Previous studies of avian nest predation have focused on how human‐induced changes in the landscape influence the frequency of predation However, natural variation in the abundance of predators due to their choice of habitat can also influence predation rate To determine if predation on artificial nests was influenced by forest stand type, we placed ground and shrub nests containing quail and plasticine eggs in contiguous coniferous, mixedwood and deciduous stands in the southern boreal mixedwood forest of central Canada Nest predators were identified using remotely triggered cameras and marks left in plasticine eggs, while the relative abundance of nest predators such as squirrels and corvids were estimated using acoustic‐visual surveys Using the fate of quail eggs to calculate predation rate, we found that predation was significantly higher in coniferous (67%) than in deciduous (17%) or mixedwood (25%) forest, with similar predation on ground (37%) and shrub (29%) nests Using plasticine eggs to calculate predation rate, nests in coniferous forest still suffered higher rates of predation, although predation rates were 15–20% higher, and ground nests suffered significantly higher rates of predation than shrub nests Quail eggs seemed to suffer lower rates of predation because small mammals were unable to penetrate the shell, but could leave marks on plasticine eggs The higher predation rate in coniferous forest was likely caused by higher abundance of red squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, the presence of fishers Martes pennanti and a simplified understory which may have made it easier for predators to find nests relative to the deciduous and mixedwood forest Plasucine eggs provide new insights into nest predation by identifying predation events by smaller predators such as mice that are missed when using quail eggs

No abstract

Expanding human footprints across the globe are affecting animal migrations by altering their use of traditional routes and exposing them to increased costs of travel. Sustaining migratory behavior among populations requires knowledge of animal movement and space use during this critical life stage. We studied the migratory movements in a population of greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), an imperiled species endemic to the North American sagebrush steppe, with the longest‐known obligate and annual migration for a grouse: a 240‐km journey between Saskatchewan, Canada, and north central Montana, USA. Remote tracking revealed that stepping‐stone behavior in sage‐grouse is analogous to that of migratory big game populations, which frequent stopover sites along varied and individual routes. Within migratory routes, sage‐grouse chose pathways with gently rolling grasslands and sagebrush flats. Sage‐grouse avoided cropland, making punctuated movements across a 6‐km river valley dominated by cropland and trees. During autumn migration (Oct–Nov), individuals typically spent a day at an average of 9 different stopovers while traveling 41–126 km in 14 days. Sage‐grouse were faithful to winter ranges and timing of autumn migration but demonstrated adaptive behavior in response to heavy snowfalls with no effect on survival. Birds made a mass exodus north in spring (Mar–Apr) to their respective breeding ranges, traveling up to 160 km in 18 days. Migratory pathways were stitched together by an array of public and private lands, with large and intact landscapes composed of native vegetation forming the common thread. Conservation easements and public lands policy that preclude temperate grasslands from being fragmented will be critical in maintaining the largest migratory event observed among gallinaceous species. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

Migratory pathways in North American prairies are critical for sustaining endemic biodiversity. Fragmentation and loss of habitat by an encroaching human footprint has extirpated and severely truncated formerly large movements by prairie wildlife populations. Greater sage-grouseCentrocercus urophasianus, a Near Threatened landscape species requiring vast tracts of intact sagebrushArtemisiaspp., exhibit varied migratory strategies across their range in response to the spatial composition of available habitats. We unexpectedly documented the longest migratory event ever observed in sage-grouse (> 120 km one way) in 2007–2009 while studying demography of a population at the north-east edge of their range. Movements that encompassed 6,687 km2included individuals using distinct spring and summer ranges and then freely intermixing on the winter range in what is probably an obligate, annual event. The fate of greater sage-grouse in Canada is in part dependent on habitat conservation in the USA because this population spans an international border. Expanding agricultural tillage and development of oil and gas fields threaten to sever connectivity for this imperilled population. Science can help delineate high priority conservation areas but the fate of landscapes ultimately depends on international partnerships implementing conservation at scales relevant to prairie wildlife.