Title
Northern bobwhite habitat use and survival on a South Carolina plantation during winter
Author(s)
Dixon K.R., Horner M.A., Anderson S.R., Henriques W.D., Durham D., Kendall R.J.
Published
1996
Publisher
Wildlife Society Bulletin
Abstract
Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) were radiotagged and monitored to investigate habitat use and the impacts of hunting on survival in winter. The study was conducted November-March, 1991-1992 in 3 separate study areas of the Ashepoo Plantation in the South Carolina coastal plain. We used a computer program that integrates analysis of radiotelemetry data with a geographic information system to determine habitat preference and avoidance. The Kaplan-Meier method with staggered design was used to calculate survival estimates for 71 radiotagged bobwhites representing 15 coveys. Little habitat preference was observed in covey home-range habitat compared with the plantation cover types. Selection within covey home ranges showed a general preference for agricultural fields and little preference for pine habitat. No significant difference in survival was found among study sites. Survival of bobwhites in hunted coveys was significantly lower than in nonhunted coveys. Predation was a significant mortality factor on 1 study site and indicated that hunting might be noncompensatory in late winter.
Keywords
GIS; habitat use; northern bobwhite; radio-tagging; survival; USA, South Carolina, Ashepoo Plantation; Colinus virginianus
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PUB12962