Honors Theses
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Completion
4-2024
Academic Year
2023-2024
Department
Biology
Academic Major
Biology
Faculty Advisor
Trixie Pittman, Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor
Patrick J. Ruhl, Ph.D.
Abstract
Habitat choice influences survival by affecting access to resources, shelter from predators, mating opportunities, and numerous other costs and benefits. As such, habitat conservation is crucial, especially for migratory songbirds which are declining primarily due to habitat destruction. White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) are a well-studied migratory songbird, but little is known about their roosting behaviors or how those behaviors are affected by sex, color morph, or weather. To determine this, we tracked White-throated Sparrows to their roosts, determined core home ranges, and analyzed the average distances of roost sites to the home range centroids according to these factors. A logistic regression showed that wind, rain, and barometric pressure were both positively correlated with increased distances to centroid, though the extent varied between individuals. While the mean distances to centroid was 2.1 times greater for females than males and 2.4 times greater for white color morphs than tan, a Wilcoxon rank sum exact test did not produce a statistically significant result for either. This study demonstrates that weather conditions influence roost site selection and indicates a strong likelihood that sex and color morph could influence roosting distributions. As such, sex, color morph, and weather may influence habitat usages, and thus indicate new habitats in need of conservation.
Recommended Citation
Stephens, Rebecca, "Influences of Sex, Morph, and Weather on Roosting Distributions in Overwintering White-throated Sparrows (_Zonotrichia albicollis_)" (2024). Honors Theses. 28.
https://scholarworks.harding.edu/honors-theses/28
Included in
Behavior and Ethology Commons, Biology Commons, Forest Management Commons, Ornithology Commons
