Kelton Mote
Tarleton State University
Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences
Factors Influencing Nest Survival of Mourning Doves in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas
In the United States, Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) are harvested more than all other gamebirds combined. Texas dove hunters make up 25% of the nation’s total dove hunting community and generate over $200 million in economic impact annually. In the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) doves nest in both citrus agriculture and remnant woodland habitats. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of habitat and land use variation on Mourning Dove nest survival. We conducted nest searches in both land cover types and monitored nests until nest fate was concluded. One hundred nests were located during the summer of 2016 in 4 citrus groves and 2 woodlots in Hidalgo and Willacy Counties, Texas. We collected nest site vegetation measurements and documented site evidence of suspected nest failures. AIC model selection will be utilized to determine which environmental variables predicted nest survival. Temporal variables and nest concealment variables such as overhead cover, side cover, distance to foliage edge, and vertical density will be tested for their value as predictors of nest survival. It is our hope to improve the management of the species by expanding the knowledge base of Mourning Dove in the LRGV.
