Habitat selection of the Wood Thrush nesting in east 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.Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.In this study, I (1) describe habitat features important to Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) nesting in eastern Texas, and (2) describe the effects of different edge habitats on their reproductive success. I conducted my study during 1993-1994 at the Sam Houston National Forest in San Jacinto County, Texas. I found 41 nests during 1993 and 14 nests during 1994. Vegetative measurements collected at nest sites were compared to random sites. The proportion of hardwoods in the 5-15-cm category was significantly higher for nest sites. Nest sites had significantly greater mean percent canopy closure than random sites. Mean foliage densities were significantly greater for nest sites in the 7-10-m canopy layer. Wood Thrushes built nests in the dense foliage at the upper understory (2-4 m) and midstory (6-10 m) despite the availability of taller overstory trees. Percent of nests which fledged young was 27.00-o in 1993 and 50.0'-. in 1994. Percent of nests predated was 67.6% in 1993 and 50.0% in 1994. Nest predation was examined in relation to distance from plantations, clearcuts, fields, and roads. More nests were predated than were successful in all categories of edge, except fields. A significant number of successful nests were built > 100 m from plantations. I observed a significant interaction between the distance a nest was located from an edge and the height of the nest. Nests built > 6 m in height near clearcuts appeared to be more frequently predated. Percent of nests parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) was 2.7% in 1993 and 7.1% in 1994