Spring Dispersal Patterns of Red-winged Blackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus, Staging in Eastern South Dakota

Authors

  • H. J. Homan U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, 2110 Miriam Circle, Bismarck, North Dakota 58501-2502
  • G. M. Linz U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, 2110 Miriam Circle, Bismarck, North Dakota 58501-2502
  • R. M. Engeman U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521-2154
  • L. B. Penry U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, 2110 Miriam Circle, Bismarck, North Dakota 58501-2502

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v118i2.914

Keywords:

Agelaius phoeniceus, Red-winged Blackbird, breeding range, color-marking, dispersal patterns, northern Great Plains, spring migration, sunflower damage

Abstract

Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are very abundant summer residents throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of central North America. In late summer they assemble in post-breeding flocks that cause significant amounts of agricultural damage, particularly in sunflower fields near natal sites. In April 2001, we aerially color-marked ~370,000 Red-winged Blackbirds near Badger, South Dakota (44°48'N, 97°21'W), to determine if migrants staging here were summer residents in sunflower production areas ~350 km to the northwest. We measured patterns of migratory dispersal by collecting birds in 54 randomly selected blocks in the northcentral U.S. and the Prairie Provinces of Canada. The marked specimens (n = 33) were categorized into three polygons based on analyses of banding and re-sighting data and proximity to concentrated sunflower production. We estimated that 82% of the migrants that had staged in eastern South Dakota resided within or on the periphery of the sunflower growing area. These birds probably stay near their breeding territories until at least late August and cause early damage to sunflower, which comprises the majority of damage. Resident birds in Alberta and most of Saskatchewan (18%) might arrive too late in the damage season to impact the sunflower crop significantly.

Downloads

Issue

Section

Articles