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dc.contributor.advisorKesler, Dylan C.eng
dc.contributor.authorCox, Allison S.eng
dc.date.issued2011eng
dc.date.submitted2011 Summereng
dc.descriptionTitle from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on May 22,2012).eng
dc.descriptionThe entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.eng
dc.descriptionThesis advisor: Dr. Dylan C. Keslereng
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.eng
dc.description"July 2011"eng
dc.description.abstractSurvival and dispersal during the juvenile life stage are critical to population connectivity and persistence, but the post-fledging period is the least studied stage of the avian life cycle. We intensively radio-tracked Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) from fledging to dispersal to identify patterns of prospecting, test for landscape effects on individual movement, and investigate factors with the potential to affect juvenile survival. Juveniles used a centrally-based foray prospecting strategy previously only associated with cooperatively breeding birds. Woodpeckers repeatedly forayed between returns to the natal home range to roost, and foray direction predicted eventual dispersal settlement direction. Prospecting individuals traveled along paths containing higher forest cover than was randomly available in the surrounding area. Juvenile mortality declined with age and no birds died during prospecting or dispersal stages, which suggests that dispersal is not costly in this species. We provide evidence of juvenile birds making repeated exploratory movements to inform decisions about dispersal prior to permanent departure from the natal area. In addition, we demonstrate the value of landscape habitat connectivity to a dispersing resident forest bird.eng
dc.format.extentxi, 64 pageseng
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10355/14323
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.publisherUniversity of Missouri--Columbiaeng
dc.relation.ispartofcommunityUniversity of Missouri--Columbia. Graduate School. Theses and Dissertationseng
dc.rightsOpenAccess.eng
dc.rights.licenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.
dc.subjectMelanerpes carolinuseng
dc.subjectpost-fledging survivaleng
dc.subjecthabitat connectivityeng
dc.titleNatal dispersal and survival of red-bellied woodpeckers in a fragmented landscapeeng
dc.typeThesiseng
thesis.degree.disciplineFisheries and wildlife sciences (MU)eng
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Missouri--Columbiaeng
thesis.degree.levelMasterseng
thesis.degree.nameM.S.eng


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