Timing matters: cloud cover and date influence probability of detecting nesting Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica)

Elisabeth F Purves,C Myles Falconer,Kristyn Richardson,Douglas C Tozer

doi:10.5751/ace-01339-140108

Abstract

Timing matters: cloud cover and date influence probability of detecting nesting Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica)

Highlights

One-third of North America’s bird species require immediate conservation action because of ongoing population declines and threats (North American Bird Conservation Initiative 2016), including climate change, pollutants, invasive species, and habitat loss and degradation (Robbins et al 1989, Gurevitch and Padilla 2004, Both et al 2006, Nocera et al 2012, Hallmann et al 2014, Stanton et al 2018)
We found that the probability of detecting Chimney Swifts at nest chimneys decreased with increasing cloud cover
The best model is closely followed by seven other models with a ΔAIC < 2, most of these models included date and cloud cover effects

Summary

Introduction

One-third of North America’s bird species require immediate conservation action because of ongoing population declines and threats (North American Bird Conservation Initiative 2016), including climate change, pollutants, invasive species, and habitat loss and degradation (Robbins et al 1989, Gurevitch and Padilla 2004, Both et al 2006, Nocera et al 2012, Hallmann et al 2014, Stanton et al 2018). Reducing rates of nondetection error for at-risk species that typically occupy habitat types with higher risk of destruction should be a conservation focus to help species recovery. Chimney Swifts are aerial insectivorous birds that nest and roost in humanmade structures, including wells, silos, barns, and most commonly, old masonry chimneys (Steeves et al 2014). This species is experiencing widespread population declines in eastern North America (Cadman et al 2007, Nebel et al 2010, Smith et al 2015, Michel et al 2016). The Chimney Swift is listed as Threatened in both Canada and the Province of Ontario under the Species at Risk Act (2009) and Endangered Species Act (2009), respectively

Methods

Results

Conclusion