First-ever satellite tracking of Black Terns (Chlidonias niger): Insights into home range and habitat selection.

ABSTRACT: Understanding animal movement across the annual cycle is critical for developing appropriate conservation plans, but the large size and high cost of tracking devices can limit the spatial and temporal resolution at which movement data can be collected, especially for small avian species. Furthermore, for species with low breeding site fidelity, the ability to obtain tracking data from small, archival tags is hindered by low recapture rates. We deployed satellite tracking devices on four adult Black Terns (Chlidonias niger), a declining waterbird with low site fidelity, to examine space use and selection of resources within individual breeding home ranges. We also provide a preliminary assessment of habitat use during fall stopover. We found that home ranges were extensive (mean 283.

SUBMITTER: McKellar AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10651349 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature