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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4162-6236

Date Available

3-23-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College

Agriculture, Food and Environment

Department/School/Program

Forestry and Natural Resources

Faculty

Jian Yang

Faculty

DJ McNeil

Abstract

Data on habitat needs of migratory birds across the annual cycle is critical for the development of effective management plans, particularly for declining species. One declining species, the eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vocerifus; EWPW) lacks data on habitat selection patterns through the annual cycle, and this knowledge is particularly scarce for the breeding season. In this thesis, I used archival GPS tags on EWPW to: 1) assess patterns of breeding habitat space-use for 11 EWPW breeding in central Pennsylvania, and 2) describe broad space-use patterns during migration and wintering seasons. Breeding data were paired with three LiDAR-derived habitat metrics: height at which 90% of LiDAR returns are achieved (“p90”), standard deviation of p95 height values within 30 m (“p95 rugosity), and percent first returns 1-5 m (“percfirst1-5”). Our analysis revealed that EWPW “core” breeding home ranges (50% kernel) differed from “peripheral” home ranges (95% kernel) by having taller canopies (p90 in core = 14.55 m [95%CI: 12.38-16.73] vs periphery = 11.73 m [10.23-13.23]), more heterogenous canopies (p95 rugosity in core = 13.60 [10.87-16.33] vs periphery = 11.01 [9.03-12.93]) and denser understories (percfirst1-5 in core = 10.03% [7.87-12.19] vs periphery = 7.4% [5.99-8.81]). During the nonbreeding season, this population overwintered in closed canopy forest in the mountains of southern Mexico, eastern Honduras and northern Guatemala. These results indicate that management practices which promote a diverse mosaic of forest structures and age-classes diversity can create EWPW breeding habitat in central Appalachia.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.23

Archival?

Archival

Funding Information

This study was supported by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in 2023. 

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