Prairie-chicken Nests Research Articles

Recovery of working grasslands following a megafire in the southern mixed-grass prairie

While fire is a necessary ecological driver for grassland systems, Great Plains grasslands have undergone extensive land use change following European settlement (conversion, fragmentation, fire suppression, intensive grazing, etc.). Recent studies have documented the benefits of re-introducing fire to grasslands, but work has largely focused on small-scale, low-intensity fire, often at a pasture scale (i.e., prescribed fire). Over the last 30–40 years, the size and frequency of wildfires in the Great Plains has increased due to long-term fire suppression, woody encroachment, and climate change, resulting in megafires (wildfire >40,000 ha). While there is a wealth of information regarding effects of prescribed fire on Great Plains grasslands, knowledge of how large megafire events affect modern, fragmented working grasslands (i.e., grazed grasslands) is lacking and needed in the face of increasing megafire activity. To assess grassland response and recovery following a 2017 megafire (~254,000 ha), we compared vegetation characteristics pre- (2014–2015) and post-fire (2018–2019) in the mixed-grass prairie of Kansas, USA. We examined linkages between vegetation characteristics and a metric of burn severity (differenced normalized burn ratio [dNBR]) and evaluated megafire effects on limiting reproductive habitat for a declining grassland species, the lesser prairie-chicken ( Tympanuchus pallidicinctus ). One-year post-fire, we documented increased bare ground (+59%) and decreased visual obstruction (−39%), litter depth (−31%), and forb cover (−35%). Decreased visual obstruction and increased bare ground led to an 81% decrease of lesser prairie-chicken nest habitat in the first-year post-fire, but grassland structure, functional group cover, and available nest habitat largely recovered 2.5 years post-fire. Recovery to pre-fire conditions 2.5 years post-fire was primarily due to elevated growing season precipitation received in the years following the fire (>700 mm/year). Percent cover of grass (β = 0.38) and bare ground (β = −0.36) exhibited the strongest relationships with burn severity pre-fire, but overall grassland structure and functional group cover were not strongly influenced dNBR burn severity post-fire. While our results suggested that recovering grasslands were more homogenous due to the large size of megafire, working grasslands in the mixed-grass prairie appeared largely resilient to the effects of megafire.

Use of Predator-Deterrent Fences to Increase Attwater's Prairie-Chicken Nest Success

AbstractWe retrospectively evaluated 20 y of using predator-deterrent fences to mitigate unusually high nest predation for the critically endangered Attwater's prairie-chicken Tympanuchus cupido attwateri at the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge staff constructed fences of 0.9-m-high, 0.32–0.64-cm mesh hardware cloth, with 15.2-m-long sides, and staked at the bottom to discourage predators from going under the fence. Workers placed fences around nests at a mean of 3.2 d of incubation. Eighty-two percent of fenced nests were successful vs. 12% for unfenced nests. Daily survival rate increased from 0.9159 for unfenced nests in 1997–2011 to 0.9916 for fenced nests during 2000–2019. Fencing did not increase abandonment or reduce the proportion of eggs that hatched in successful nests. After 2012, we reduced fence sides from 15.2 m to 7.6 m in length. Larger and smaller fences were equally effective with respect to daily survival rate and proportion of abandoned nests. The median proportion of eggs that hatched from successful nests was 6% higher for larger fences vs. smaller fences, but this difference was not statistically significant. Predator-deterrent fences substantially increased Attwater's prairie-chicken nesting success in this study, and may represent a viable management strategy for increasing nesting success for other populations of ground-nesting birds with high conservation value.

