Vermivora Chrysoptera Research Articles

Genomic identification of intergeneric hybrids in New World wood-warblers (Aves: Parulidae)

Abstract The documentation of hybrids between distantly related taxa can illustrate an initial step to explain how genes might move between species that do not exhibit complete reproductive isolation. In birds, some of the most phylogenetically distant hybrid combinations occur between genera. Traditionally, morphological and plumage characters have been used to assign the identity of the parental species of a putative hybrid, although recently, nuclear introns also have been used. Here, we demonstrate how high-throughput short-read DNA sequence data can be used to identify the parentage of a putative intergeneric hybrid, in this case between a blue-winged warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) and a cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea). This hybrid had mitochondrial DNA of a cerulean warbler, indicating the maternal parent. For hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms within six regions of the nuclear genome that differentiate blue-winged warblers and golden-winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera), the hybrid had roughly equal ancestry assignment to blue-winged and cerulean warblers, suggesting a blue-winged warbler as the paternal parent species and demonstrating that this was a first generation (F1) hybrid between these species. Unlike other recently characterized intergeneric warbler hybrids, this individual hybrid learned to song match its maternal parent species, suggesting that it might have been the result of an extra-pair mating and raised in a cerulean warbler nest.

Genomic and plumage variation in Vermivora hybrids

AbstractHybrids with different combinations of traits can be used to identify genomic regions that underlie phenotypic characters important to species identity and recognition. Here, we explore links between genomic and plumage variation in Blue-winged Warbler x Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera x V. chrysoptera) hybrids, which have traditionally been categorized into 2 discrete types. “Lawrence’s” hybrids are yellow overall, similar to Blue-winged Warblers, but exhibit the black throat patch and face mask of Golden-winged Warblers. “Brewster’s” hybrids are similar to Golden-winged Warblers, but lack the black throat patch and face mask, and sometimes have yellow on their underparts. Previous studies hypothesized that (1) first generation hybrids are of the Brewster’s type and can be distinguished by the amount of yellow on their underparts, and that (2) the throat patch/mask phenotype is consistent with Mendelian inheritance and controlled by variation in a locus near the Agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) gene. We addressed these hypotheses using whole genome re-sequencing of parental and hybrid individuals. We found that Brewster’s hybrids had genomic hybrid index scores indicating this phenotype can arise by majority ancestry from either parental species, that their plumage varied in levels of carotenoid pigmentation, and individuals captured in multiple years grew consistently less yellow over time. Variation in carotenoid pigmentation showed little relationship with genomic hybrid index score and is thus inconsistent with previous hypotheses that first generation hybrids can be distinguished by the amount of yellow in their plumage. Our results also confirm that variation near ASIP underlies the throat patch phenotype, which we refined to an ~10–15 Kb region upstream of the coding sequence. Overall, our results support the notion that traditional categorization of hybrids as either Lawrence’s or Brewster’s oversimplifies continuous variation in carotenoid pigmentation, and its inferred underlying genetic basis, and is based primarily on one discrete trait, which is the throat patch/mask phenotype.

Regional abundance and local breeding productivity explain occupancy of restored habitats in a migratory songbird

Ecological restoration is a key tool in offsetting habitat loss that threatens biodiversity worldwide, but few projects are rigorously evaluated to determine if conservation objectives are achieved. We tested whether restoration outcomes for an imperiled bird, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera; GWWA) met the assumptions of the ‘Field of Dreams’ hypothesis or whether local and regional population dynamics impacted restoration success. From 2015 to 18, we surveyed 514 points located in recently restored successional habitats. We used new- and published data on the survival of 341 nests and 258 fledglings to estimate GWWA breeding productivity. Occupancy and colonization of restored habitats were significantly higher in our Western Study Region (Minnesota and Wisconsin) than our Eastern Study Region (Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey), a pattern that mirrored broader regional population trends. At local scales, productivity was high in Eastern Pennsylvania (>3 independent juveniles/pair/year) but low in Central Pennsylvania (1 juvenile/pair/year) while both Western and Central Minnesota hosted intermediate productivity (between 1 and 2 juveniles/pair/year). Productivity and occupancy covaried locally in the Eastern Study Region, while occupancy was high in the Western Study Region, despite intermediate productivity. These differences have profound implications for restoration outcomes, as GWWA possessed robust capacity to respond to habitat restoration in both regions, but this capacity was conditional upon local productivity where the species is rare. Our findings suggest that, even when restoration efforts are focused on a single species and use comparable prescriptions, interactions among processes governing habitat selection, settlement, and productivity can yield variable restoration outcomes.

