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Wallace ZP, Bedrosian BE, Dunk JR, LaPlante DW, Woodbridge B, Smith BW, Brown JL, Lickfett TM, Gura K, Bittner D, Crandall RH, Domenech R, Katzner TE, Kritz KJ, Lewis SB, Lockhart MJ, Miller TA, Quint K, Shreading A, Slater SJ, Stahlecker DW. Predicting the spatial distribution of wintering golden eagles to inform full annual cycle conservation in western North America. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297345. [PMID: 38295117 PMCID: PMC10830038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildlife conservation strategies focused on one season or population segment may fail to adequately protect populations, especially when a species' habitat preferences vary among seasons, age-classes, geographic regions, or other factors. Conservation of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) is an example of such a complex scenario, in which the distribution, habitat use, and migratory strategies of this species of conservation concern vary by age-class, reproductive status, region, and season. Nonetheless, research aimed at mapping priority use areas to inform management of golden eagles in western North America has typically focused on territory-holding adults during the breeding period, largely to the exclusion of other seasons and life-history groups. To support population-wide conservation planning across the full annual cycle for golden eagles, we developed a distribution model for individuals in a season not typically evaluated-winter-and in an area of the interior western U.S. that is a high priority for conservation of the species. We used a large GPS-telemetry dataset and library of environmental variables to develop a machine-learning model to predict spatial variation in the relative intensity of use by golden eagles during winter in Wyoming, USA, and surrounding ecoregions. Based on a rigorous series of evaluations including cross-validation, withheld and independent data, our winter-season model accurately predicted spatial variation in intensity of use by multiple age- and life-history groups of eagles not associated with nesting territories (i.e., all age classes of long-distance migrants, and resident non-adults and adult "floaters", and movements of adult territory holders and their offspring outside their breeding territories). Important predictors in the model were wind and uplift (40.2% contribution), vegetation and landcover (27.9%), topography (14%), climate and weather (9.4%), and ecoregion (8.7%). Predicted areas of high-use winter habitat had relatively low spatial overlap with nesting habitat, suggesting a conservation strategy targeting high-use areas for one season would capture as much as half and as little as one quarter of high-use areas for the other season. The majority of predicted high-use habitat (top 10% quantile) occurred on private lands (55%); lands managed by states and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had a lower amount (33%), but higher concentration of high-use habitat than expected for their area (1.5-1.6x). These results will enable those involved in conservation and management of golden eagles in our study region to incorporate spatial prioritization of wintering habitat into their existing regulatory processes, land-use planning tasks, and conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary P. Wallace
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | | | - Jeffrey R. Dunk
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, California, United States of America
| | - David W. LaPlante
- Natural Resource Geospatial, Yreka, California, United States of America
| | - Brian Woodbridge
- California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, California, United States of America
| | - Brian W. Smith
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jessi L. Brown
- Sparrowhawk Data Science, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Todd M. Lickfett
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Katherine Gura
- Teton Raptor Center, Wilson, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Dave Bittner
- Wildlife Research Institute, Inc., Julian, California, United States of America
| | - Ross H. Crandall
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Habitat Protection Program, Pinedale, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Rob Domenech
- Raptor View Research Institute, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Kevin J. Kritz
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Stephen B. Lewis
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Juneau, Alaska, United States of America
| | | | - Tricia A. Miller
- Conservation Science Global, Cape May, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Katie Quint
- Wildlife Research Institute, Inc., Julian, California, United States of America
| | - Adam Shreading
- Raptor View Research Institute, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Steve J. Slater
- HawkWatch, International, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Dale W. Stahlecker
- Eagle Environmental, Inc., Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America
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Judkins ME, Roemer GW, Millsap BA, Barnes JG, Bedrosian BE, Clarke SL, Domenech R, Herring G, Lamont M, Smith BW, Stahlecker DW, Stuber MJ, Warren WC, Van Den Bussche RA. A 37 K SNP array for the management and conservation of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). CONSERV GENET 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-023-01508-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
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Prichard AK, Joly K, Parrett LS, Cameron MD, Hansen DA, Person BT. Achieving a representative sample of marked animals: a spatial approach to evaluating post‐capture randomization. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | - Lincoln S. Parrett
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Road Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| | - Matthew D. Cameron
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | | | - Brian T. Person
- North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management Utqiaġvik AK 99723 USA
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4
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Poessel SA, Woodbridge B, Smith BW, Murphy RK, Bedrosian BE, Bell DA, Bittner D, Bloom PH, Crandall RH, Domenech R, Fisher RN, Haggerty PK, Slater SJ, Tracey JA, Watson JW, Katzner TE. Interpreting long‐distance movements of non‐migratory golden eagles: Prospecting and nomadism? Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Poessel
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho USA
| | - Brian Woodbridge
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds Management Denver Federal Center Denver Colorado USA
| | - Brian W. Smith
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds Management Denver Federal Center Denver Colorado USA
| | | | | | | | - David Bittner
