Characterizing Rearing Habitat of American White Pelicans Using PIT Tags from Consumed Fish

Authors

  • Megan Heinemann Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman
  • Andrea Litt Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman
  • Michael Lance Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman
  • Katie Vivian Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Great Falls
  • Jason Mullen Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Great Falls
  • Al Zale U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Bozeman

Abstract

Avian predation on wild fish populations can create challenges for wildlife and fisheries managers. Frequently, managers locate and recover indigestible tags to estimate predation rates and inform decisions. We used a similar method to characterize rearing habitat for American white pelicans (Pelicanus erythrorhynchos). During summer 2017, we sought to discern the types of vegetation and substrate white pelicans use while nesting on breeding colonies in Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Montana. First, we located passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags from marked wild fish that had been deposited on the islands and recorded the vegetation or substrate type (cobble, mud, nettle, willow, water) for each tag. Most tags were found in cobble and willow (34.3% and 36.6%, respectively) and very few were in water (0.8%) and nettle (5.3%). Second, we sought to estimate detection probability of PIT tags, as some may go undetected, and determine what factors influence whether tags are found. We hid 200 PIT tags, 40 in each of the 5 vegetation/substrate types, and found 78, resulting in an overall detection probability of 0.39 (95% CI = 0.36 – 0.42). After accounting for detection probability, we estimate that pelicans deposited the most tags, and thus were most likely to use willow vegetation (59%), with all other vegetation/substrate types containing ≤17% of deposited tags. Increasing the proportion of PIT tags found will influence estimates of predation and could affect inferences regarding habitat use.

Author Biography

Megan Heinemann, Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman

The Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society, 56th Annual Meeting, 2018,Telling Our Story - Lesson’s Learned, February 19-23, 2018, Butte, Montana

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Published

2018-12-01

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Section

Montana Chapter of The Wildlife Society [Abstracts]