Say What? Bivalent Singing in Vermivora Warblers

For millennia, humans have been captivated by the diversity and complexity of birdsong. In Vermivora warblers, individuals of one species may sing the song of the other. However, Vermivora warblers and most other Nearctic–Neotropical warblers typically learn and sing one primary song over their lifetime. We observed individual Vermivora warblers switching between species’ songs in subsequent years and even one individual that sang both Golden-winged Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler songs in the same singing bout. Our observations raise questions about the role of song in speciation and hybridization dynamics of the Vermivora warbler species complex. These photographs illustrate the article “Say what? Bivalent singing in Vermivora warblers” by Gunnar R. Kramer, R. Kyle Pagel, Kate Maley, Cassandra Ziegler, Sean M. Peterson, David E. Andersen, David A. Buehler, and Henry M. Streby published in Ecology. https​://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2881

Overlooked sexual segregation of habitats exposes female migratory landbirds to threats

Male and female animals often segregate spatially among habitats and landscapes outside of breeding seasons, but it is unclear to what extent conservation efforts account for sexual segregation. Overlooking this phenomenon may result in conservation plans that don’t meet the needs of both sexes, especially when resources or threats vary spatially. We assessed the prevalence of sexual segregation and degree to which current conservation efforts account for it with a review of nonbreeding ecology and conservation planning literature for 66 North American migratory landbirds of conservation concern. Sexual segregation was common in the group—reported for one-third of all species and two-thirds of those with published nonbreeding sex ratios—and did not differ with dimorphism or conservation status. Despite this, only 3% of species distribution models and 8% of conservation recommendations considered sexual segregation, indicating the pattern is widely overlooked. Next, we used the declining Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) as a case study to test for sex-bias in habitats prioritized by current conservation efforts. By modeling nonbreeding occupancy and forest cover loss for males and females, we show that females lost twice as much nonbreeding habitat as males from 2000 to 2016, yet existing conservation focal areas remain heavily biased towards male-dominated landscapes. Furthermore, female-dominated habitats face higher rates of conversion than male habitats for multiple species of Neotropical migrants, suggesting the failure to address sexual segregation may compromise the effectiveness of migratory landbird conservation. We recommend greater effort to report sex ratios and create sex-specific habitat assessments and distribution models.

Host dispersal and landscape conversion are associated with the composition of haemosporidian parasites of the golden-winged warbler.

Understanding factors that influence the spatial and temporal distributions of blood parasites is important to help predict how host species and their parasites may respond to global change. Factors that may influence parasite distributions are land cover and host dispersal patterns, which may result in exposure of a host to novel parasites, or escape from parasites of their origin. We screened golden-winged warblers from across the United States and Canada for blood parasites, and investigated whether land-use patterns or host dispersal affected the prevalence and composition of haemosporidian assemblages. Parasite prevalence varied strongly with study area, and areas with high agricultural cover had a significantly higher prevalence of Leucocytozoon and Parahaemoproteus parasites. Lineages of Parahaemoproteus and Leucocytozoon were genetically differentiated among study areas, and prevalence and composition of parasite assemblages indicated an increase in parasite prevalence and accumulation of unique parasite lineages from the southeast to the northwest. This matches the historical range expansion and natal dispersal patterns of golden-winged warblers, and suggests that golden-winged warblers may have been sensitive to novel parasites as they dispersed. The high prevalence and diversity of parasite lineages in the north-west extent of their breeding range (Manitoba) indicates that this population may face unique pressures.

