A neotropical migrant bird's dilemma: where to stop for a good meal
Fact Sheet
2009-3038
Prepared in cooperation with The University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University
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- More information: USGS Index Page (html)
- Document: Report (3.3 MB pdf)
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Abstract
To learn how migrating birds determine where to stop and find food, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Arizona University, and The University of Arizona studied the behavior of 28 species of neotropical migrant songbirds - warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, and vireos - along the lower Colorado River from 2001 to 2004. They found that, like interstate travelers greeted by restaurant billboards, songbirds flying over Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, relied on the flowering of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) to detect the availability of insects that they prey on. Understanding where and why migrant birds stop will help land managers better protect key habitats used by these tiny travelers.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | A neotropical migrant bird's dilemma: where to stop for a good meal |
| Series title | Fact Sheet |
| Series number | 2009-3038 |
| DOI | 10.3133/fs20093038 |
| Edition | Version 1.0 |
| Year Published | 2009 |
| Language | ENGLISH |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Contributing office(s) | Southwest Biological Science Center |
| Description | 2 p. |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |