Factors influencing avian nest success in exurban residential areas in the Adirondack Park

AJES

Michale Glennon & Heidi Kretser

Exurban development is characterized by low density residential development on large lots generally outside of urban service boundaries, and in which the surrounding matrix remains in its original ecosystem type. This widespread pattern of rural sprawl has a variety of consequences for wildlife and ecological communities, as well as social costs. In 2012-2014, we conducted a large-scale field study to investigate the relative impacts of exurban development on bird and mammal communities in the Adirondack Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The larger project involved documentation of bird, mammal, and plant communities, as well as social survey methods aimed at understanding landowner behaviors, attitudes, and management actions taken around their homes that may subsequently influence ecological communities in these regions. Because presence and abundance of wildlife are not always directly correlated with reproductive success, we also located and monitored the fate of songbird and woodpecker nests in areas of residential development and nearby control sites. Here we describe the factors associated with bird nest success and the potential influence of human disturbance and predation in areas of exurban development. Our sample sizes limited the extent of analysis and therefore the conclusions that can be drawn; however, we found a clear pattern of sensitivity of open cup nesting species, with cavity nesting birds much more likely to successfully fledge young in both residential areas and control sites. Our findings highlight the challenges and tradeoffs that birds and other wildlife face in these landscapes.