Drivers of variation in migration behavior for a linked population of long-distance migratory passerine

AbstractDespite advances in tracking technologies, migration strategies remain poorly studied for many small-bodied passerines. Understanding variation within a migration strategy is important as variation impacts a population’s resilience to environmental change. Timing, pathway, and stopovers vary based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors that impact individual migration decisions and capacity. Here, we studied drivers of variation in migration across a linked population of Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) using data from 37 light-level geolocators. We tested if behaviors vary in response to extrinsic factors: season, year, and proximity to a large geographic barrier—the Gulf of Mexico—and intrinsic factors: age and wing chord. Spring migration was nearly twice as fast as fall migration, with tightly correlated arrival and departure dates that were consistent among years, in contrast to no correlation or consistency in fall. This aligns with predictions for selection to minimize time spent migrating in spring and a relaxation of that pressure in fall. Twenty-nine birds staged for multiple days (mean: 7.5, SE: 0.6) in stopover habitats before crossing the Gulf of Mexico in spring, but 6 individuals overwintering closer to the Gulf coast forewent the stopover and completed migration 8 days faster. These findings suggest birds capable of crossing the Gulf without a stopover may experience a selective advantage by minimizing total migration time. After crossing the Gulf, individuals reduced travel speed and stopover duration, indicating constraints on movement differ before and after the barrier. Wing chord, but not age, positively predicted the total distance and duration of migration, and neither varied with timing, suggesting migration distance impacts morphology, but strategies do not vary with age. Ultimately, we find undescribed stopover locations south of the Gulf are important for most of the population, while high variation in migration behaviors suggest potential resilience to changing environmental conditions.Causantes de variación en el comportamiento migratorio para una población vinculada de un paseriforme migratorio de larga distancia

Early Successional Forest Management on Private Lands as a Coupled Human and Natural System

Facilitating voluntary conservation on private lands is a crucial element of policies that seek to mitigate forest habitat loss and fragmentation around the world. Previous research emphasizes the role of social factors (e.g., landowner characteristics, economics) in forest management, but environmental outcomes of past management can also affect landowner decisions. Our objective was to evaluate how positive outcomes for wildlife and habitat might reinforce or amplify landowner efforts to manage forest habitats. We applied the lens of coupled human and natural systems to investigate private lands management for early successional forests, which are declining along with associated wildlife in rural areas of the eastern U.S. Efforts to restore early successional forest in this region involve active forest management to create patches of successional forest in native, mature mixed hardwood stands. By integrating field-based monitoring of wildlife with surveys of landowner perceptions, we examined how landowners observed, interpreted, and responded to property-scale ecological outcomes of forest management. We recorded presence of Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) and estimated bird species richness in spring 2015 and/or 2016 on private properties located in the Appalachians (Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) and Upper Great Lakes (Minnesota, Wisconsin). These properties were enrolled in early successional forest management programs administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Bird surveys were paired with landowner responses to a telephone survey conducted from January to May 2017 (n = 102). Most (71.6–81.6%) landowners’ perceptions of avian presence on their properties matched monitoring results. These perceptions were informed by personal observations and by outreach from agency partners and field technicians. Landowners who already completed their conservation program contracts (n = 85) continued managing early successional forests. Continued management for early successional habitat was positively associated with perceived benefits to birds, forest health, and scenery. Our findings give insight into how private landowners respond to environmental effects of forest management. We conclude that positive environmental outcomes of these conservation programs are related to continued early successional forest conservation by private landowners.

Left out in the rain: Comparing productivity of two associated species exposes a leak in the umbrella species concept

Multi-species approaches to wildlife management have become commonplace and purport to benefit entire biological communities. These strategies aim to manage different, often taxonomically distant species under a single regime based on shared habitat associations and/or co-occurrence in the landscape. We tested the efficacy of multi-species management in the context of creating and maintaining early-successional forest cover types using two species of migratory birds that breed in eastern North America and are each the focus of intensive, concurrent, and overlapping management. American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and golden-winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) breed in similar diverse-forest landscapes. Each species purportedly benefits from management for the other species and both are often used as flagship species for the creation of young forest and the conservation of associated avian communities. However, the landscape-species relationships that drive reproductive success and population stability in these species have not been explicitly compared. Here, we use previously published spatially-explicit models of productivity (the number of juveniles raised to a biologically significant milestone) to identify the relationship(s) between productivity of American woodcock and golden-winged warblers across a shared landscape. We found productivity to be negatively associated between these species on the same landscape at all spatial scales we modelled (1 m2–100 ha). Our results suggest that, with regards to productivity, American woodcock and golden-winged warblers have opposing relationships with the composition of the landscapes in which they coexist and therefore should not be assumed to benefit similarly from any individual management action at any relevant spatial scale.

