Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)

Jaster, Levi A.; Jensen, William E.; Lanyon, Wesley E.; Mlodinow, Steven G.

doi:10.2173/bow.easmea.01.1

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Meadowlarks commonly co-occur with blackbirds in agricultural nesting habitats (Johnson 2000, Galligan et al 2006, such that their presence could indicate nesting habitat suitability for blackbirds. Additionally, meadowlarks and blackbirds do not compete for nest sites, and meadowlarks settle earlier at breeding sites than blackbirds (Johnsgard 2009, Yasukawa and Searcy 2020, Jaster et al 2022. In theory, these conditions would make meadowlarks suitable sources of social information for blackbirds to use for nesting habitat selection (discussed by Seppänen et al 2007, Kelly et al 2018.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing perceived predation risk through playbacks reduces Red-winged Blackbird abundance in agriculture late in the breeding season

Enos

Smith

Ward

et al. 2023

Ornithological Applications

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Perceived predation and brood parasitism risks strongly influence nesting habitat selection for several bird species. Here we report on a playback experiment evaluating whether perceived predation or brood parasitism risk can reduce Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) abundances in agricultural nesting habitat. We broadcast Cooper’s Hawk vocalizations (Accipiter cooperii, a predator of adult blackbirds and nests), Brown-headed Cowbird vocalizations (Molothrus ater, a brood parasite of many passerine species, including blackbirds), and the “Sonic Net” as treatments, the latter of which is broadcast of frequencies that overlap with blackbird vocalizations and prevent blackbirds from accessing intraspecific communication systems informing predator and brood parasite risks. Neither the hawk, cowbird, nor Sonic Net treatments reduced blackbird abundances at sites early in the breeding season (April to May), when blackbirds were selecting nesting habitat. In contrast, late in the breeding season (July to August), hawk vocalizations and the Sonic Net reduced blackbird abundances at sites, but cowbird vocalizations did not. Our late-breeding season results suggest that blackbirds may flexibly change responses to perceived predation risk based on their stage of reproductive investment. Perceived predation risk could potentially be used to manage pest birds that nest in agricultural landscapes, at least for crops that are vulnerable to birds late in the breeding season.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing perceived predation risk through playbacks reduces Red-winged Blackbird abundance in agriculture late in the breeding season

Enos

Smith

Ward

et al. 2023

Ornithological Applications

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“…These are the three most common grassland‐dependent breeding bird species at the site. All three breed in prairie habitats across much of the eastern United States (Jaster et al, 2022; Sousa et al, 2022; Vickery, 2020; Zimmerman, 1993) and are declining regionally (With et al, 2008) as well as across their ranges (Rosenberg et al, 2019). Meadowlarks and sparrows build dome‐shaped nests on the ground, while Dickcissels build open cups a few centimeters off the ground.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dickcissels lay 3–4 eggs/clutch and incubate for 11 days, and typically fledge 8 days after hatching (Winnicki, 2019). All three species are common hosts to Brown‐headed Cowbirds, readily renest following nest failure, and either commonly (meadowlarks and sparrows) or occasionally (Dickcissels) raise more than one brood per season (Jaster et al, 2022; Sousa et al, 2022; Vickery, 2020). Frequent renesting leads to near continuous nest initiation dates through the season, and interannual reductions in nest initiations later in the season are interpreted as individuals forgoing second broods.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of drought for grassland songbird reproduction

Smith,

Roe,

Silber

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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Abiotic stressors can be major sources of selection, resulting in diverse demographic responses operating via multiple direct and indirect mechanisms. However, unusual weather events are notoriously difficult to study due to their spatial and temporal unpredictability. A severe drought affected the Flint Hills of Kansas in 2018, occurring during the ongoing population‐level studies of three species of declining grassland songbirds: Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), and Dickcissels (Spiza americana). We compared nest survival, nest initiation date, and potential behavioral drivers of reproductive differences (i.e., nest orientation, investment) between the 2018 drought year and 2–6 years of average‐to‐wet years. Nest initiation in the drought year was concentrated early in the season, suggesting that birds did not renest or attempt second broods. The two species that build domed nests shifted the orientation of nest entrances away from early morning sun and toward the direction of prevailing winds in the drought year. Multiple nest‐level metrics of investment and success were similar in drought and nondrought years. These results suggest that demographic changes during droughts can reflect both direct responses and may also involve biotically mediated trophic consequences.

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“…Burning, grazing, and mowing are the primary methods to manage grasslands (Jaster et al 2020, Vickery 2020). The effects of prescribed burning on our 2 focal species are variable (Dechant et al 2002, Hull 2002), largely because of differences in habitat and moisture regimes across their ranges.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Burning, grazing, and mowing are the primary methods to manage grasslands (Jaster et al 2020, Vickery 2020.…”

Section: Focal Species and Management Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of grassland birds to management in national battlefield parks

Massa,

Matthews,

Shriver

et al. 2023

J Wildl Manag

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Grassland birds are in steep decline, with population declines reported in 74% of North American grassland species in the past 50 years. Declines are particularly severe in the eastern United States where they are influenced by habitat loss and alteration due to urbanization, forest regrowth, and agricultural intensification. The United States National Park Service maintains civil war battlefields in the eastern United States as historical and cultural parks that may also provide habitat refuge for grassland birds within an increasingly urbanized matrix. To assess the conservation importance of battlefield parks and the role of park management in sustaining grassland birds, we surveyed for 2 declining grassland‐breeding species, eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) and grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), at 242 points across 4 battlefield parks in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, USA, from 2014–2019 and in 2021. We modeled the effects of park management activities (prescribed fire, agricultural leases, and delayed harvest) and habitat and landscape characteristics on breeding‐season occupancy. There was support for the influence of local habitat features, landscape, and management. Breeding‐season occupancy of both species was consistently higher in hayfields and pasture than in row crops, and both species responded positively to hay and crop harvest delays intended for grassland bird conservation. Prescribed fire within the past 2 years had a positive effect on occupancy of grasshopper sparrows but did not influence eastern meadowlarks. Eastern meadowlarks responded to land cover at multiple spatial scales that are influenced by land use within and outside the parks. Management activities that maintain the parks' cultural goals, including partnerships between national parks and private agricultural operators, are likely to provide valuable habitat for these 2 obligate grassland birds.

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Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Increasing perceived predation risk through playbacks reduces Red-winged Blackbird abundance in agriculture late in the breeding season

Increasing perceived predation risk through playbacks reduces Red-winged Blackbird abundance in agriculture late in the breeding season

Consequences of drought for grassland songbird reproduction

Response of grassland birds to management in national battlefield parks

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