Illinois Department of Conservationunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Buhnerkempe, John E.

Westemeier, Ronald L.

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Grassland Wildlife Nest Studies, 1985

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ILLINOISNATURAL HISTORYSURVEYSection of Wildlife ResearchFINAL REPORT SUBMITTED TOILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATIONGRASSLAND WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENTINVESTIGATIONS24 June - 31 August 1985byJohn E . BuhnerkempeRonald L . WestemeierGRASSLAND WILDLIFE NEST STUDIES, 1985(A final report due the IDOC, Div. of Forestry andNatural Heritage by 31 August 1985)Prepared by : John E. BuhnerkempeRonald L . WestemeierIllinois State Natural History SurveyThe purpose of this report is to providethe Illinois Department ofConservation (IDOC) with results of research done on nesting grasslandwildlife in 1985 . The study was made possible in part by a grant from theIllinois Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund and funds from Federal Aid inWildlife Restoration Project W-66-R .This study is part of a long-term research project undertaken in 1963by the Illinois State Natural History Survey to develop managementstrategies for grassland wildlife with the emphasis on the greater prairie-chicken (Tympaniir.hus cupidQ pinnatits) . Specific objectives are to (1)describe trends in grassland wildlife abundance, (2) determine habitatpreferences of nesting grassland wildlife, (3) develop baselinereproductive data on grassland wildlife, and (4) determine effects of theexotic ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) on native wildlife. Wethank S .A. Simpson, W . Pruemer, and P . Butler for their help with the fieldwork .STUDY AREA AND METHODSThe study was conducted on prairie-chicken sanctuaries owned or leasedby the IDOC and The Nature Conservancy, primarily in Jasper County (Fig. 1)with a minimal effort in Marion County, Illinois (Fig . 2) . Sanderson etal . (1973) and Westemeier (1973,1984a) provided descriptions of the studyareas .Nest searches were conducted on foot or with a cable-chain drag .Systematic searching on foot was described by Westeneier (1973) andWestemeier and Buhnerkempe (1983), and methods for cable-chain draggingfollowed Higgins et al . (1977) .RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONA total of 45 fields covering 123 ha dominated by Introduced grasses,native grasses, and/or forbs were searched on foot for bird and mammalnests . Also, another 49 ha of grasslands were searched with the use of acable-chain drag . The search located 336 bird nests of 11 differentspecies .Nest DensitiesAll species, except the dickcissel (Sni7aAmericana)and mourningdove (Zenaida macroura), had higher nest densities than in 1984 (Table1) . Substantial Increases in nest densities of 50% and 611% occurred forthe northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and the microtines,respectively . The dickcissel and mourning dove were the only speciesshowing large declines in nest densities .Comparing 1985 nest densities with the mean densities from 1966through 1985 showed microtines and dickcisseis to be at depressed levels(Table 1) . Nest densities for the ring-necked pheasant and mallard (Analnlatyrhynchos) were at their highest levels since their introduction intothe avian community in 1969 and 1977, respectively . Also, nest densitiesfor northern bobwhites and eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) were attheir second highest levels in 12 years . Densities of greater prairie-chicken nests densities were slightly lower than the mean density . Nest2numbers for the field sparrow (Spizella pusille), grasshopper sparrow(Ammodramus savannarum), upland sandpiper (Bartramialongican(ia), sedgewren (Cistothorns platensis), and American goldfinch (Spinns tristis)were too low to delineate trends in nest densities .Nest PlacementBoth the prairie-chicken and the ring-necked pheasant nested In covertypes at a ratio significantly different (E < 0 .05) from the ratio ofcover types available on the Jasper County prairie-chicken sanctuaries(Fig . 