Management actions for game birds can benefit other avian species, too
Mowing frequency and local habitat are important for game birds using wildlife openings in forested landscapes. Species like wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), and American woodcock (Scolopax minor) use early-successional habitat and food resources in wildlife openings that land managers create in forested landscapes. But other bird species can benefit, too. In a study published in Wildlife Monographs, researchers looked at the effects of local habitat, opening size, management decisions and more on game bird species. Using point count surveys, game camera, acoustic recording units and transect surveys, researchers sampled birds in 335 wildlife openings in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. They found that management decisions like mowing frequency were the primary indicator of wild turkey, ruffed grouse and American woodcock occupancy. Secondarily, size and local habitat attributes, like area, percent sapling cover and elevation, mattered. For songbirds, area and elevation were important. “Ultimately, these findings can be integrated into the design and management of wildlife openings to support target game bird populations and promote avian diversity in forest ecosystems,” the researchers wrote.
