Browsing by Subject "quail"
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Item Species visitation at free-choice quail feeders in west Texas(Texas A&M University, 2006-08-16) Henson, Kelly DianeProviding supplemental feed is a popular management practice for quail (northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus and scaled quail Callipepla squamata ) in Texas. It is common knowledge that non-target species, e.g., raccoons (Procyon lotor), are frequent visitors at feeding stations intended for quail. However, empirical data are scarce on seasonal visitation rates at such feeders, either by quail or by non-target species. The ecological efficacy and economic efficiency of a feeding program for quail depends on several variables; perhaps the most important of these is how much of the feed is consumed by quail versus various non-target species. I monitored species visitation seasonally at free-choice quail feeders with motion-sensing cameras at 4 sites in West Texas (Coke, Fisher and Stonewall counties). Quail feeders were monitored using active-infrared sensing camera systems and passive-infrared video systems, to compare data obtained via these 2 surveillance techniques. I tested 2 research hypotheses: 1) that quail feeders are visited by a wide range of non-target species; and 2) active-infrared surveillance will yield a more precise estimate of species visitation than estimates derived from passive video surveillance. Major findings included documentation of approximately 14 mammalian and 18 avian species that were recorded in a total of 6,558 events. Data analysis yielded a chronology of feeding behavior by all visiting species. I found that species visitation at quail feeders varied according to season, with the greatest number of events occurring during the fall and the fewest during the winter. Feeder visitation also varied according to lunar phase, with the fewest events occurring during the new moon phase. I recorded the duration of each event monitored on videotape, a total of 29,235 minutes, and determined that feeder visitation by raccoons comprised 43.2% of all time spent at quail feeders across all species. Visitation by bobwhite and scaled quail comprised only 5.4% of time spent at quail feeders by all visiting species. This study confirmed the need for strategy implementation that minimizes non-target consumption of feed intended for quail.Item The Texas Quail Index: Evaluating Predictors of Quail Abundance Using Citizen Science(2009-05-15) Reyna, Kelly ShaneAnnual abundance of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) fluctuates drastically in Texas, which complicates a quail manager?s ability to forecast quail abundance for the ensuing hunting season. The Texas Quail Index (TQI) was a 5-year citizen-science project that evaluated several indices of quail abundance and habitat parameters as predictors of quail abundance during the ensuing fall. I found that spring cock-call counts explained 41% of the variation in fall covey-call counts for all study sites in year 1?4, and 89% of the variation in year 5. Further investigation revealed that year 5 was a drought year and had a significantly lower percentage of juveniles in the hunter?s bag. These results suggest that during drought years, fall quail abundance is more predictable than during non-drought years and that low breeding success may be the reason. If these data are correct, quail managers should have a better ability to predict the declines of their fall quail abundance in the dry years. The TQI relied on citizen scientists (cooperators) to collect data. Since most (66.1%) cooperators dropped out of the program, and <8% of all data sets were complete, I surveyed the cooperators by mail to determine the rate and cause of cooperator decline and to identify characteristics of a reliable cooperator (i.e., one that did not drop out of the study). I found that cooperator participation declined earlier each year for year 1?4, and that year 5 demonstrated a steady trend with the least amount of cooperators. Most respondents who dropped out (61.5%) reported their motive for leaving was that it was too time consuming. I found no difference in mean cooperator demographics, satisfaction, or landownership goals between those respondents who dropped out and those that did not. However, 38% of those who dropped out were not completely satisfied with communication from TQI coordinators compared to only 15% of those who did not drop out, indicating that communication, or perhaps overall volunteer management, might have been improved. Future studies should maintain better communication with participants, require less time, and provide an incentive for retention.