to differ between habitats and were not related to differences in prey resource availability among habitats (Dreitz 2009). Further information on cause-specific mortality of chicks is needed to understand differences in brood-rearing behavior and success among different habitats.

Dreitz, Victoria J.

Riordan, Maggie

Mountain plover

Wildlife management

15 pages

2009-09-30

Text

application/pdf

English