The influence of forest composition and structure on wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) nest site selection and nesting success
(Book - Regular Print)

Includes bibliographical references.

We studied the specific nesting habitats and daily survival rates (DSR) for Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina0 in Connecticut at three scales: nest site, nest patch and landscape. At the nest site scale, data from our 30 Wood Thrush nests from 3 different sites showed that our mean measurements (Bayesian analysis) for nest height (2.55 m) and diameter at breast height (DBH) of the nesting substrate (7.05 cm) closely correlated with findings from two previous studies. At the nest patch scale, our results demonstrated that Wood Thrush show a small but significant preference for nesting sites in groupings of small saplings or tees clustered within 5 meters of the nest site itself. Daily survival rate estimates (DSR) for our 30 Wood Thrush nests were high (0.98), above average as compared to the national averages of 0.92-0.97 (Mayfield estimates). Surprisingly and unexpected the DSR had an inverse relationship with increasing small tree density in the nest patch area (within 5 m of the nest sight). Nesting success was lower in nest patches with >13 stems (dbh d 7.62 cm) than those with < 13 stems (same diameter). On a landscape scale, estimates for the DSR for Wood Thrush nests remained constant at 0.98 regardless of their distance from the clear-cut edge.