Habitat use by birds in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and peaks in food availability
Brush T. 1983. Habitat use by birds in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and peaks in food availability. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 64(2):182
A study is in progress to determine factors affecting habitat choice by birds in a heterogeneous landscape. Early data suggested that nest sites were limiting for Carolina Chickadees (Parus carolinensis), but experiments cast doubt on that hypothesis. Chickadees and other birds appeared to compare and use habitats based on peaks in food availability. Oak-pine habitat showed peak bird use and arthropod numbers in May-June and August-September, while birds were more common in pine-oak habitat primarily during July, October and January-March. When pines were present in the absence of oak, birds peaked in July only, possibly because of the lack of oak leaves and arthropods. Data suggest that microclimate and foliage availability are unimportant in determining changes in habitat use.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Brush, Timothy
- Units
- PINE
- Keywords
- Abundance, Animal Studies, Birds, Ecology, Food, Habitat Use, Impact, Research Article