Recent Publications

Recent Publications Stewart Plein The history of West Virginia is rich and complex. Over one hundred and fifty years have passed since West Virginia was admitted to the Union, and the desire to understand and relate to our past continues to the present day. The books, theses and dissertations, magazines, and journal articles listed here are testament to the continued interest in the state and its people, traditions, and culture. Each of the works cited in this bibliography is available for reading and research at the West Virginia and Regional History Center, the largest historical archives collection and library relating to West Virginia. This list includes works published from 2016 to 2019. West Virginia–related titles not found in this bibliography can be located in other resources for publishers, periodicals, magazines, historical societies, and state publications. Special thanks go to Jessica Kambara for her periodicals, dissertation, and book research and her work on compiling the bibliography, and Laureen Wilson for her meticulous proofreading and editorial assistance. As always, if you are aware of significant books or articles concerning West Virginia, its people and places, please bring them to my attention. ________ Albert, Howard. My Journey Through Life. 126 pages. Lulu Publishing. (November 10, 2017). This autobiography was written by a 92-year-old West Virginian looking back over the course of his life. The author describes his childhood, during which he lived on a small farm in Summers County, and includes details about the ways of life in rural West Virginia in the 1930s. As a young man, Albert joined the Merchant Marines and served in the US Army; he provides stories, anecdotes, and tales of adventure from those years. Aldinger, Kyle Ray. “Ecology and Management of Golden-Winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) and Associated Avian Species in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia.” PhD diss., West Virginia University, 2018. 197 pp. Almond, Greenbrier. More Stories of a West Virginia Doctor for Kith and Kin. Volume Seven. 240 pages. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing Company (January 2, 2019). This volume continues Almond’s stories of his experiences as a doctor in West Virginia. Topics of this volume include the doctor’s travels around the world, his four granddaughters, and family holidays along with episodes drawn from his many years of medical practice. Also included are a genealogy and photographs of the Almond family. Alvarez, Raymond M. “Is your dad home from the mines?” Goldenseal 44 (Fall 2018): 23–26. In this article, Zella Martin recalls the experience of losing her father in the 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster. Alvarez, Raymond M. “Nurses at No. 9.” Goldenseal 44 (Fall 2018): 46–47. This article concerns the nurses who provided medical aid and emotional support to those injured in the 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster. Among the nurses, Alvarez focuses on Doris Lee Colbert in particular. Andrew, Ross Gilbert. “Examination and Characterization of Brook Trout Ecology Before and After a Broad Scale Disturbance Event in Headwater Streams of West Virginia, USA.” PhD diss., West Virginia University, 2018. 128 pp. Arbogast, Terry E. West of Cumberland: A History of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in the Mountain State West of the Queen City. Fairmont, WV: Glover Gap Graphics, LLC. 448 pgs. Book Two. MR/SHORT LINE. Profusely illustrated. Tracing both the history and the route of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through West Virginia this profusely illustrated book follows the railroad up the West Fort River from Fairmont to Clarksburg, then down the West Fork River, and over Hartzel Hill to the Ohio River. Asce Pittsburgh 100th Anniversary. Engineering Pittsburgh: A History of Roads, Rails, Canals, Bridges and More. 226 pages. History Press Library Editions (September 10, 2018). Ayers, Ginny Savage, and Lon Kelly Savage. Never Justice, Never Peace: Mother Jones and the Miner Rebellion at Paint and Cabin Creeks (West Virginia and Appalachia). 360 pages. West Virginia University Press. (August 29, 2018). In 1986 Lon Savage published Thunder in the Mountains: The West Virginia Mine War, 1920–21, a popular history now considered a classic. When Savage passed away, he left behind an incomplete book manuscript about a lesser-known Mother Jones crusade in Kanawha County, West Virginia. His daughter Ginny Savage Ayers drew on...

A wood-warbler produced through both interspecific and intergeneric hybridization.

