Breeding home ranges of migratory Turkey Vultures near their Northern limit

C. Stuart Houston; Philip D. McLoughlin; James T. Mandel; Marc J. Bechard; Marten J. Stoffel; David R. Barber; Keith L. Bildstein

doi:10.1676/10-090.1

Breeding home ranges of migratory Turkey Vultures near their Northern limit

C. Stuart Houston
, Philip D. McLoughlin
, James T. Mandel
, Marc J. Bechard
, Marten J. Stoffel
, David R. Barber
, Keith L. Bildstein

Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

We used Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters to estimate the breeding home ranges of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) in Saskatchewan, Canada from 2005 to 2009. Breeding ranges calculated using 95% Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP) ranged from 47 to 953 km² and averaged (± SD) 371 ± 340 km². Fixed-kernel home ranges (95%) ranged from 49 to 1,992 km² and averaged 648 ± 731 km². These ranges include both the smallest and largest summer ranges reported for the species. Spatial variation in range size may have been due to differences in availability of food and the quality of the home ranges involved, amplified by the species' extremely low-cost soaring flight. Adults used all-night perches in varying locations up to 38 km from their nest house while traveling substantial distances to available carcasses to obtain food for their young. Identifying home range sizes for Turkey Vultures is a first step toward understanding how the species is increasing and expanding its distribution in Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	472-478
Number of pages	7
Journal	Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Volume	123
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1676/10-090.1
State	Published - Sep 2011

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title = "Breeding home ranges of migratory Turkey Vultures near their Northern limit",

abstract = "We used Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters to estimate the breeding home ranges of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) in Saskatchewan, Canada from 2005 to 2009. Breeding ranges calculated using 95\% Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP) ranged from 47 to 953 km2 and averaged (± SD) 371 ± 340 km2. Fixed-kernel home ranges (95\%) ranged from 49 to 1,992 km2 and averaged 648 ± 731 km2. These ranges include both the smallest and largest summer ranges reported for the species. Spatial variation in range size may have been due to differences in availability of food and the quality of the home ranges involved, amplified by the species' extremely low-cost soaring flight. Adults used all-night perches in varying locations up to 38 km from their nest house while traveling substantial distances to available carcasses to obtain food for their young. Identifying home range sizes for Turkey Vultures is a first step toward understanding how the species is increasing and expanding its distribution in Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada.",

author = "Houston, \{C. Stuart\} and McLoughlin, \{Philip D.\} and Mandel, \{James T.\} and Bechard, \{Marc J.\} and Stoffel, \{Marten J.\} and Barber, \{David R.\} and Bildstein, \{Keith L.\}",

year = "2011",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1676/10-090.1",

language = "English",

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pages = "472--478",

journal = "Wilson Journal of Ornithology",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Breeding home ranges of migratory Turkey Vultures near their Northern limit

AU - Houston, C. Stuart

AU - McLoughlin, Philip D.

AU - Mandel, James T.

AU - Bechard, Marc J.

AU - Stoffel, Marten J.

AU - Barber, David R.

AU - Bildstein, Keith L.

PY - 2011/9

Y1 - 2011/9

N2 - We used Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters to estimate the breeding home ranges of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) in Saskatchewan, Canada from 2005 to 2009. Breeding ranges calculated using 95% Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP) ranged from 47 to 953 km2 and averaged (± SD) 371 ± 340 km2. Fixed-kernel home ranges (95%) ranged from 49 to 1,992 km2 and averaged 648 ± 731 km2. These ranges include both the smallest and largest summer ranges reported for the species. Spatial variation in range size may have been due to differences in availability of food and the quality of the home ranges involved, amplified by the species' extremely low-cost soaring flight. Adults used all-night perches in varying locations up to 38 km from their nest house while traveling substantial distances to available carcasses to obtain food for their young. Identifying home range sizes for Turkey Vultures is a first step toward understanding how the species is increasing and expanding its distribution in Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada.

AB - We used Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters to estimate the breeding home ranges of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) in Saskatchewan, Canada from 2005 to 2009. Breeding ranges calculated using 95% Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP) ranged from 47 to 953 km2 and averaged (± SD) 371 ± 340 km2. Fixed-kernel home ranges (95%) ranged from 49 to 1,992 km2 and averaged 648 ± 731 km2. These ranges include both the smallest and largest summer ranges reported for the species. Spatial variation in range size may have been due to differences in availability of food and the quality of the home ranges involved, amplified by the species' extremely low-cost soaring flight. Adults used all-night perches in varying locations up to 38 km from their nest house while traveling substantial distances to available carcasses to obtain food for their young. Identifying home range sizes for Turkey Vultures is a first step toward understanding how the species is increasing and expanding its distribution in Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada.

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JO - Wilson Journal of Ornithology

JF - Wilson Journal of Ornithology

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ER -

Breeding home ranges of migratory Turkey Vultures near their Northern limit

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