Temperature, wind, vegetation, and roads influence incubation patterns of Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA

Avian incubation involves behavioral decisions that must balance trade-offs between the incubating bird’s survival and current and future reproductive success. We evaluated variation in incubation off-bout duration and frequency among Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus (Brewster, 1885)) in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA. Greater Prairie-Chicken life history favors incubation behaviors that prioritize success of the current breeding attempt over adult survival. Previous observations suggest incubating females make these behavioral decisions based on ambient temperature conditions, their own body condition, and predation risk. We monitored nest attendance by females at 30 Greater Prairie-Chicken nests to identify proximate cues used to make behavioral decisions regarding incubation. We recorded 930 incubation off-bouts. Females took 1.9 ± 0.7 off-bouts/day (mean ± SD), each with a mean (±SD) duration of 43.3 ± 24.1 min. Off-bouts were shorter in duration at higher wind speeds, at lower ambient temperatures, at nests with less cover, and at nests closer to roads. Females were most likely to leave the nest during mid-morning and evening, as are most gallinaceous birds, and incubation off-bouts became less frequent later in the season. We did not observe differences in incubation behavior between nests that failed and those that successfully hatched one or more chicks.

Nest site selection and nest survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens near a wind energy facility

ABSTRACT Rapid development of wind energy facilities in the Great Plains of North America has raised concerns regarding their potential negative impact on the nesting ecology of Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus). We investigated the effects of a pre-existing, 36-turbine wind energy facility on nest site selection and nest survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in the unfragmented grasslands of the Nebraska Sandhills, USA. In 2013 and 2014, we monitored 91 nests along a 24-km disturbance gradient leading away from the wind energy facility. We found little evidence of an effect of the wind energy facility on Greater Prairie-Chicken nest site selection and nest survival. Instead, we found that the primary drivers of nest site selection and nest survival were related to landscape and habitat factors. Greater Prairie-Chickens avoided nesting near roads, with 74% of Greater Prairie-Chickens selecting nest sites >700 m from roads. Greater Prairie-Chickens selected nest sites with more than twi...

Interactive effects between nest microclimate and nest vegetation structure confirm microclimate thresholds for Lesser Prairie-Chicken nest survival

AbstractThe range of Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) spans 4 unique ecoregions along 2 distinct environmental gradients. The Sand Shinnery Oak Prairie ecoregion of the Southern High Plains of New Mexico and Texas is environmentally isolated, warmer, and more arid than the Short-Grass, Sand Sagebrush, and Mixed-Grass Prairie ecoregions in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the northeast panhandle of Texas. Weather is known to influence Lesser Prairie-Chicken nest survival in the Sand Shinnery Oak Prairie ecoregion; regional variation may also influence nest microclimate and, ultimately, survival during incubation. To address this question, we placed data loggers adjacent to nests during incubation to quantify temperature and humidity distribution functions in 3 ecoregions. We developed a suite of a priori nest survival models that incorporated derived microclimate parameters and visual obstruction as covariates in Program MARK. We monitored 49 nests in Mixed-Grass, 22 nests in Sand Shinnery Oak, and 30 nests in Short-Grass ecoregions from 2010 to 2014. Our findings indicated that (1) the Sand Shinnery Oak Prairie ecoregion was hotter and drier during incubation than the Mixed- and Short-Grass ecoregions; (2) nest microclimate varied among years within ecoregions; (3) visual obstruction was positively associated with nest survival; but (4) daily nest survival probability decreased by 10% every half-hour when temperature was greater than 34°C and vapor pressure deficit was less than −23 mmHg during the day (about 0600–2100 hours). Our major finding confirmed microclimate thresholds for nest survival under natural conditions across the species' distribution, although Lesser Prairie-Chickens are more likely to experience microclimate conditions that result in nest failures in the Sand Shinnery Oak Prairie ecoregion. The species would benefit from identification of thermal landscapes and management actions that promote cooler, more humid nest microclimates.