1) . Smooth brome (Bromiis inermis) was the preferred cover type forthe prairie-chicken and the pheasant . The northern bobwhite, red-wingedblackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), and eastern meadowlark nested In covertypes at the same proportion as was available (E > 0 .50) .Meadows subjected to various management practices from the previousyear were utilized for nesting at significantly different (P < 0 .05)ratios by the prairie-chicken, ring-necked pheasant, and red-wingedblackbird when compared to type availability (Fig . 2) . Fields leftundisturbed the previous year were preferred by all three species, and thered-winged blackbird also displayed a preference for rotary mowed meadows .The bobwhite and meadowlark nested in management types in proportion towhat was available (E > 0 .50) .Caution is necessary In drawing conclusions on nesting In relation tocover management, because (1) grasslands left undisturbed for more than Iyear lead to rapid deterioration of meadows through weed and woody sproutInvasion and excessive buildup of residue, (2) pheasant survival may beenhanced by the presence of undisturbed grasslands (Westemeier 1984a) and(3) stands unharvested for grass seed do not help pay management costs34(especially land taxes) and contribute to the local economy . Also,prairie-chickens In Marion County continue to do well, compared with thosein Jasper County, with a management strategy based more predominantly onredtop harvested for seed than is the case in Jasper County (Westemeler1984b, Westemeler and Buhnerkempe 1985) . We must have a more comprehensiveanalysis than is feasible in this report, including a look at hatchingrates in various management types, before safe conclusions can be drawn .Nest SuccessThe prairie-chicken had a nest success of 67% In 1985, slightly downfrom the rate of 71% for 1984, but still above the nest success of 52% for770 nests of known fate for the period of 1963 through 1984 in JasperCounty (Table 2) . Predation and abandonment accounted for 21% and 12%,respectively, of the prairie-chicken nest losses In 1985 . The abandonmentrate was the third highest since 1963 . The rate at which ring-neckedpheasants parasitized prairie-chicken nests was the second highest recordedsince the appearance of the pheasant on the Jasper County prairie-chickensanctuaries .Ring-necked pheasants had a nest success of 27% for all nests, butremoval of collected clutches from the sample increased the success rateto 39% (Table 2) . This nest success rate was not much different from the42% success rate from 1970 through 1984 . The most notable divergence fromprevious years data was a three-fold Increase in the abandonment rate from9% overall to 28% in 1985 .Nest success for the northern bobwhite was 36% in 1985 (Table 2),considerably lower than the 50% success rate for nests from 1967 through1984 . The reason for the decrease in nest success was an Increase In thedesertion rate from 15% for nests found from 1963 through 1984, to 29% in1985 .Above-average precipitation In Jasper County may be a factor in theincreased nest abandonment noted for galliform birds In 1985 .Clutch Size, Egg Fertility and SuccessThe mean clutch size for prairie-chicken nests In 1985 (Table 3) wasslightly higher than the 11 .9 eggs per clutch found In nests from 1963through 1984 . Statistics for egg fertility were similar to the fertilityrate of 94% found from 1963 through 1984 . However, there was a drop of 15percentage points In the proportion of prairie-chicken eggs hatching in1985 as compared with 87 .8% from 1963 through 1984 .The mean clutch size of the ring-necked