- Wildlife Research Institute, Inc. Julian California USA
| | | | | | | | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | - Patricia K. Haggerty
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Corvallis Oregon USA
| | | | - Jeff A. Tracey
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | - James W. Watson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Olympia Washington USA
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho USA
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5
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Millsap BA, Zimmerman GS, Kendall WL, Barnes JG, Braham MA, Bedrosian BE, Bell DA, Bloom PH, Crandall RH, Domenech R, Driscoll D, Duerr AE, Gerhardt R, Gibbs SEJ, Harmata AR, Jacobson K, Katzner TE, Knight RN, Lockhart JM, McIntyre C, Murphy RK, Slater SJ, Smith BW, Smith JP, Stahlecker DW, Watson JW. Age-specific survival rates, causes of death, and allowable take of golden eagles in the western United States. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2544. [PMID: 35080801 PMCID: PMC9286660 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the United States, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits take of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) unless authorized by permit, and stipulates that all permitted take must be sustainable. Golden eagles are unintentionally killed in conjunction with many lawful activities (e.g., electrocution on power poles, collision with wind turbines). Managers who issue permits for incidental take of golden eagles must determine allowable take levels and manage permitted take accordingly. To aid managers in making these decisions in the western United States, we used an integrated population model to obtain estimates of golden eagle vital rates and population size, and then used those estimates in a prescribed take level (PTL) model to estimate the allowable take level. Estimated mean annual survival rates for golden eagles ranged from 0.70 (95% credible interval = 0.66-0.74) for first-year birds to 0.90 (0.88-0.91) for adults. Models suggested a high proportion of adult female golden eagles attempted to breed and breeding pairs fledged a mean of 0.53 (0.39-0.72) young annually. Population size in the coterminous western United States has averaged ~31,800 individuals for several decades, with λ = 1.0 (0.96-1.05). The PTL model estimated a median allowable take limit of ~2227 (708-4182) individuals annually given a management objective of maintaining a stable population. We estimate that take averaged 2572 out of 4373 (59%) deaths annually, based on a representative sample of transmitter-tagged golden eagles. For the subset of golden eagles that were recovered and a cause of death determined, anthropogenic mortality accounted for an average of 74% of deaths after their first year; leading forms of take over all age classes were shooting (~670 per year), collisions (~611), electrocutions (~506), and poisoning (~427). Although observed take overlapped the credible interval of our allowable take estimate and the population overall has been stable, our findings indicate that additional take, unless mitigated for, may not be sustainable. Our analysis demonstrates the utility of the joint application of integrated population and prescribed take level models to management of incidental take of a protected species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A. Millsap
- Division of Migratory Bird ManagementU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - Guthrie S. Zimmerman
- Division of Migratory Bird ManagementU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - William L. Kendall
- U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Joseph G. Barnes
- Wildlife Diversity DivisionNevada Department of WildlifeRenoNevadaUSA
| | | | | | - Douglas A. Bell
- East Bay Regional Park District and Department of Ornithology and MammalogyCalifornia Academy of SciencesSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Samantha E. J. Gibbs
- Wildlife Health Office, Natural Resource Program Center, National Wildlife Refuge SystemU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceChieflandFloridaUSA
| | | | | | - Todd E. Katzner
- Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyBoiseIdahoUSA
| | - Robert N. Knight
- United States Army Dugway Proving GroundNatural Resource ProgramDugwayUtahUSA
| | | | - Carol McIntyre
- National Park ServiceDenali National Park and PreserveFairbanksAlaskaUSA
| | | | | | - Brian W. Smith
- Division of Migratory Bird ManagementU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceLakewoodColoradoUSA
| | | | | | - James W. Watson
- Washington Department of Fish and WildlifeConcreteWashingtonUSA
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6
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Slabe VA, Anderson JT, Millsap BA, Cooper JL, Harmata AR, Restani M, Crandall RH, Bodenstein B, Bloom PH, Booms T, Buchweitz J, Culver R, Dickerson K, Domenech R, Dominguez-Villegas E, Driscoll D, Smith BW, Lockhart MJ, McRuer D, Miller TA, Ortiz PA, Rogers K, Schwarz M, Turley N, Woodbridge B, Finkelstein ME, Triana CA, DeSorbo CR, Katzner TE. Demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles across North America. Science 2022; 375:779-782. [PMID: 35175813 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj3068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Lead poisoning occurs worldwide in populations of predatory birds, but exposure rates and population impacts are known only from regional studies. We evaluated the lead exposure of 1210 bald and golden eagles from 38 US states across North America, including 620 live eagles. We detected unexpectedly high frequencies of lead poisoning of eagles, both chronic (46 to 47% of bald and golden eagles, as measured in bone) and acute (27 to 33% of bald eagles and 7 to 35% of golden eagles, as measured in liver, blood, and feathers). Frequency of lead poisoning was influenced by age and, for bald eagles, by region and season. Continent-wide demographic modeling suggests that poisoning at this level suppresses population growth rates for bald eagles by 3.8% (95% confidence interval: 2.5%, 5.4%) and for golden eagles by 0.8% (0.7%, 0.9%). Lead poisoning is an underappreciated but important constraint on continent-wide populations of these iconic protected species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A Slabe
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Conservation Science Global, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - James T Anderson
- James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC, USA
| | - Brian A Millsap
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Alan R Harmata
- Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Travis Booms
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - John Buchweitz
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David McRuer
- Wildlife Center of Virginia, Waynesboro, VA, USA.,Parks Canada, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Patricia A Ortiz
