Wetland suitability for waterbirds in Illinois

Waterfowl, marsh birds, shorebirds, and other waterbirds rely on wetlands to meet dynamic physiological needs. However, the midwestern United States has undergone extensive wetland loss, and extant wetlands are often degraded. Currently, there is limited information available to estimate the quantity of suitable habitat for wetland-dependent birds to prioritize wetland management and inform conservation planning processes. Furthermore, the hydrology and other physical characteristics of wetlands that determine their suitability for waterbirds often differ among species, foraging guilds, and temporally. The suitability of stopover wetlands used by spring migrants influences survival and body condition of some species as they prepare for breeding, and most secretive marsh birds species have experienced population declines presumably linked to losses in quantity and suitability of habitat during the breeding season. Therefore, I identified factors that influenced the availability of suitable waterbird habitat and provided baseline data on the spatial distribution and extent of wetlands capable of supporting migratory and breeding bird populations in Illinois. I assessed habitat conditions in Illinois wetlands during spring, summer, and autumn 2016 – 2017 across Illinois Natural Divisions. Each spring, I surveyed wetland sites for dabbling ducks and other waterbirds (e.g., geese, diving ducks, herons) using aerial surveys, and conducted call-broadcast surveys for secretive marsh birds at sites with emergent vegetation spanning the marsh bird breeding and migration chronology in Illinois. I assessed wetland suitability for dabbling ducks, marsh birds, and shorebirds; waterfowl and other waterbird abundances; and marsh bird occupancy as a function of local wetland characteristics, landscape context and integrity, and wetland management practices and characteristics to assist conservation planners prioritize wetland restoration and enhancement in the Midwest, USA. Across all survey periods, suitable vegetative and hydrological conditions for wetland-dependent bird guides comprised a small portion of the total area of wetlands and deepwater habitats within the National Wetlands Inventory. Furthermore, important vegetation cover and inundation levels considered suitable for waterbirds varied among NWI classes and Illinois Natural Divisions. Suitable emergent vegetation for migrating and breeding marsh birds and mudflats and shallowly inundated foraging habitats for migrating shorebirds were particularly limited during survey periods, and wetlands with greater complexity and connectivity to other wetland types offered the greatest proportion of suitable habitat resources. Surface water inundation and vegetation coverage were the most important predictors of waterbird density during spring migration; for every 10% increase in the proportion of inundated vegetation, dabbling duck density increased 34.8%. Similarly, local wetland characteristics such as inundated persistent emergent vegetation and forested cover, and to a lesser extent, persistent emergent vegetation, were important components predicting marsh bird occupancy in Illinois. My study highlights a poor representation by the National Wetlands Inventory of the quantity of suitable habitat conditions for migratory wetland-dependent birds, specifically wetland inundation and vegetation cover. Future emphasis should be placed on identifying variables appropriate for predicting wetland suitability for waterbirds by combining National Wetlands Inventory data with other available spatial data and addressing demographic responses (e.g., survival, nest success, breeding propensity) of waterbirds to suitable habitat in Illinois since suitable habitat appears to be very limited for some waterbird guilds

Identifying Wetland Availability and Quality For Focal Species of the Illinois Wetlands Campaign W-184-R-1

The purpose of the study was to estimate functional quality of wetlands for focal species of the Illinois Wetlands Campaign, including the following objectives: 1) Estimate wetland habitat quality during spring, summer, and autumn for focal species of the Illinois Wetlands Campaign; 2) Develop a model to predict wetland quality for focal species of the Illinois Wetlands Campaign relative to wetland and landscape characteristics.Illinois Department of Natural Resources Contract Number: RC09-13FWUIUC Subagreement Number: SIU Carbondale 15-01unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Wetland Management Strategies that Maximize Marsh Bird Use in the Midwest: Annual Performance Report Period: 1 July 2016 – 30 June 2017

We determined marsh bird use across a wide range of wetland types (e.g., emergent, non-vegetated, riparian), hydrologic regimes (e.g., temporary, seasonal, semi-permanent), management practices (e.g., active, passive, unmanaged), and past disturbance regimes (e.g., natural and restored, impounded and unimpounded) in Illinois during late spring and early summer in 2015–2017. Our objectives were to 1) compare marsh bird use of restored and natural wetlands, 2) determine characteristics of wetlands and the surrounding landscape that influence marsh bird use of restored and natural wetlands, 3) compare marsh bird use of wetland impoundments managed for waterfowl across a continuum of management intensities and strategies to predict how these actions can increase use by both waterfowl and marsh birds. Additionally, we surveyed marsh birds using the standard protocols on wetlands concurrently surveyed within the Illinois Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) for comparison of methodologies. We will provide marsh bird and other wetland-associated bird data to the Midwest Avian Data Center and the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) and other conservation partners.Our data will be used as a basis for establishment of multi-group management strategies for marsh birds in the Midwest. These data will be especially useful as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) finalizes their Wetlands Campaign and Conservation Strategy as part of the Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan and Strategy (i.e., wildlife action plan; ICWCPS). Moreover, our research addresses several priorities outlined in the Midwest bird monitoring framework outlined by Koch et al. (2010), including furthering understanding of the ecology and conservation priorities for migrating birds, evaluating effectiveness of conservation actions such as wetland restoration, and increasing access to bird data relative to landscape characteristics for use in conservation planning.Unites States Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Number: F14AP00485unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Wetland Management Strategies that Maximize Marsh Bird Use in the Midwest: Final Performance Report: F14AP00485