pheasant in 1985 (Table 3) didnot change from the average clutch size of 12 .7 from 1970 through 1984 .Fertility levels for 1985 were similar to the 93 .0% found for previousyears. Egg success for the pheasant in 1985 (73 .4%) was considerably lowerthan the overall egg success of 85 .3% .The clutch size for the northern bobwhite was almost 2 eggs higher In1985 (Table 3) than the average clutch size of 14 .7 from 1963 through 1984 .All eggs in 3 hatched bobwhite nests were successful in 1985 .Nest ParasitismClutch size was significantly larger (E < 0 .05) for parasitizedprairie-chicken nests than for unparasitized prairie-chicken nests (Table4) . The larger clutch size was due primarily to pheasants parasitizing theearly prairie-chicken nests which have larger clutch sizes than laternests .56The percentage of egg fertility was significantly lower (E < 0 .05)in parasitized prairie-chicken nests than In those not parasitized (Table4) . However, this difference seems unrelated to species Interactionsbecause fertility rates are determined prior to parasitism.In 1985, success of prairie-chicken eggs within parasitized clutcheswas not significantly lower (E > 0 .20) than was egg success for clutchesnot parasitized by pheasants . However, for the period of 1970 through 1985parasitized prairie-chicken nests did show a significantly lower (E <0 .05) rate of egg success, than was the case for unparasitized nests(Westemeier, Buhnerkempe, and Edwards In review) . In one abandonedprairie-chicken clutch in 1985, the hatching of a single parasitic pheasantchick was a sufficient stimulus to cause the prairie-chicken hen to deserther clutch of 13 eggs that were pipped, but the embryos died due to thepremature departure of the hen .CONCLUSIONS(1) Although increased nest densities were evident for some grasslandspecies in 1985, the status of several species continues to be cause forconcern, or at best their status remains uncertain .(2) Because of the continued high preference shown by prairie-chickensfor smooth brome, this cover type should probably be increased on thesanctuaries . However, since pheasants also prefer brome and becauseparasitism rates on prairie-chicken nests are highest in brome (Westemeier,Buhnerkempe, and Edwards In review), early nest searches are recommended infields of brome in order to (1) remove parasitic eggs from prairie-chickennests and (2) terminate pheasant nests .(3) Due to the similar rates of utilization of all cover types atsimilar by nesting prairie-chickens and ring-necked pheasants, alteringhabitat management practices will not reduce parasitism of prairie-chickennests or competition for nest sites between the two species . However, muchdifferent patterns of cover use by pheasants and prairie-chickens areevident for roosting (nocturnal and diurnal), escape cover, and possiblycrowing/booming territories (Westemeier 1984a) .(4) Increases in abandonment rates of nesting prairie-chickens,pheasants, and bobwhites need further research .Literature CitedHiggins, K .F., L .M. Kirsch, H.F . Duebbert, A .T . Klett, J .T. Lokemoen, H .W .Miller, and A.D. Kruse. 1977 . Consntruction and operation of cable-chain drag for nest searches . U .S . Dep . Interior, Fish and Wildl .Serv. Wildl . Leaflet 512. 14pp .Sanderson, G .C., R.L. Westemeler, and W .R. Edwards . 1973. Acquisition andmanagement of prairie chicken sanctuaries In Illinois . Pages 59-79J_u W .D . Svedarsky and T. Wolfe, eds . The prairie chicken inMinnesota. Univ. of Minn ., Crookston.Vance, D .R . and R.L . Westemeier . 1979. Interactions of pheasant andprairie chickens in Illinois . Wildl . Soc . Bull . 7(4) :221-225 .Westemeier, R.L . 1973 . Prescribed burning In grassland management forprairie chickens in Illinois . Proc . Ann . Tall Timbers Fire Ecol .Conf . 