Long-term lesser prairie-chicken nest ecology in response to grassland management

Long-term population and range declines from habitat loss and fragmentation caused the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) to be a species of concern throughout its range. Current lesser prairie-chicken range in New Mexico and Texas is partially restricted to sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii; hereafter shinnery oak) prairies, on which cattle grazing is the main socioeconomic driver for private landowners. Cattle producers within shinnery oak prairies often focus land management on shrub eradication using the herbicide tebuthiuron to promote grass production for forage; however, herbicide application alone, and in combination with grazing, may affect nest site selection and nest survival of lesser prairie-chickens through the reduction of shinnery oak and native grasses. We used a controlled, paired, completely randomized design study to assess the influence of grazing and tebuthiuron application and their combined use on nest site selection and nest survival from 2001 to 2010 in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, USA at 2 spatial scales (i.e., treatment and microhabitat) in 4 treatments: tebuthiuron with grazing, tebuthiuron without grazing, no tebuthiuron with grazing, and a control of no tebuthiuron and no grazing. Grazing treatment was a short-duration system in which plots were grazed once during the dormant season and once during the growing season. Stocking rate was calculated each season based on measured forage production and applied to remove ≤25% of available herbaceous material per season. At the treatment scale, we compared nest site selection among treatments using 1-way χ2 tests and nest survival among treatments using a priori candidate nest survival models in Program MARK. At the microhabitat scale, we identified important habitat predictors of nest site selection and nest survival using logistic regression and a priori candidate nest survival models in Program MARK, respectively. Females typically used treatments as expected and we did not detect trends in selection. Nest survival did not differ among treatments. At the microhabitat scale, nest sites had less bare ground (P = 0.001) and greater angles of obstruction (P ≤ 0.001) compared to random sites. There was a high degree of model selection uncertainty among our candidate models at the microhabitat scale and survival estimates were similar among habitat covariates. Results suggest a tebuthiuron application rate of 0.60 kg/ha, short-duration grazing, and a combination of these management techniques were not detrimental to lesser prairie-chicken nest site selection or nest survival. However, intensified management that increases bare ground or reduces overhead cover may negatively affect lesser prairie-chicken nesting habitat and nest survival. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.

IButton® Temperature Loggers Effectively Determine Prairie Grouse Nest Absences

Recent technological innovations allow the monitoring of avian nest attendance in ways that reduce disturbance and expense without altering nesting activities. Yet the efficacy of these techniques to assess nest absences has not been determined for ground-nesting prairie grouse. We sought to determine the timing of nest absences by means of accurate detection without intrusive human visitations technology. During the nesting season (May and June), we inserted iButton® Thermochrons (Maxim/Dallas Semiconductor Corp., Sunnyvale, CA) into active greater prairie-chicken ( Tympanuchus cupido ) nests in the Sandhills of Nebraska, USA. We simultaneously monitored the nests with solar-powered video cameras to determine if the lower-cost iButtons would record noticeable changes in nest bowl temperature when video indicated a hen absence. Our data showed that iButtons detected 88% of nest absences in 49 off-bouts (instances of nest absence) and accurately portrayed the length of absence from the nest. In total, average lag time, departure lag time, and arrival lag times were detected by iButtons less than 2 minutes after the actual time recorded by the camera. We also obtained valuable information regarding the timing of hen absence, predation events, and optimal iButton recording intervals. Our study suggests that iButtons could be effectively used to monitor absences at greater prairie-chicken and likely other species of prairie grouse nests in future studies.

Greater prairie-chicken nest success and habitat selection in southeastern Nebraska

Greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) are reported to benefit from grasslands created through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Prairie-chicken population size increased noticeably in southeastern Nebraska after >15% of county-level landscapes were converted to CRP grasslands. But, the mechanisms behind the increase in population size are not well understood, and managers and policy makers could benefit from evidence of CRP's relative contribution to populations of prairie-chickens. Therefore, our objectives were to characterize the relations of vegetation structure and composition with prairie-chicken nest-site selection and nest survival rates at both the macrohabitat (within landscape of study site) and microhabitat (at the nest) level. We radio-marked female prairie-chickens at a study site with >15% of land enrolled in CRP in Johnson County in southeastern Nebraska. We monitored 90 nests during 2006–2007, 36 (40%) of which were successful. We compared nest sites' macro- and microhabitat characteristics with random points using discrete choice analyses, and we used logistic exposure analyses to assess the effect of habitat and other variables on nest survival. Prairie-chickens were 5.70 (95% CI: 2.60–12.48) times more likely to select cool-season CRP fields, and 5.05 (95% CI: 2.17–11.72) times more likely to select warm-season CRP fields for nesting relative to selecting rangeland. Prairie-chickens selected nest sites, relative to sites available in fields selected for nesting, with abundant grass cover and moderate levels of forb cover and standing litter. Females also selected sites at upper elevations. Nest survival was influenced by macrohabitat, microhabitat, and temporal variables; nest survival was greater in CRP fields and greatest for nests with abundant grass cover and forb cover and moderate levels of residual litter. Nest survival peaked, temporally, with nests initiated in late May. The size of the prairie-chicken population in southeastern Nebraska has increased since the landscape was modified under CRP, and the reproductive benefits that our study demonstrates could support such population-level responses. We would expect the population to continue to benefit from management that provides high quality, diverse grasslands. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Nest and Brood Survival of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in West Central Kansas

We evaluated the effect of habitat use and other sources of variation on survival of lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) nests and broods. Daily nest and brood-survival probabilities were a function of a quadratic time trend, and both declined as the season progressed. Daily nest survival was negatively associated with nest age, and daily brood survival was positively associated with brood age. Lastly, broods tended by adult females had higher daily survival rates than broods reared by subadult females. The probability of a nest surviving from 10 May to 1 June was 0.72 (SE = 0.06). The probability of a brood surviving from 1 June to 30 July (hatch to 60 days posthatch) was 0.49 (SE = 0.19) and 0.05 (SE = 0.03) for broods reared by adults and subadults, respectively. Although nesting females and females with broods were using Conservation Reserve Program grasslands, there appeared to be no benefit to nest and brood survival during our study. Instead, age of the nest and brood, timing during the season, age of the brooding female, and precipitation during brooding were more important predictors of survival. Further experimentation is needed to determine the mechanisms responsible for decreased nest and brood survival throughout the season. Results from such research could be used to formulate management strategies to improve nest and brood survival.

LOCATION AND SUCCESS OF LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN NESTS IN RELATION TO VEGETATION AND HUMAN DISTURBANCE

Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) populations have declined rangewide, and one of the principal causes is thought to be low nest success. Little is known about the relationship of vegetation structure and human intrusion to lesser prairie-chicken nest location and success. We conducted our study from 1997 to 2002 in southwestern Kansas, USA, on 2 sand-sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) prairie areas managed for livestock production. We determined apparent nest success (26%) for 200 of 209 lesser prairie-chicken nests located. Nest sites had taller grass, greater sand-sagebrush density, and higher visual obstruction than random locations in the surrounding prairie. We recorded the distances from nests to 6 anthropogenic features (wellheads, buildings, improved roads, unimproved roads, transmission lines, center-pivot irrigation fields) to determine whether the features were related to nest location and success. Sand-sagebrush habitat around 5 of 6 features (all except unimproved roads) was avoided for 80 m (wellheads) to >1,000 m (buildings) by nesting lesser prairie-chickens, but distances to the features were not substantial predictors of apparent nest success. Grass height, sagebrush plant density, and sagebrush height were the most important vegetation characteristics influencing nest success.

RING-NECKED PHEASANT PARASITISM OF LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN NESTS IN KANSAS

Abstract We report observations of Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) parasitizing Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) nests in native sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) rangeland in southwestern Kansas. We found low incidence of interspecific nest parasitism as only 3 of 75 prairie-chicken nests were parasitized. Two of the three parasitized clutches hatched, but no Ring-necked Pheasant chicks were known to have survived.

