Cover and space requirements of Attwater's prairie chicken (Tympanuchus Cupido Attwateri) in Refugio County, Texas

Vita.Data on the ranges, movements, reproductive activities, and associated cover types of the Attwater's prairie chicken were collected from 1 January 1976 through 31 August 1977, on the 6,400 ha Lake Pasture of the O'Connor Brothers' Riverside Ranch, in Refugio County, Texas. Radio telemetry data indicated that mean monthly ranges for male Attwater's prairie chicken varied from 28 to 211 ha. Maximum ranges were associated with the fall booming season (September-November) and the winter booming season (December-February). Minimum ranges were associated with the nesting season (March-May) and the brooding season (June-August). Mean monthly ranges for female Attwater's prairie checken ranged from 35 to 267 ha. Maximum ranges were associated with the winter booming season and minimum ranges were associated with the brooding season. Distances between successive daily locations varied between 0.12 to 0.58 km for males and 0.13 to 0.46 km for females. Movement indicates followed the seasonal trends evidenced by the range data. Range and movement was apparently effected by activity on and around the booming grounds, food availabilty, and temperature. Of 3,434 radioed-bird locations determined during the study, 93 percent were in the clumped midgrass type, 3 percent in the spiny aster type, 2 percent in hardpan type, 1 percent in transition and rattlebush types, and less than 1 percent were associated with unclumped midgrass cover. Based on radio tracking, night roosting was restricted to the clumped midgrass cover type. Preference indices indicated positive Attwater's prairie chicken selection for the clumped midgrass cover type throughout the year. The seasonal use of the eight cover types by Attwater's prairie chicken was not correlated with visual obstruction or vegetation height. Observations indicated that the prairie chickens avoided a cover type when vegetation exceeded 55 cm in height. The greater variation in heights due to the midgrass and tallgrass species within a short grass and forb understory of the clumped midgrass cover type may have contributed to the attractiveness of this type..