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Krysta Rogers
- Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Myra E Finkelstein
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Christian A Triana
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Todd E Katzner
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID, USA
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7
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Domenech R, Shreading A, Ramsey P, McTee M. Widespread Lead Exposure in Golden Eagles Captured in Montana. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Domenech
- Raptor View Research Institute P.O. Box 4323 Missoula MT 59801 USA
| | - Adam Shreading
- Raptor View Research Institute P.O. Box 4323 Missoula MT 59801 USA
| | - Philip Ramsey
- MPG Ranch 19400 Lower Woodchuck Road Florence MT 59833 USA
| | - Michael McTee
- MPG Ranch 19400 Lower Woodchuck Road Florence MT 59833 USA
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Eisaguirre JM, Booms TL, Barger CP, Lewis SB, Breed GA. Novel step selection analyses on energy landscapes reveal how linear features alter migrations of soaring birds. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2567-2583. [PMID: 32926415 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Human modification of landscapes includes extensive addition of linear features, such as roads and transmission lines. These can alter animal movement and space use and affect the intensity of interactions among species, including predation and competition. Effects of linear features on animal movement have seen relatively little research in avian systems, despite ample evidence of their effects in mammalian systems and that some types of linear features, including both roads and transmission lines, are substantial sources of mortality. Here, we used satellite telemetry combined with step selection functions designed to explicitly incorporate the energy landscape (el-SSFs) to investigate the effects of linear features and habitat on movements and space use of a large soaring bird, the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos, during migration. Our sample consisted of 32 adult eagles tracked for 45 spring and 39 fall migrations from 2014 to 2017. Fitted el-SSFs indicated eagles had a strong general preference for south-facing slopes, where thermal uplift develops predictably, and that these areas are likely important aspects of migratory pathways. el-SSFs also provided evidence that roads and railroads affected movement during both spring and fall migrations, but eagles selected areas near roads to a greater degree in spring compared to fall and at higher latitudes compared to lower latitudes. During spring, time spent near linear features often occurred during slower-paced or stopover movements, perhaps in part to access carrion produced by vehicle collisions. Regardless of the behavioural mechanism of selection, use of these features could expose eagles and other soaring species to elevated risk via collision with vehicles and/or transmission lines. Linear features have previously been documented to affect the ecology of terrestrial species (e.g. large mammals) by modifying individuals' movement patterns; our work shows that these effects on movement extend to avian taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Eisaguirre
- Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.,Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | | | | | | | - Greg A Breed
- Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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9
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Flesch AD, Rodríguez-Estrella R, Gallo-Reynoso JP, Armenta-Méndez L, Montiel-Herrera M. Distribution and habitat of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in Sonora, Mexico, 1892-2019. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2020. [DOI: 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2020.91.3056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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10
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Dunk JR, Woodbridge B, Lickfett TM, Bedrosian G, Noon BR, LaPlante DW, Brown JL, Tack JD. Modeling spatial variation in density of golden eagle nest sites in the western United States. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223143. [PMID: 31568505 PMCID: PMC6768475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to contribute to conservation planning efforts for golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the western U.S., we developed nest site models using >6,500 nest site locations throughout a >3,483,000 km2 area of the western U.S. We developed models for twelve discrete modeling regions, and estimated relative density of nest sites for each region. Cross-validation showed that, in general, models accurately estimated relative nest site densities within regions and sub-regions. Areas estimated to have the highest densities of breeding golden eagles had from 132-2,660 times greater densities compared to the lowest density areas. Observed nest site densities were very similar to those reported from published studies. Large extents of each modeling region consisted of low predicted nest site density, while a small percentage of each modeling region contained disproportionately high nest site density. For example, we estimated that areas with relative nest density values <0.3 represented from 62.8-97.8% ([Formula: see text] = 82.5%) of each modeling area, and those areas contained from 14.7-30.0% ([Formula: see text] = 22.1%) of the nest sites. In contrast, areas with relative nest density values >0.5 represented from 1.0-12.8% ([Formula: see text] = 6.3%) of modeling areas, and those areas contained from 47.7-66.9% ([Formula: see text] = 57.3%) of the nest sites. Our findings have direct application to: 1) large-scale conservation planning efforts, 2) risk analyses for land-use proposals such as recreational trails or wind power development, and 3) identifying mitigation areas to offset the impacts of human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R. Dunk
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, United States of America
| | - Brian Woodbridge
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Todd M. Lickfett
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey Bedrosian
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Barry R. Noon
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | | | - Jessi L. Brown
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, United States of America
| | - Jason D. Tack
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
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Eisaguirre JM, Auger-Méthé M, Barger CP, Lewis SB, Booms TL, Breed GA. Dynamic-Parameter Movement Models Reveal Drivers of Migratory Pace in a Soaring Bird. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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