Breeding Ecology of Prothonotary Warblers on Abandoned Mined Lands
Category
Sciences and Technology
Department
Biology
Student Status
Graduate
Research Advisor
Dr. Andrew George
Document Type
Event
Location
Student Center Ballroom
Start Date
10-4-2025 2:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2025 4:00 PM
Description
The Prothonotary Warbler is a Neotropical migrant songbird that nests in tree cavities in forested wetlands. Despite population declines due to habitat loss in the core of their geographic range, prothonotary warblers may be expanding their range westward into Kansas, where woody encroachment and disturbance from past strip mining have resulted in extensive nesting habitat. The goal of this study is to assess population demographics on mined and unmined lands throughout the breeding season. In 2024, we located territories of prothonotary warblers and banded 4 individuals. Starting in December 2024, we placed 260 nest boxes on 8 mined and 8 unmined sites in SE Kansas and SW Missouri. Over the next two years, we will band all prothonotary warblers on all 16 sites and monitor their nest success. In addition, we are collaborating with several local Audubon chapters to attach geolocators to a subset of prothonotary warblers to study migration and dispersal patterns. Results from this study will allow us to compare occupancy rates, nest survival, and site fidelity across mined and unmined sites to determine the role these heavily disturbed ecosystems play for migratory songbirds.
Breeding Ecology of Prothonotary Warblers on Abandoned Mined Lands
Student Center Ballroom
The Prothonotary Warbler is a Neotropical migrant songbird that nests in tree cavities in forested wetlands. Despite population declines due to habitat loss in the core of their geographic range, prothonotary warblers may be expanding their range westward into Kansas, where woody encroachment and disturbance from past strip mining have resulted in extensive nesting habitat. The goal of this study is to assess population demographics on mined and unmined lands throughout the breeding season. In 2024, we located territories of prothonotary warblers and banded 4 individuals. Starting in December 2024, we placed 260 nest boxes on 8 mined and 8 unmined sites in SE Kansas and SW Missouri. Over the next two years, we will band all prothonotary warblers on all 16 sites and monitor their nest success. In addition, we are collaborating with several local Audubon chapters to attach geolocators to a subset of prothonotary warblers to study migration and dispersal patterns. Results from this study will allow us to compare occupancy rates, nest survival, and site fidelity across mined and unmined sites to determine the role these heavily disturbed ecosystems play for migratory songbirds.
