Habitat use of Golden-Cheeked Warblers in Travis County, Texas

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references.Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) behavior was correlated with microhabitat (i.e., tree species and height) and microhabitat availability. Vegetation in territories was quantitatively described, related to behavioral observations, and compared to vegetation in stands of warbler habitat. The breeding season was divided into two parts (March-April and May-June); the second part being characterized by the presence of young. Golden-cheeked Warblers switched from foraging in Plateau live oaks (Quercus fusiformis; 88i) in March-April to foraging in Ashe junipers (juniperus Ashei; 49i) and Plateau live oaks (27-.) in May-June. Warblers also switched from foraging relatively high in the canopy (over 5 m; 610-o) early in the breeding season to relatively low (under 5 m; 820-.) in May-June. Habitat use analyses suggested warblers used vegetation over 5 m and Plateau live oaks, scaley bark oaks (Q. sinuata var. breviloba), and cedar elms (Ulmus crassifolia) more than expected based on foliage-volume availability. The comparison of vegetation components in territories and in habitat stands indicated Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat was relatively homogeneous. However, vegetation in territories appeared to be more dense than in the surrounding woodland stand. Based on microhabitat-use data, vegetation structure in the lower-and middle-height classes should be protected and Ashe juniper should be viewed as providing foraging substrate