Ethical treatment of research animals is required under the Animal Welfare Act. This includes trapping methodologies that reduce unnecessary pain and duress. Traps used in research should optimize animal welfare conditions within the context of the proposed research study. Several trapping techniques are used in the study of lesser prairie-chickens, despite lack of knowledge of trap injury caused by the various methods. From 2006 to 2012, we captured 217, 40, and 144 lesser prairie-chickens Tympanuchus pallidicinctus using walk-in funnel traps, rocket nets, and drop nets, respectively, in New Mexico and Texas, to assess the effects of capture technique on injury and survival of the species. We monitored radiotagged, injured lesser prairie-chickens 7–65 d postcapture to assess survival rates of injured individuals. Injuries occurred disproportionately among trap type, injury type, and sex. The predominant injuries were superficial cuts to the extremities of males captured in walk-in funnel traps. However, we observed no mortalities due to trapping, postcapture survival rates of injured birds did not vary across trap types, and the daily survival probability of an injured and uninjured bird was ≥99%. Frequency and intensity of injuries in walk-in funnel traps are due to the passive nature of these traps (researcher cannot select specific individuals for capture) and incidental capture of individuals not needed for research. Comparatively, rocket nets and drop nets allow observers to target birds for capture and require immediate removal of captured individuals from the trap. Based on our results, trap injuries would be reduced if researchers monitor and immediately remove birds from walk-in funnels before they injure themselves; move traps to target specific birds and reduce recaptures; limit the number of consecutive trapping days on a lek; and use proper netting techniques that incorporate quick, efficient, trained handling procedures.
There is a paucity of data evaluating water use by raptors. Although raptors are believed to satisfy their water requirements through metabolic processes, they are known to experience reduced reproductive success during periods of drought, and there is evidence of water being important for site occupancy in arid landscapes. Several raptor species have a seasonal or year-round presence in west Texas, a drought-prone, semi-arid region of the Southern Great Plains. We examined species-specific timing of free water use by common raptors in this region, and examined environmental conditions associated with water use. We collected 4549 camera trap-days of data across 4 yr at ten human-made water sources placed for cattle. We recorded 14 species of raptors among the 1177 detections of raptors visiting water sources; of these, 1084 raptors (92.1%) perched at tanks, and 93 (7.1%) flew by tanks. Of the raptors that perched at tanks, 63.5% drank and 20.8% both bathed and drank. Barn Owls (Tyto alba; 35.6%), Swainson's Hawks (Buteo swainsoni; 32.0%), and Northern Harriers (Circus hudsonius; 21.0%) were the predominate species detected. Visits by Northern Harriers and Swainson's Hawks increased with increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation. Visits by Barn Owls increased with increasing drought severity. Further, detections per 100 trap-days increased substantively across our 4-yr study period during which the region experienced one of the worst droughts on record. Although our data do not demonstrate these raptors require free water, they do reveal an increasing use of free water in relation to hotter and drier conditions. How this influences survival and reproduction remains unknown, but may become a pressing question because current climate models predict the study area will experience increases in heat and decreases in precipitation.
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