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American woodcock winter distribution and fidelity to wintering areas

January 1, 1990

We examined winter distribution and fidelity to wintering areas for the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), which exhibits reversed, sexual size dimorphism. Band-recovery data revealed no difference in winter distributions of different age/sex classes for woodcock from the same breeding ares. Similarly, band recoveries from woodcock banded on wintering grounds revealed no difference in fidelity to wintering sites. Males may winter north of a latitude that is optimal for survival based on physiological considerations, but they gain a reproductive advantage if they are among the first to arrive on the breeding grounds. This may explain our results, which indicate males and females have similar distribution patterns during winter.

Publication Year 1990
Title American woodcock winter distribution and fidelity to wintering areas
DOI 10.2307/4088005
Authors D.R. Diefenbach, E.L. Derleth, W. Matthew Vander Haegen, J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title The Auk
Index ID 5222970
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Patuxent Wildlife Research Center