12 :317-338 .1984a . Responses and Impact by pheasants on prairie-chickensanctuaries in Illinois : a synopsis . Pages 117-122 -W R.T . Dumke,R.B. Stiehl, and R.B. Kahl, eds . Perdix III : Gray Partridge andRing-necked Pheasant Workshop . Wis. Dep . Nat . Resour ., Madison .203pp .	. 1984b . Annual prairie-chicken management report to cooperators .III . Nat. Hist. Surv . Mimeo. 29pp .and J .E . Buhnerkempe . 1983 . Responses of nesting wildlife toprairie grass management on prairie chicken sanctuaries in Illinois .Pages 39-46J_nR .Brewer, ed . Proc . Eighth North Amer . Prairie Conf .Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. 176pp .and	. 1985 . Annual prairie-chicken management report tocooperators .	Ill . Nat. Hist. Surv. Mimeo . 15pp .	,	, and W .R. Edwards . In review . Parasitism of prairie-chicken nests by pheasants in Illinois .8Table 1 . Comparison of nest densities of grassland birds and mammals for1984, 1985, and the period of 1966 through 1985 on prairie-chicken sanctuaries In Jasper County, Illinois .91984 1985 MeanDensitySpecies N /4ha N /4ha 1966-85Red-winged Blackbird 211 6 .4 229 7 .5 9 .2Eastern Meadowlark 20 0 .6 28 0 .9 1 .1Greater Prairie-Chicken 25 0 .7 24 0 .8 1 .0Dickcissel 11 0 .3 4 0 .1 1 .0Northern Bobwhite 7 0 .2 14 0.5 0 .4Mourning Dove 6 0 .2 1 0 .03 0 .3Ring-necked Pheasant 20 0.6 25 0.8 0 .2Field Sparrow 0 0 .0 2 0 .1 0 .2Grasshopper Sparrow 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 .1Upland Sandpiper 0 .0 2 0 .1 0 .05Sedge Wren 0 0.0 2 0 .1 0 .04Mallard 4 0 .1 5 0 .2 0 .03American Goldfinch 0 0.0 0 0 .0 0 .03Eastern Cottontail 0 0 .0 2 0.1 0 .3Microtines 45 1 .4 275 9 .0 40 .3Table 2 . Fates of nests for galliform birds in Jasper County, Illinois,1985 .a Chicks from both clutches were incubated and reared in captivityand released on the sanctuaries .10Nest FatesNumber of NestsGreaterPrairie-Chicken(N=24)Ring-neckedPheasant(N=26)NorthernBobwhite(N=14)Hatched 16 7 5Destroyed 5 6Predator 5 6 3Human Disturbance 0 0 2 aAbandoned 3 5 4Collected 0 8 0Parasitized 9 0 0Table 3 . Reproductive statistics for nesting galliform birds in JasperCounty, Illinois, 1985 .11GreaterPrairie-ChickenRing-neckedPheasantNorthernBobwhiteClutch size 12 .6 (16 nests) 12 .6 (15 nests) 17 .6 (7 nests)Fertile eggs/clutch 11 .7 (12 nests) 11 .3 (11 nests) 16.8 (5 nests)% Fertility 91 .5 (153 eggs) 93 .2 (133 eggs) 100 .0 (84 eggs)Hatched eggs/clutch 9 .3 (14 nests) 9 .4 (5 nests) 16 .3 (3 nests)% Egg success 72 .2 (180 eggs) 73 .4 (64 eggs) 100.0 (49 eggs)Table 4 . Comparison of reproductive statistics between prairie-chickennests parasitized by ring-necked pheasants and nests notparasitized in Jasper County, Illinois, 1985 .Parasitic Pheasant Eggs12Greater Prairie-Chicken NestsUnparasitized ParasitizedNumber of Clutches 15 9% Hatched 73 .3 55 .5% Destroyed 20 .0 22 .2% Abandoned 6 .7 22 .2Prairie-Chicken EggsClutch sizeFertile Eggs/ClutchPercent Fertility11 .7 (9 clutches)10 .7 (7 clutches)95 .0 (80 eggs)13 .9 (7 clutches)12 .8 (5 clutches)87 .7 (73 eggs)Hatched Eggs/ClutchPercent Egg Success9 .3 (8 clutches)77 .9 (95 eggs)8 .8 (5 clutches)62 .9 (70 eggs)Clutch sizeFertile Eggs/ClutchPercent Fertility2 .0 (7 clutches)1 .9 (7 clutches)92 .9 (14 eggs)Hatched Eggs/ClutchPercent Egg Success1 .8 (5 clutches)90 .0 (10 eggs)PRAIRIE CHICKEN SANCTUARIES, JASPER COUNTY1 . Ralph E .Yeatter, 77 acres2 . Max McGraw, 20 acres3. Donnelley Brothers, West 60 acres4. Cyrus H . Mark, 17 acres5. Jamerson McCormack, 80 acres6. Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey McCormick,140 acres* = Grassland Wildlife Research Lab .7 . Cyrus H . Mark, 40 acres8. Stuart H . Otis, 58 acres9. Donnelley Brothers, East 60 acres10 . Marshall Field III, 135 acres11 . Fuson Farm, 164 acres12 . Joseph W . Galbreath, 110 acres13 . Walters, 40 acres14. CIPS, 200 acresr:0401 1P	ll222Ai00.10;AW40444'.AS13_Ownership or Lease By := Illinois Department of Conservation 612 acresQ = The Nature Conservancy 	589 acresTOTAL 1,201 acresFig . 