AUTHORS: Gunnar R. Kramer*, Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Minnesota; Henry M. Streby, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo; Sean M. Peterson, Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Minnesota; Justin A. Lehman, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee; David A. Buehler, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee; Petra B. Wood, , U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, West Virginia University; Darin J. McNeil, Biology Department, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Jeffery L. Larkin, Biology Department, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; David E. Andersen, U.S. Geological Survey, Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Minnesota
ABSTRACT: Golden-winged warblers Vermivora chrysoptera are neotropical migrant songbirds that have experienced severe population declines across portions of their breeding distribution. Demographic studies report relatively high nest success throughout their breeding distribution, suggesting that differences in observed population trends are influenced by juvenile survival (i.e., survival once young birds leave the nest), adult survival on population-specific wintering sites, or survival during migration. To assess the potential influence of migratory and wintering ground factors on golden-winged warbler population trends, we investigated migratory connectivity in golden-winged warblers and identified wintering sites and migratory routes using light-level geolocators. In 2013, we deployed geolocators on territorial, male golden-winged warblers in both Minnesota (n = 20) and Tennessee (n = 20) and recaptured them upon their return to breeding areas in the spring of 2014 (n = 9, MN; n = 6, TN). In addition to recapturing returning geolocator-marked birds in 2014, we deployed geolocators on male golden-winged warblers at the same sites in Minnesota (n = 23) and Tennessee (n = 1), and at a site in eastern Pennsylvania (n = 20). In 2015, we recovered geolocators from 3 birds in Minnesota, 1 bird in Tennessee, and 4 birds in Pennsylvania. We present preliminary findings from these efforts including effects of geolocators on return rates, body condition, and arrival date. We describe the wintering locations and migratory routes of geolocator-marked golden-winged warblers from each of these populations and discuss resulting implications for full life-cycle conservation.
