Migration ecology of the yellow-breasted chat and gray catbird and physiology of the yellow-breasted chat
department or school: Science, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)
department or school: Biology, Department of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Mancuso, Kristen A.
issued: 2020-07-28T20:38:17Z
issued: 2020
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Migratory songbirds are declining in North America, and a better understanding of their full annual cycle (breeding, migration, overwintering) is important to identify potential threats and to better implement conservation initiatives. How populations are connected through different phases of the annual cycle, termed migratory connectivity, is another important conservation metric. Additionally, the identification of potential threats that may affect population persistence is important to direct conservation efforts. One less-commonly studied threat is mercury, which is a toxic heavy metal that can negatively affect neurology, reproduction, and endocrinology. Moreover, mercury may also disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and subsequent stress response. Here, I examine the movement ecology of two migratory songbirds – the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens). I describe migration routes, overwintering locations, and migratory connectivity. Further, I examine if mercury toxicity and its associated effects on the stress response is a potential threat to Yellow-breasted Chat populations throughout their breeding range. To answer questions about migration ecology, I use GPS tags, geolocators, genetics, stable hydrogen isotopes, and bird banding encounter data. To answer questions about conservation physiology, I measured mercury and corticosterone levels in chat feathers. I found that breeding Gray Catbirds in British Columbia and Montana migrate eastward and then southward to overwintering locations in northeastern Mexico and Texas. Individuals from both populations overlapped during the overwintering period; a case of weak migratory connectivity. I found that Yellow-breasted Chats in British Columbia migrate south to overwintering locations in western Mexico. However, other breeding populations also appear to overwinter in western Mexico, suggesting weak migratory connectivity. From my physiology analyses, I fo…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/75298
note: MIGRATION ECOLOGY OF THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT AND GRAY CATBIRD AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT by Kristen A. Mancuso B.Sc. (Hons), University of Guelph, 2010 M.Sc., Trent University 2012 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Biology) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) July 2020 © Kristen A. Mancuso, 2020 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis/dissertation entitled: Migration ecology of the Yellow-breasted Chat and Gray Catbird and physiology of the Yellow-breasted Chat submitted by Kristen A. Mancuso in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Dr. Karen E. Hodges, Biology Department, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences Supervisor Dr. Christine A. Bishop, Environment and Climate Change Canada Co-Supervisor Dr. Adam Ford, Biology Department, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Jill Jankowski, Biodiversity Research Center, Faculty of Science University Examiner Dr. Matt Reudink, Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University External Examiner Additional Committee Members include: Dr. Jason Pither, Biology Department, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. John D. Alexander, Klamath Bird Observatory Supervisory Committee Member iii Abstract Migratory songbirds are declining in North America, and a better understanding of their full annual cycle (breeding, migration, overwintering) is important to identify potential threats and to better implement conservation initiatives. How populations are connected through different phases of the annual cycle, termed migratory connectivity, is another important conservation metric. Additionally, the identification of potential threats that may affect population persistence is importa…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2020-09
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0392569
language: eng
degree discipline: Biology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/75298