Hybridization between divergent taxa can provide insight into the breakdown of characters used in mate choice, as well as reproductive compatibility across deep evolutionary timescales. Hybridization can also occur more frequently in declining populations, as there is a smaller pool of conspecific mates from which to choose. Here, we report an unusual combination of factors that has resulted in a rare, three-species hybridization event among two genera of warblers, one of which is experiencing significant population declines. We use bioacoustic, morphometric and genetic data, to demonstrate that an early generation female hybrid between a golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and a blue-winged warbler (V. cyanoptera) went on to mate and successfully reproduce with a chestnut-sided warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica). We studied the product of this event-a putative chrysoptera × cyanoptera × pensylvanica hybrid-and show that this male offspring sang songs like S. pensylvanica, but had morphometric traits similar to Vermivora warblers. The hybrid's maternal parent had V. chrysoptera mitochondrial DNA and, with six plumage-associated loci, we predicted the maternal parent's phenotype to show that it was likely an early generation Vermivora hybrid. That this hybridization event occurred within a population of Vermivora warblers in significant decline suggests that females may be making the best of a bad situation, and that wood-warblers in general have remained genetically compatible long after they evolved major phenotypic differences.

Rethinking forest‐bird habitat management guidelines in the northern Lake States

ABSTRACTBiodiversity challenges require more ecologically based approaches to habitat management of forest wildlife. Although active management is necessary for the conservation of many forest‐dependent wildlife species, some high‐severity (even‐aged) forest management practices could be improved upon with greater consideration of natural disturbance models. Using examples of 3 migratory bird species of conservation priority and for which high‐severity forest management practices are conducted in the northern Lake States (Kirtland's warbler [Setophaga kirtlandii], golden‐winged warbler [Vermivora chrysoptera], American woodcock [Scolopax minor]), I first summarize lessons learned and then illustrates how a more ecological approach to forest‐bird habitat planning and management might work. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Effects of biological monitoring and results outreach on private landowner conservation management.

Sustained management efforts by private landowners are crucial for the long-term success of private land natural resource conservation and related environmental benefits. Landowner outreach is a primary means of recruiting private landowners into voluntary conservation incentive programs, and could also help sustain conservation behaviors through time. However, evaluation of outreach targeting landowners during or after participation in natural resource conservation incentive programs is lacking. We assessed two methods of landowner outreach associated with a Natural Resources Conservation Service incentive program targeting effective management of early successional forest habitat on private land in the Appalachians and Upper Great Lakes regions of the United States. While early successional forest habitat benefits many wildlife species, the program target species were the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). After habitat management through the program occurred, biological technicians monitored wildlife and vegetation on enrolled properties and results were communicated to landowners in mailed packets. Our research focused on whether landowner interactions with technicians or receipt of result mailings could influence landowner post-program management intentions and management-related cognitions (e.g., agency trust, perceptions of outcomes). We conducted a telephone survey with landowners from January to May 2017, and analyzed survey data using quantitative group comparisons and qualitative coding methods. Landowners that accompanied biological technicians on monitoring site visits had higher agency trust and more positive perceptions of program outcomes. Result mailings did not improve landowner perceptions of program outcomes or agency trust, but did provide benefits such as increased landowner knowledge about birds. Neither outreach method was associated with more positive landowner post-program management intentions. Our findings underline the importance and potential of direct interactions between conservation biologists and landowners. These two forms of non-traditional outreach administered by biologists could be a worthwhile component of future conservation program evaluations on private lands.

Geography and age are related to plumage coloration of male Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera)

Although plumage displays often reliably signal individual condition and age, how these sexually selected traits vary with geographic region is not well understood. Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) populations are fragmented and declining precipitously in the Appalachian Mountains. Limited research suggests that Golden-winged Warbler facial plumage ornaments may be under sexual selection; black throat (melanin-based) coloration is associated with mate acquisition while yellow crown (carotenoid-based) coloration is associated with aggression and habitat quality. We tested whether multiple plumage traits (crown, throat, and tail coloration) (1) varied across the Appalachian breeding range, (2) varied with age class or body condition, and (3) covaried with each other and whether the covariance differed with geographic region. We found that crown and throat coloration followed a latitudinal gradient, with the more southern birds showing lower ornamentation. Moreover, after-second-year birds had tails with a greater extent of white than second-year, suggesting tail color may reliably signal age that conspecifics could assess. Males with more-ornamented crown color had more-ornamented throat coloration, suggesting that this species demonstrates some potential for both redundant (facial coloration) and independent (tail white) signaling. We found no evidence, however, that covariation between traits differed across the breeding range or that the plumage traits varied with body condition. Additional research investigating the signaling function of multiple plumage ornaments in Golden-winged Warblers across their breeding range could shed light on habitat preferences and communication. Received 28 October 2016. Accepted 4 January 2018.

