Movements and Behavior of Transplanted Radio-tagged Prairie Chickens in Wisconsin
File(s)
Date
1976-05-07Author
Toepfer, John E.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Movements of seven transplanted greater prairie chickens
(Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) were compared with nine residents
during 1973 and 1974. Movements of three cocks, transplanted in
April 1973 were characterized by a period of orientation during
which mean day-to-day movements (0.78 miles) were 2.5 times greater
than those of three resident cocks (0.31 miles). Transplant cocks
"settled down" 26, 22, and 29 days after their respective releases.
Movements of transplant and resident cocks were comparable over
the remainder of the study. Movements of a single cock, transplanted
on 1 August 1974 were comparable to those of resident cocks. Mean
day-to-day pre-nesting movements of spring transplant hens (0.37miles)
were comparable to those of resident hens (0.38 miles). All of the
transplant hens nested and hatched broods. Three of four resident
hens nested, but only one hatched out a brood. Results indicate that
transplanted hen prairie chickens can establish and successfully nest
when released into a population of resident cocks.