Hastings Natural History Reservation

08 Apr, 02 PM - 28 Apr, 05 AM

Over the last 2 decades video surveillance of bird nests has become an increasingly popular method to study avian ecology, with studies that focus on reproductive behavior, nest predation, nestling behavior, and more (Yasukawa et al. 2008; Cox et al. 2012; Ribic & Thompson 2012). "Nest cams," which are camera systems with online streaming capability installed in nest boxes or near open-cup nests, have also become popular resources for people of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in watching bird behavior in real time from the comfort of their desks. Yet despite advances in digital photography and video streaming over the last several years, there are very few video systems designed to observe the reproductive behavior of adult birds before nesting occurs, or that can be installed in the nests of primary cavity-nesting species due to the difficulty of installing such a system in a natural cavity without disturbing the birds (Gula et al. 2010). The system I have designed is intended to be installed in the nest trees of polyandrous acorn woodpecker groups, and will take advantage of artificial cavities that have already been installed in these groups. Using artificial cavities facilitates easier access to the cavity itself and reduces the amount of cavity modification required. A small computer will be mounted in the tree near the nest cavity and will be connected to an infrared camera that is positioned in the cavity lid, looking down onto the cavity floor. The cavity will be illuminated for the camera with a cluster of infrared LEDs. All of these components will be run either on battery power or solar power. Instead of storing the video on cassettes or a DVR, this system will exploit the availability of wireless internet at the Hastings Reservation. Three groups have been chosen for this study: named Cavity, Middle Long Field 2, and Robertson House  all of which are in close proximity to an internet hub. The video feed from these groups will be broadcast over the internet, and the video files will be saved on a hard drive for later review. This greatly reduces the frequency of maintenance at the cavity by moving data storage to a remote location, and eliminates the need to download video on-site or change cassettes. The stored video recordings will be reviewed on a daily basis by me, and scored according to the behavior exhibited by the birds in the monitored cavities. Of particular interest for this study will be recordings of breeding birds copulating inside the cavities, which will validate the evidence I have gathered from the behavior of the birds outside their cavities. Furthermore, with the help of the resident director of the Hastings Reservation, Vincent Voegeli, I plan to develop a live streaming webcam on the Hastings website, which will allow real-time access for members of the public interested in the reproductive behavior of acorn woodpeckers. Thus, not only does this study help us gain insight into the mating behavior of polyandrous acorn woodpeckers, it also promotes interest in the unique social behavior of a relatively common woodpecker species in California, of which most novice bird watchers are unaware.

Visit #35644 @Hastings Natural History Reservation

Approved

Under Project # 29028 | Research

Dynamics of Mate Choice and Tree Cavity Use in Polyandrous Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) Groups

graduate_student - Old Dominion University

Reservation Members(s)

Anna Brownson Apr 8 - 28, 2014 (21 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Bunk House Cottage 1 Apr 8 - 28, 2014