Nonbreeding home-range size and survival of lesser prairie-chickens

The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a species of conservation concern with uncertain regulatory status, has experienced population declines over the past century. Most research on lesser prairie-chickens has focused on the breeding season, with little research conducted during the nonbreeding season, a period that exerts a strong influence on demography in other upland game birds. We trapped lesser prairie-chickens on leks and marked them with either global positioning system (GPS) satellite or very high frequency (VHF) transmitters to estimate survival and home-range size during the nonbreeding season. We monitored 119 marked lesser prairie-chickens in 3 study areas in Kansas, USA, from 16 September to 14 March in 2013, 2014, and 2015. We estimated home-range size using Brownian Bridge movement models (GPS transmitters) and fixed kernel density estimators (VHF transmitters), and female survival using Kaplan-Meier known-fate models. Average home-range size did not differ between sexes. Estimated home-range size was 3 times greater for individuals fitted with GPS satellite transmitters (SE). Future management could remain focused on the breeding season because nonbreeding survival was 39-44% greater than the previous breeding season; however, considerations of total space needs would benefit lesser prairie-chickens by accounting for the greater spatial requirements during the nonbreeding season. (c) 2017 The Wildlife Society.