Mourning dove use of man-made ponds in a cold-desert ecosystem in Idaho

Journal Article · Tue Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Great Basin Naturalist; (USA)

OSTI ID:6627515

Howe, F P; Flake, L D ^[1]

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1. South Dakota State Univ., Brookings (USA)

Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) in a cold-desert ecosystem used man-made ponds for watering, feeding, gritting, loafing, and courting. Diurnal pond use by doves peaked in the morning and evening. Monthly dove use of ponds fluctuated slightly during the summers of 1984 and 1985. Pond size, pH, and shoreline characteristics had little association with the intensity of pond use by doves; but geographic isolation of ponds was weakly associated had pond-use intensity. The number of doves present at the beginning of the one-hour period was a poor indicator of the number of arrivals during that period. We conclude that man-made water sources are important in areas where water availability may limit mourning dove productivity and abundance. It is suggested that mourning dove arrival rates could be used as a population index in cold-desert areas.

• OSTI ID: 6627515
• Journal Information: Great Basin Naturalist; (USA), Vol. 49:4; ISSN 0017-3614
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIRDS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
DAILY VARIATIONS
DESERTS
IDAHO
IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
MONTHLY VARIATIONS
PONDS
ANIMALS
ARID LANDS
FEDERAL REGION X
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
SURFACE WATERS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES
540250* - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)