Whippoorwill Population Affected By Michigan Forestry

Introduction

The iconic song of the whippoorwill holds untold value to those who have had the privilege of sitting on a porch, in the warmth of summer, at dusk. The sound attaches to core memories, lore, and traditions. Experiencing the call of the Eastern Whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferus) is not easily forgotten. Unfortunately, their song is much less abundant now than it was in the near past, as their numbers have been dwindling dramatically.

The Question

The importance of this species health goes beyond the nostalgia of memorable times however. This species, and other similar avian insectivores, can be correlated to insect population health and ecosystem resilience. And so a research question arises:

How are Michigan's current forestry management practices of prescribed burns, clear cutting, and selective cutting effecting the population distribution and density of the Eastern Whippoorwill?

Literature Review

Populations have been declining dramatically.
Several variables are likely effecting population decline
- Insect population loss, particularly moth populations, may be correlated with population declines
- Habitat loss due to agricultural and urban expansion
  - Whippoorwills require a specific habitat combination of regenerative growth forests near old growth hardwood, shrub cover areas, and wetlands
- Food abundance and habitat are each necessary to attract whippoorwill populations
Proximity to urban settings has been shown to negatively impact population density
- Lunar cycle highly influences hunting activity. This can be utilized to concentrate observation times
Daily torpor has been noted within the population as well. This may be reason for the earlier spring arrival and can be utilized to coordinate observation times also.

Framework

Triple Bottom Line

Environment - Society - Economy

Research Method & Justification

This research proposal incorporates autonomous recording units (A.R.U.) for site verification, GPS tags to gauge the range of movement for individuals, UV-light traps and metabarcoding methods for insect abundance, and historical mapping data from Michigan forest management by type to cross reference with the primary data collected.

A.R.U.’s are small audio recording devise that are battery operated, weatherproofed, and can be activated during intended periods of monitoring

GPS tags can confirm site presence as well as show movement range of individuals to help minimize multiple recordings of the same individuals. Additionally, GPS tagging can be utilized for future research regarding migratory pattern or multi-year cross studying

UV-light trapping insect population at observations sites, in conjunction with metabarcoding will be used to analyze the prey abundance of the site locations.

Historical mapping of forest management will be utilized as the prominent source of management identification (clearcutting, burnings, or selective cuttings). This data in combination with historic species siting locations, such as this one from Michigan State Universities Extension program Michigan Natural Features Inventory (Antrostomus Vociferus (Eastern Whip-Poor-Will) - Michigan Natural Features Inventory, n.d.) will be the targeted areas of study

While the historic mapping data is the primary source of analyzing forest management type, future studies can utilize this methodology in tandem with current forest operations and time lapse analysis after operations have been completed

Whippoorwill Population Change 1966-2015

Source: Cink, C. L., P. Pyle, and M. A. Patten (2020). Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whip-p1.01

References

Alexander, C. D. (2023). Assessing Forest Features and Nocturnal Flying Insect Diversity as Predictors of Eastern Whip-Poor-Will Occupancy in Foraging Habitat [MS, West Virginia University Libraries]. https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.11895

Antrostomus vociferus (Eastern whip-poor-will)—Michigan Natural Features Inventory. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/11071/Antrostomus%20vociferus/

Bakermans, M. H., Driscoll, J. M., & Vitz, A. C. (2022). Habitat selection and site fidelity on winter home ranges of Eastern Whip-poor-wills (Antrostomus vociferus): Sélection de l’habitat et fidélité aux domaines vitaux hivernaux des Engoulevents bois-pourri (Antrostomus vociferus). Avian Conservation & Ecology, 17(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02237-170217

Bakermans, M. H., & Vitz, A. C. (2024). Hot stops: Timing, pathways, and habitat selection of migrating eastern whip-poor-wills. Journal of Avian Biology, 2024(1–2), e03142. https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.03142

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Demography and Populations—Eastern Whip-poor-will—Antrostomus vociferus—Birds of the World. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2024, from https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/easwpw1/cur/demography

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Lane, J. E., Brigham, R. M., & Swanson, D. L. (2004a). Daily torpor in free-ranging whip-poor-wills (Caprimulgus vociferus). Physiological and Biochemical Zoology: PBZ, 77(2), 297–304. https://doi.org/10.1086/380210

Lane, J. E., Brigham, R. M., & Swanson, D. L. (2004b). Daily Torpor in Free‐Ranging Whip‐Poor‐Wills (Caprimulgus vociferus). Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 77(2), 297–304. https://doi.org/10.1086/380210

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Vala, M., Mitchell, G., Hannah, K., Put, J., & Wilson, S. (2020). The effects of landscape composition and configuration on Eastern Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferous) and Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) occupancy in an agroecosystem. Avian Conservation and Ecology, 15. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01613-150124

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ENS301.01 Whippoorwill (Responses)

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