We sought to investigate marsh bird occupancy and abundance across a wide range of representative wetlands types, hydrologic regimes, management practices, and former disturbance regimes in Illinois. We hypothesized that characteristics of wetlands that were actively and passively managed for waterfowl would be positively correlated with marsh bird occupancy and abundance in Illinois during the migration and breeding seasons. Our specific objectives were to: 1) compare marsh bird use of wetland impoundments managed for waterfowl across a continuum of management intensities and strategies to predict how impoundment management actions can increase use by both groups; 2) compare marsh bird use of restored and natural wetlands; and 3) determine characteristics of wetlands and the surrounding landscape that influence marsh bird use of restored wetlands. Our results are important to understanding spatiotemporal, hydrological, and vegetative conditions suitable for multi-species management of wetlands. Moreover, our research provided information regarding the effectiveness of conservation actions, particularly wetland restoration in meeting conservation priorities for migrating birds.U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programsunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Illinois Waterfowl Surveys and Investigations W-43-R-64 Annual Progress Report FY2017 Period: 1 July 2016 – 30 June 2017

Objectives 1) Inventory abundance and distribution of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other waterbirds (a minimum of 10 species and guilds) during autumn migration at a minimum of 30 sites along and nearby the Illinois and central Mississippi rivers, 2) Estimate waterfowl and other waterbird population sizes (a minimum of 10 species and guilds) during autumn migration using an aerial quadrat survey in the central Illinois River Valley for comparison with aerial inventories (Objective 1), 3) Investigate movement and population ecology of lesser scaup, canvasback, and other diving ducks by trapping and leg-banding a minimum of 1,000 individuals during spring migration along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, 4) Investigate the ecology of American green-winged teal and gadwall by radio-marking a minimum of 40 individuals of each species during spring migration in and nearby the central Illinois River Valley, 5) Investigate movements and home range size of a minimum of 10 Canada geese during winter in and near the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area (GCMA) of Illinois, 6) Determine habitat quality of a minimum of 50 wetland and deepwater polygons during spring, summer, and early autumn for migrating dabbling ducks, breeding wetland birds, and migrating shorebirds in Illinois, and 7) Distribute results and findings to site managers and biologists of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and other state agencies, the Mississippi Flyway Technical Section, the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region (UMRGLR) Joint Venture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other scientists and collaborators as requested, and the general public through oral presentations, popular articles, technical reports, and peer reviewed publications; make recommendations for future wetland management practices and research needs based on results and related research; contribute to regional conservation planning efforts during the project period as appropriate and requested.Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Number: RC09-13FWUIUCunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Illinois Waterfowl Surveys and Investigations W-43-R-63 Annual Progress Report FY2016 Period: 1 July 2015 – 30 June 2016

Objectives 1) Inventory abundance and distribution of waterfowl and other waterbirds (a minimum of 10 species and guilds) during autumn migration at a minimum of 30 sites along the Illinois and central Mississippi rivers of Illinois, 2) Estimate waterfowl and other waterbird population sizes (a minimum of 10 species and guilds) during autumn migration using an aerial quadrat survey along the central Illinois River for comparison with aerial inventories (Objective 1), 3) Investigate the ecology of up to 50 gadwall and 50 American green-winged teal during spring migration in and near the central Illinois River valley of Illinois, 4) Determine breeding bird use of and nest density in a minimum of 10 moist-soil wetlands managed for waterfowl during summer in central Illinois, 5) Investigate the breeding ecology of a minimum of 50 sandhill cranes during spring and summer in northeastern Illinois consistent with an ongoing research project, 6) Investigate movements and home range size of a minimum of 10 Canada geese during winter in and near the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area of Illinois, and 7) Determine habitat quality of a minimum of 100 wetlands and deepwater habitats during spring, summer, and early autumn for migrating dabbling ducks, breeding wetland birds, and migrating shorebirds in Illinois.Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Number: RC09-13FWUIUCunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Illinois Waterfowl Surveys and Investigations W-43-R-65-A Annual Progress Report FY2018