1 . Map of the Jasper County prairie-chicken sanctuaries .131 . Illinois Natural History Survey, 160 acres2 . Burridge D . Butler, 160 acres3 . Louis J. Lacey, 100 acres4 . Loy, 40 acres5. Loy, 100 acres6. Perbix-Lacey 11, 80 acres7 . Copple, 80 acres8. Soldner, 40 acresTOTAL 760 acresOWNERSHIP OR LEASE BY :PRAIRIE CHICKEN SANCTUARIES, MARION COUNTYA = Illinois Dept . of Conservation0 =The Nature ConservancyFig . 2. Map of the Marion County prairie-chicken sanctuaries .1411L . . .STEPHEN A. FORBESSTATE PARK1RVRILRBLG(123ha);1)	III811n8111111188881HORTHERN BOBNHITE(11=14 )~;~ilillll ?~118111111118II~~11II11111111~11111111111111ifIlillillllllllllll~111 1111110. . JillREDTOP-TIHOTHYPRAIRIEI SHOOTH BROHEPRRIRIE-CHICKEN(11=24>RING-NECKED PHERSRHT(H=28)42':II411 1111!Iflliill)fllll illl~ l!11111II811111111111111111111RED-HINGED BLRCKBIRD ERSTERN HERDOULRRK(i1=218) (11=28)ilN~i l,~IIII . 111111III III!III(Ip1111111111111111111® FORBSHHERT STUBBLEFig . 3 . Cover types utilized by nesting birds inJasper County, Illinois, 1985 .15AVAILABLE(123ha)NORTHERN BOBUHITE(11=14)i'All~n~I~IINIII II	iNllll !~ ;~ ; l{1'~ 11f1IIIHIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIBIiliOIlII11111If1RED-HINGED BLACKBIRD(11=218)38%Y1i111111i111111111111111111111111111HONED FOR SEEDROTARY HONEDHONED FOR HAYPRAIRIE-CHICKEN(11=24)RING-NECKED PHEASflHT(11=26)111111 "~~~~~IiIIII~ ~Nl IIIN~~~~~NoN11gMp11111111111lIIIIIIIIIIII~IIIIIIIII~1111IMEASTERN IIERDONLRRK(M=28){~~~~1lIlll ~II{I{I{I11i111111)IiIIiiIINNNUNDISTURBEDBURNEDFig . 4 .Utilization of grasslands by nesting birdsas affected by the previous years managementin Jasper County, Illinois, 1985 .16Appendix 1 . Other activities conducted during the course of the nest studyin 1985 .Pheasant ControlBecause of the serious threat that pheasants pose in efforts topreserve Illinois prairie-chickens (Vance and Westemeler 1979, Westemeler1984a, Westemeler, Buhnerkempe, and Edwards In review), work was continuedto find locally discrete and acceptable methods of pheasant control . Fourlarge (41 X 8 .5 1 X 2 1 ) funnel-type traps were constructed and tested foreffectiveness . A welded wire (1 1 X 2 1 ) cage containing a game-farm cock orhen pheasant was placed inside each funnel trap as bait for wild pheasants .The baited traps were tried in central locations on the Yeatter, M . Field,and C . McCormick sanctuaries from 5 June through 26 June .Although only 4 wild pheasant cocks were captured during 19 trap-days,these captures were sufficient to demonstrate the effectiveness of thetrapping technique despite the lateness of the trapping effort . We feelconfident that wild cock pheasants can be readily captured with gamefarmcocks (rivals) as bait by Initiating a trapping program about 1 April .Capture of wild pheasant hens, however, remains to be demonstrated .Successful trapping of wild hens may hinge on first trapping wild pheasantcocks to use as bait for harems of hens on the sanctuaries .Bluebird BoxesDuring rainy days, when a nest search could not be conducted, bluebirdboxes were constructed for placement on the prairie-chicken sanctuaries . Atotal of 30 Peterson bluebird houses and 21 one-board houses were built .Paul Butler (summer field assistant, 1985) will place the bluebird houseson the sanctuaries this fall as part of a Boy Scout project .17Prairie RestorationA 1 .5-acre plot near the Bogota Laboratory was seeded to big bluestem,Indian grass, little bluestem, and various prairie forbs. Some forbs werealso transplanted to the site . The plot was disked three times and rolledprior to and after seeding . Six man-hours were required in the prairierestoration effort.Brush ControlSix man-days were spent assisting the Sanctuary manager with brushcontrol on the Galbreath sanctuary .18

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Grassland Wildlife Nest Studies, 1985

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