Brood success of northern bobwhite is biased by incomplete detectability during flush-counts

Abstract

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Review of range‐wide vital rates quantifies eastern wild Turkey population trajectory

“…While historically, collecting data on poult and youth survival was limited by the battery life and size of VHF transmitters, this technology has advanced considerably allowing for the monitoring of chick and early youth survival in related species (Sinnott et al, 2022 ; Terhune et al, 2020 ), suggesting that a reevaluation of these methods for monitoring poult survival may be justified in wild turkeys. Further, existing methods for monitoring poult survival, such as flush counts, have been shown to be highly biased if imperfect detection or brood mixing behaviors are not accounted for in survival estimates (Dahlgren, Messmer, & Koons, 2010 ; Dahlgren, Messmer, Thacker, & Guttery, 2010 ; Kubečka et al, 2021 ; Orange et al, 2016 ). A critical evaluation of new and existing techniques for monitoring these periods should be a high priority so that researchers can make more informed decisions when designing studies on these periods.…”

“…Further, existing methods for monitoring poult survival, such as flush counts, have been shown to be highly biased if imperfect detection or brood mixing behaviors are not accounted for in survival estimates (Dahlgren, Messmer, & Koons, 2010;Dahlgren, Messmer, Thacker, & Guttery, 2010;Kubečka et al, 2021;Orange et al, 2016).…”

Demographic effects of a megafire on a declining prairie grouse in the mixed‐grass prairie

“…In fact, this may have aided brood survival because—when properly timed—large precipitation events can increase grasshopper and other arthropod populations necessary for chick nutrition (Branson, 2008; Sullins, Haukos, et al, 2018). We acknowledge the potential for bias in our methods because we used flush counts of unmarked chicks, which can obscure brood mixing and other sources of variation when estimating chick survival in other gallinaceous species (Dahlgren, Messmer, & Koons, 2010; Dahlgren, Messmer, Thacker, & Guttery, 2010; Kubečka et al, 2021; Orange et al, 2016). While such effects have not been thoroughly examined in lesser prairie‐chickens, previous work on VHF‐marked lesser prairie‐chicken chicks found no brood mixing or amalgamation (pers.…”