Study objectives were: 1)Inventory abundance and distribution of waterfowl and other waterbirds (≥10 species and guilds) during autumn (September–January) and spring migration (February–April) at a minimum of 30 sites along and nearby the Illinois and central Mississippi Rivers, 2)Use data from an aerial quadrat survey in the central Illinois River Valley to estimate waterfowl and other waterbird population sizes (≥10 species and guilds) during autumn migration for comparison with aerial inventories (Objective1) and make recommendations for modifications to aerial inventory design and methodology, 3)Contribute to efforts to study population ecology of lesser scaup and canvasback by trapping and leg-banding a minimum of 1,000 individuals during spring migration in the Illinois River Valley, 4)Investigate the ecology of American green-winged teal and gadwall by radio-marking a minimum of 40 individuals of each species during spring migration in and nearby the central Illinois RiverValley,5)Determine habitat quality of ≥50 wetland and deepwater polygons during spring, summer, and early autumn for migrating dabbling ducks, breeding wetland birds, and migrating shorebirds, respectively,in Illinois,and6)Distribute results and findings to site managers and biologists of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and other state agencies, the Mississippi Flyway Technical Section, the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region (UMRGLR) Joint Venture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,other scientists and collaborators as requested, and the general public through oral presentations, popular articles, technical reports, and peer-reviewed publications; make recommendations for future wetland management practices and research needs based on results and related research; contribute to regional wetland and waterbird conservation planning efforts during the project period as appropriate and requested.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration W-43-R-65-AIllinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlifeunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Wetland management strategies that maximize marsh bird use in the midwest : Annual Performance Report 1 July 2017 – 30 June 2018

It is widely assumed that waterfowl management activities benefit a variety of wetland dependent birds, but few studies have empirically evaluated those benefits or tradeoffs among multi-species management strategies. In particular, marsh birds are an understudied guild of migratory birds of conservation concern that can be valuable indicators of wetland health and may benefit from wetland management for waterfowl. We assessed marsh bird occupancy of wetlands across Illinois to better understand how natural wetland characteristics, management for waterfowl, and surrounding landscape characteristics influence marsh bird occupancy of wetlands.During late spring and early summer 2015–2017, we conducted call -back surveys to assess marsh bird occupancy of wetlands with respect to wetland characteristics and management throughout Illinois. We surveyed marsh birds three times annually at focal sites (i.e., sites selected for their passive or active management for waterfowl), random sites (i.e., emergent, pond, or lake polygons from the National Wetland Inventory), and Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) sites (i.e., randomly selected wetlands concurrently surveyed by the Illinois Natural History Survey’s CTAP). We recorded 3,680 marsh bird detections including nine of ten target species with American coot (Fulica americana; 61.3%) and sora (Porzana carolina; 26.7%) most oftendetected. The odds of detecting marsh birds declined 33.9% (33.0 – 34.9%) each week from the beginning of the survey period. The odds that a marsh bird occupyied a random or focal wetlandsite was 2.29 (0.44 – 6.99) and 5.11 (1.10 – 16.78) times greater than a CTAP wetland, respectively. Focal wetlands had 0.8 (-0.54 – 6.10) times greater odds of being occupied than random wetlands. Moreover, marsh bird occupancy generally increased with wetland complexity. Specifically, sites classified as moderately-low (level 2) and moderately-high (level 5) complex were 9.91 (0.21 – 97.60) and 27.79 (2.05 – 270.56) times more likely to be occupied than monotypic habitats (level 1), respectively. We further analyz ed marsh bird data separately by vegetation association allowing us to further examine patterns of occupancy by marsh bird guild . For example, marsh bird species associated with emergent vegetation occupied wetlands with greater habitat complexity, inundation area, and proportion of habitat classified as dense persistent emergent vegetation, whereas, open-water associated marsh birds were positively related to habitat complexity, and varied among site types and waterfowl management intensities. Under detailed circumstances, waterfowl habitat management positively influenced marsh bird occupancy, yet , not all marsh bird species or guilds responded accordingly. Specifically, open-water associated marsh birds had greater occupancy of focal managed waterfowl sites , whereas, the intensity of waterfowl management and other site characteristicsdetermined the attractiveness of wetlands to marsh birds associated with emergent vegetation. At great levels of waterfowl management intensity, managers control hydrology or mechanically disturb soils or vegetation limiting the growth or persistence of emergent vegetation sought by secretive marsh birds during the spring migration period. Moreover, drainage of wetlands to prepare for spring planting of agricultural grains or to promote early successional vegetation prior to completion of marsh bird migration creates inaccessible habitat and likely drives some of the patterns witnessed. Marsh bird occupancy can be increased on areas managed for waterfowlif practices maintain inundated emergent vegetation through the marsh bird breeding season. Additionally, managers should focus efforts on wetlands in landscapes with limited disturbance, high habitat complexity, large wetland area, and high percent cover of dense persistent emergent vegetation lead to increased marsh bird occupancy rates.The following information is a preliminary thesis chapter addressing the first and third objectives outlined in the scope of work. Analyses addressing the second objective are ongoing and will be reported in full in the upcoming final performance report (on or before 31 March 2019). All results presented at this time are preliminary and subject to change.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Number: F14AP00485unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Wetland management strategies that maximize marsh bird use in the midwest : Annual Performance Report 1 July 2017 – 30 June 2018