Population trends in Vermivora warblers are linked to strong migratory connectivity

Migratory species can experience limiting factors at different locations and during different periods of their annual cycle. In migratory birds, these factors may even occur in different hemispheres. Therefore, identifying the distribution of populations throughout their annual cycle (i.e., migratory connectivity) can reveal the complex ecological and evolutionary relationships that link species and ecosystems across the globe and illuminate where and how limiting factors influence population trends. A growing body of literature continues to identify species that exhibit weak connectivity wherein individuals from distinct breeding areas co-occur during the nonbreeding period. A detailed account of a broadly distributed species exhibiting strong migratory connectivity in which nonbreeding isolation of populations is associated with differential population trends remains undescribed. Here, we present a range-wide assessment of the nonbreeding distribution and migratory connectivity of two broadly dispersed Nearctic-Neotropical migratory songbirds. We used geolocators to track the movements of 70 Vermivora warblers from sites spanning their breeding distribution in eastern North America and identified links between breeding populations and nonbreeding areas. Unlike blue-winged warblers (Vermivora cyanoptera), breeding populations of golden-winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) exhibited strong migratory connectivity, which was associated with historical trends in breeding populations: stable for populations that winter in Central America and declining for those that winter in northern South America.

Evaluating outcomes of management targeting the recovery of a migratory songbird of conservation concern.

BackgroundAssessing outcomes of habitat management is critical for informing and adapting conservation plans. From 2013–2019, a multi-stage management initiative aims to create >26,000 ha of shrubland and early-successional vegetation to benefit Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) in managed forested landscapes of the western Great Lakes region. We studied a dense breeding population of Golden-winged Warblers at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Minnesota, USA, where shrubs and young trees were sheared during the winter of 2014–2015 in a single treatment supported in part by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and in part by other funding source(s) to benefit Golden-winged Warblers and other species associated with young forest [e.g., American Woodcock (Scalopax minor)] and as part of maintenance of early successional forest cover on the refuge.MethodsWe monitored abundance of Golden-winged Warblers before (2013–2014) and after (2015–2016) management at the treatment site and a control site, and we estimated full-season productivity (i.e., young recruited into the fall population) on the treatment site from predictive, spatially explicit models, informed by nest and fledgling survival data collected at sites in the western Great Lakes region, including Rice Lake NWR, during 2011 and 2012. Then, using biologically informed models of Golden-winged Warbler response to observed and predicted vegetation succession, we estimated the cumulative change in population recruitment over various scenarios of vegetation succession and demographic response.ResultsWe observed a 32% decline in abundance of Golden-winged Warbler breeding pairs on the treatment site and estimated a 27% decline in per-pair full-season productivity following management, compared to no change in a nearby control site. In models that ranged from highly optimistic to progressively more realistic scenarios, we estimated a net loss of 72–460 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers produced from the treatment site in the 10–20 years following management. Even if our well-informed and locally validated productivity models produced erroneous estimates and the management resulted in only a temporary reduction in abundance (i.e., no change in productivity), our forecast models still predicted a net loss of 61–260 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers from the treatment site over the same time frame.ConclusionsOur study sites represent only a small portion of a large young-forest management initiative directed at Golden-winged Warblers in the western Great Lakes region; however, the brush management, or shearing of shrubs and small trees, that was applied at our study site is a common treatment applied by contractors funded by ABC and its partners on public lands across Minnesota with the expressed intent of benefiting Golden-winged Warblers and related species. Furthermore, the resulting vegetation structure at our treatment site is consistent with that of other areas managed under the initiative, and ABC documents include our study site as successful Golden-winged Warbler management based on observations of ≥1 Golden-winged Warbler at the treatment site since the management. Our assessment demonstrates that, at least for the only site for which pre- and post-management data on Golden-winged Warblers exist, the shearing of shrubs and small trees has had a substantial and likely enduring negative impact on Golden-winged Warblers. We suggest that incorporating region-specific, empirical information about Golden-winged Warbler—habitat relations into habitat management efforts would increase the likelihood of a positive response by Golden-winged Warblers and also suggest that management directed generically at young forest may not benefit Golden-winged Warblers.