Parasitism of Greater Prairie-Chicken Nests by Ring-Necked Pheasants

We studied nest parasitism of greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) by ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) as a possible contributing factor in the decline of an isolated population of prairie-chickens in Jasper County, Illinois. Both species nested in small, scattered grasslands maintained on prairie-chicken sanctuaries. Incidence of parasitic laying by pheasant hens in prairie-chicken nests increased from 2 to 43% between 1970 and 1983 and remained high through 1987. Nest success (≥1 host-egg hatching) did not differ (P = 0.33) between 60 unmanaged parasitized nests (43%) and 602 unparasitized nests (51%). However, success of 14 parasitized prairie-chicken nests managed by removal of pheasant eggs (86%) was greater (P = 0.02) than for 24 unmanaged parasitized nests (46%) during 1983 and 1985-87. Hatchability of fertile prairie-chicken eggs was less (P < 0.01) in parasitized nests (77%, conservatively) than in unparasitized nests (94%), because of earlier hatching of pheasant eggs, increased embryo mortality of prairie-chickens, or increased nest abandonment. Large clutches of prairie-chicken eggs typical of early nests were more likely (P < 0.001) parasitized than small clutches laid later. Factors correlated with rate of nest parasitism included numbers of pheasant cocks (P = 0.01) and numbers of pheasant nests (P < 0.001) found each year. Although pheasant control apparently eliminated nest parasitism during 1988-94, prairie-chicken numbers continued to decline. Without management intervention to control pheasants on sanctuaries, the survival of this isolated, remnant flock of prairie-chickens may be in greater jeopardy.

Breeding Ecology of Greater Prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) in Relation to Prairie Landscape Configuration

Abstract To better understand the role of prairie landscape configuration on the population dynamics and conservation of greater prairie-chickens, we compared population trends and breeding ecology of prairie-chickens in prairie mosaic and contiguous prairie landscapes in southwestern Missouri. Over 27 yr, the contiguous prairie landscape supported a stable population, whereas the prairie-chicken population in the prairie mosaic landscape declined. In 1986 and 1987, less than one-third of greater prairie-chicken nests occurred in native prairie habitats in the prairie mosaic landscape, but 90% of nests in the contiguous prairie area were in native prairie. Greater prairie-chicken nests established in agricultural habitats had substantially lower nest success than nests in native prairie or mixed native-exotic grass pastures. Nest success was higher in the contiguous prairie landscape than in the prairie mosaic area in 1 of 2 yr. Habitat use by broods differed between the areas: in the contiguous prairie l...

Predicting Greater Prairie-Chicken Nest Success from Vegetation and Landscape Characteristics

To aid management of prairie habitat for nesting greater-prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus), we tested whether vegetation and landscape variables could be used to predict prairie-chicken nest success. We monitored 60 nests during the 1990-92 breeding seasons in southwestern Missouri. Nest success ranged from 28 to 40% over 3 years (x = 35%). We identified 22-variable models (logistic regression) incorporating litter (horizontal, residual) and woody cover (P 0.5). Nest sites with litter cover >25% had a failure rate twice that of nests with 5% was present at nests (P = 0.01), when forb cover was ≤5% (P = 0.009), or when grass cover was ≤25% (P = 0.02). We suggest that managers can use litter accumulation of >25% as a cue to initiate management action such as burning, grazing, or haying.

Dispersion of greater prairie chicken nests in relation to lek location: evaluation of the hot-spot hypothesis of lek evolution

Dispersion of greater prairie chicken nests in relation to lek location: evaluation of the hot-spot hypothesis of lek evolution

Habitat and Investigators Influence Artificial Ground Nest Losses: Kansas

The possibility that our presence at nest sites of greater prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) increased the chance of nest predation was investigated with an artificial nest study. Five more (67 versus 62 of 96 nests) artificial nests to which one of us walked daily were destroyed than artificial nests which were set out but not approached until the 21-day experiment was over. Artificial nests approached using other practical methods (driving or a combination of walking and driving) sustained significantly more losses of up to 83 of 96 nests. Marking artificial nests with flags or disturbing surrounding vegetation apparently caused higher losses. Greater prairie chicken nests were found in only two of four habitats in which we set artificial nests; these two habitats had the densest vegetation and experienced the least artificial nest losses. Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci., Vol. 79(3-4), 1976.