Breeding ecology of the mourning dove on the Texas A & M University campus /.
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| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1980.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Link to ProQuest copy Link to OAKTrust copy |
| Abstract: | This study collected data on mourning doves on the Texas A&M University campus, College Station, Texas from 1978 through 1979. During this study 2,258 doves were banded and 1,620 were recaptured for a total of 3,878 observations at a rate of 0.6 trap days per dove. Primary feather molt patterns determined from recaptures of adult doves indicated primary feathers were molted at a rate of 19.9 days per primary but no dove was observed to have completed primary molt during September. Primary feather molt of juveniles was found to be significantly slower than observed by others in studies of caged birds. On an approximately 10 ha study area, 78 nests were observed in 1978 of which 35% were successful in fledging a t least 1 chick. In 1979, 158 nests were observed of which 26.6% were successful. The difference in nesting success between years was significant. Predation and precipitation were postulated as major factors in the low nesting success. Numbers of dove nests were not positively correlated with dove call-counts. A simulation of hunting mortality on nesting doves in September 1979 showed significantly reduced survivorship of nests with young less than 7 days old, but not with nests with eggs, or young older than 6 days. Fifty continuous hours of rain was a significant factor in destruction of both control and disturbed nests. Weather and predation were the major identifiable sources of nest destruction in the single parent nest study. |
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| Item Description: | "Major subject: Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences." Typescript (photocopy). Vita. |
| Physical Description: | ix, 55 leaves : illustrations, graphs ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-48). |