An improved survey method for monitoring population trends of Golden‐winged Warblers and other patchily distributed birds

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Geolocators reveal migratory connectivity between wintering and breeding areas of Golden-winged Warblers

The conservation of migratory songbirds is often impeded by a lack of understanding of how populations in breeding and wintering areas are geographically linked (migratory connectivity). In recent years, light-level geolocators have improved our understanding of migratory connectivity. Such information is valuable for evaluating how conservation efforts align between the breeding and non-breeding areas of at-risk species, and help to more effectively prioritize the allocation of conservation funding. Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) are imperiled migratory songbirds, but the extent to which conservation efforts in their breeding and non-breeding areas coincide with patterns of migratory connectivity are not well known. We used light-level geolocators to evaluate the extent to which conservation actions targeting Golden-winged Warblers in Nicaragua and in their breeding range in North America align with patterns of migratory connectivity. We recovered six of 22 geolocators that had been deployed on male Golden-winged Warblers at the El Jaguar Reserve during the winter of 2015–2016. All six males migrated to breeding areas in the western Great Lakes region that includes eastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, southwestern Ontario, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. All six males also had similar migration routes, with spring stopovers in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, a trans-Gulf flight, and a stopover in the region of Louisiana, Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and Texas. Our results, in combination with those of previous studies, demonstrate strong migratory connectivity between portions of the breeding and winter distributions of Golden-winged Warblers currently targeted for conservation. However, additional studies are needed to improve our understanding of the stopover ecology of Golden-winged Warblers, especially in areas where they remain for extended periods of time. Finally, patterns of migratory connectivity revealed in our study should be used in combination with existing demographic parameters for Golden-winged Warblers in the western Great Lakes and Nicaragua to help inform full life cycle population models for this imperiled songbird.

Recent Literature Golden-winged Warbler Ecology, Conservation, and Habitat Management Henry M.Streby, David E.Anderson, and David A.Buehler (eds.). 2016. Studies in Avian Biology (no. 49), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. xiv + 238 pages, 14 color and 64 B&W il

Journal of Field OrnithologyVolume 88, Issue 3 p. 313-314 Book Review Recent Literature Golden-winged Warbler Ecology, Conservation, and Habitat Management , Henry M. Streby, David E. Anderson, and David A. Buehler (eds.). 2016. Studies in Avian Biology (no. 49), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. xiv + 238 pages, 14 color and 64 B&W illustrations. ISBN 9781482240689. $143.96 (Hardcover). Also available as an e-book. Cameron L. Rutt, Cameron L. Rutt crutt1@lsu.edu School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USASearch for more papers by this author Cameron L. Rutt, Cameron L. Rutt crutt1@lsu.edu School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 20 September 2017 https://doi.org/10.1111/jofo.12211Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume88, Issue3September 2017Pages 313-314 RelatedInformation

The final frontier: early-stage genetic introgression and hybrid habitat use in the northwestern extent of the Golden-winged Warbler breeding range

Anthropogenic changes to the landscape and climate have resulted in secondary contact between previously allopatric species. This can result in genetic introgression and reverse speciation when closely related species are able to hybridize. The Golden-winged Warbler has declined or been extirpated across much of its range where it has come into secondary contact with the Blue-winged Warbler. Genetic screening previously showed that introgression had occurred range-wide with the exception of Manitoba, Canada. Our goal was to reassess the genetic status of the Golden-winged Warbler population in Manitoba and to examine the demographics and habitat use of phenotypic and genetic hybrids. From 2011 to 2014, we sampled and screened mtDNA from 205 Golden-winged Warblers and hybrids in southeast Manitoba. In 2012, we monitored all Golden-winged Warbler territories within those sites and measured territory- and landscape-level habitat variables. Of the birds screened, 195 had a phenotype that matched their mtDNA type, two were phenotypic hybrids, and eight showed a phenotypic-mtDNA mismatch (cryptic hybrids). We found no difference in the habitat used by Golden-winged Warblers compared with hybrids at either scale. The low proportion of hybrids found in Manitoba and the lack of a distinguishable difference in habitat use by Golden-winged Warblers and hybrids indicates that the exclusion of hybrid birds from Golden-winged Warbler habitat is unlikely to be a successful conservation strategy. The best way to manage for Golden-winged Warblers is to slow the habitat loss and fragmentation that continues within Manitoba and to actively manage early-successional deciduous forest using tools such as fire and logging.