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Number: F14AP00485unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Human access constrains optimal foraging and habitat availability in an avian generalist

<p>Animals balance costs of anti-predator behaviors with resource acquisition to minimize hunting and other mortality risks and maximize their physiological condition. This inherent trade-off between forage abundance and quality, and mortality risk is intensified in human-dominated landscapes because fragmentation, habitat loss, and degradation of natural vegetation communities is often coupled with artificially-enhanced vegetation (i.e., food plots) creating high-risk high-reward resource selection decisions. Our goal was to evaluate autumn–winter resource selection trade-offs for an intensively hunted avian generalist. We hypothesized human access was a reliable cue for hunting predation risk and thus predicted resource selection patterns would be spatiotemporally dependent upon levels of access and their perceived risk. Specifically, we evaluated resource selection of local-scale flights between diel periods of 426 mallards (<em>Anas</em> <em>platyrhynchos</em>) relative to wetland type, forage quality, and differing levels of human access across hunting and non-hunting seasons. Mallards selected areas that prohibited human access and generally avoided areas that allowed access diurnally, especially during hunting season. Mallards compensated by selecting for high-energy and greater quality foraging patches on allowable human access areas nocturnally when they were devoid of hunters. Post-season selection across human access gradients did not return to pre-hunting levels immediately, perhaps suggesting a delayed response to reacclimate to non-hunted activities and thus agreeing with the assessment mismatch hypothesis. Last, wetland availability and human access constrained selection for optimal natural forage quality (i.e., seed biomass and forage productivity) diurnally during pre-season and hunting season, respectively; however, mallards were freed from these constraints nocturnally during hunting season and during post-season. Our results suggest risk-avoidance of human accessible (i.e., hunted) areas is a primary driver of resource selection behaviors by mallards and could be a local to landscape-level process influencing distributions, instead of forage abundance and quality, which has long-been assumed by waterfowl conservation planners in North America. Broadly, even an avian generalist, well-adapted to anthropogenic landscapes, avoids areas where hunting and human access is allowed. Future conservation planning and implementation must consider management for recreational access (i.e., people) equally important as foraging habitat management for wintering waterfowl.</p><p>Funding provided by: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/02jfv6690<br>Award Number: </p><p>Funding provided by: United States Fish and Wildlife Service<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/04k7dar27<br>Award Number: </p><p>Funding provided by: Ducks Unlimited Canada<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/04p45sn64<br>Award Number: </p><p>We captured male and female mallards in Tennessee from October–February 2019 through 2022. We banded ducks with U.S. Geological Survey aluminum tarsal bands and determined sex and age based on cloacal inversion, wing plumage and bill color (Carney 1992). We attached 20 g solar rechargeable and remotely programmable, OrniTrack Global Positioning System-Global System for Mobile transmitters (GPS-GSM; Ornitela, UAB Švitrigailos, Vilnius, Lithuania) to birds weighing ≥1,000 g to ensure deployment packages remained below 3 of an individuals' body weight (Frair et al. 2010). We programmed GPS-GSM transmitters to record hourly locations throughout the duration of the study.</p> <p>We filtered "used" locations to only those that were recorded within our spatial wetland extent data layer. Next, we generated 20-km circular buffers around used locations which corresponded to the maximum distance associated with local-scale flights (Appendix S1:Figure A1). We intersected 20-km buffers by our wetland data layer to ensure random locations were generated on available foraging habitat (i.e., on water) at each step. We then simulated 19 random locations within each buffer so each strata comprised 1 used location and 19 available locations for a 5% to 95% used to available ratio (de la Torre 2022).</p> <p>We modeled resource selection using conditional logit models (i.e., discrete choice; Beatty et al. 2014<em>a</em>,<em>b</em>, Palumbo et al. 2019). We fit conditional logit models in the <em>survival </em>package using function <em>clogit</em> (Therneau 2020). We fitted separate candidate models for each season (i.e., pre-, hunting, and post-season) and diel period combination (i.e., diurnal and nocturnal) to account for and interpret variation in food depletion (Hagy and Kaminski 2015, Highway 2022), life-history events (e.g., pairing chronology; Heitmeyer 1985:268–269), and hunting mortality exposure (Palumbo et al. 2019; 6 candidate model sets × 2 diel periods × 3 seasons).</p&gt