Papers by Joseph Wunderle
Ornitologia Neotropical, 2012
Evolution, Mar 1, 1981
Polymorphic populations provide opportunities in which evolutionary change can be studied by both... more Polymorphic populations provide opportunities in which evolutionary change can be studied by both observation and experimentation (Ford, 1965). Geographic gradients in the frequencies of different morphs, such as morph ratio clines, are subject to the interacting forces of gene flow and natural selection as well as other biological and geographic factors influencing geographic variation. A theoretical framework for understanding the mathematical relationships between gene flow and selection in a cline has been provided by Haldane (1948), Fisher (1950), Slatkin (1973), May et al. (1975), Nagylaki (1975), and Endler (1977), but field measurements of the appropriate evolutionary forces are few (e.g., Bishop, 1972). Microgeographic variation within islands might be expected in small sedentary animals, but is unusual in mobile organisms such as birds (Mayr, 1963; Gill, 1973). A notable exception is the complex variation in Zosterops borbonica on Reunion Island (2,590 kM2) in the Indian Ocean (Gill, 1973), which involves clines in color morph frequencies over short distances and geographically distinct "races." Grenada, a small oceanic island with an area of 310 km2 and maximum elevation of 840 m, is considerably smaller than Reunion and is inhabited by two color morphs of the Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), an abundant passerine bird. The purpose of this work is to report the distribution of the color morphs and to consider the factors responsible for the existing steep morph ratio cline on Grenada.
Different census methods can be used to survey the distribution of a terrestrial bird species or ... more Different census methods can be used to survey the distribution of a terrestrial bird species or to monitor population changes. The appropriate method depends on whether the objective is simply to document the presence of a species or to quantify its relative abundance, population density, population trends over time, habitat use, survivorship, or the physical condition of individuals. Once the objective is defined, consideration should be given to selecting a study site, the number of sampling units, the time of day, the time of year, and the experience of field personnel. The various census techniques, and their advantages and disadvantages in the Caribbean Islands, discussed in this paper are: point counts without distance estimation, variable-radius point counts, fixed-radius point counts, point counts for parrots, line transects without distance estimates, variable-distance line transects, strip transects, spot mapping, territory mapping of color-banded birds, mist petting, and use of tape-recorded playback to enhance detectability. For most studies of land birds in the Caribbean, the fmed-radius point count method is recommended.
Animal Behaviour, Jun 1, 1987
Tropical Ecology, 2016
As part of an experimental study of using controlled goat grazing to manage winter habitat of the... more As part of an experimental study of using controlled goat grazing to manage winter habitat of the Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii), an endangered Nearcticneotropical migratory bird, we evaluated diet preferences of domesticated goats within earlysuccessional subtropical dry forest in The Bahamas. We expected goats would show a low preference for two plants (Lantana involucrata, Erithalis fruticosa) important to the bird's winter diet and that occur in abundance in goat-grazed areas throughout the region. Contrary to our expectations, the plants were among a set of species, including Acacia choriophylla, Passiflora spp., and Thrinax morrisii, with moderate to high palatability during the mid-late dry season. Thus, strict avoidance of the two warbler food plants by goats is not a direct mechanism promoting their abundance in grazed areas. Nonetheless, grazing may still prove an economically viable means of managing existing warbler habitat by delaying succession toward a mature forest community where important food resources may be lacking.
The Auk, Apr 1, 1998
, while Latta (SCL) and Wunderle (JMW) were mist-netting in a shade coffee plantation 2 km northw... more , while Latta (SCL) and Wunderle (JMW) were mist-netting in a shade coffee plantation 2 km northwest of Jumunucu, La Vega Province, Dominican Republic (elevation 600 m), an unusual-appearing warbler was captured when it responded to the playback of American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) chip-notes. Because they were unable to identify the individual (which appeared to be a Dendroica), SCL and JMW made extensive notes on plumage characteristics and measurements, and photographed and color-banded the bird. It was seen repeatedly in the following eight days in the same coffee plantation, after which time SCL and JMW left the area. Comparisons of their descriptions with specimens at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ) failed to provide an identification of the bird. It was still present at the same location when SCL and JMW returned on 22 January 1994, at which time it was collected. Materials and methods.-The bird was prepared as an alcohol specimen (field no. DR002, UMMZ 233,474) and sent to Parkes (KCP) for a detailed analysis. It was identified as a male by the presence of a left testis. The plumage was dried with a hand-held hair drier. It was identified as a second-year (SY) bird by the worn condition of its primary wing coverts (Pyle et al. 1987:135). All measurements were made with birds of the same sex/age class, including the flattened wing, tail, and chord of hind claw. The need for segregating specimens by age class was demonstrated by comparisons of Magnolia Warblers (Dendroica magnolia); for the flattened wing measurement, 11 hatching-year (HY) and SY males had a range of 59 to 62 mm (oe = 60.3 +-SD of 0.093 ram), whereas 12 after-second-year (ASY) males had a range of 59.5 to 65 mm (oe = 62.25 + 0.062 ram). The general color pattern, body size, and the shapes of the bill, wing, and tail identified the bird as a Dendroica warbler. Accepting that it was a hybrid and not merely an aberrantly plumaged individual, a search was made among male Dendroica for the most likely parents. Factors to be considered included the breeding ranges of the potential parent species and whether one or both winters in the West Indies. These factors, plus the face pattern (including a
AGUFM, Dec 1, 2011
ABSTRACT We mapped tropical dry forest height (RMSE = 0.9 m, R2 = 0.84, range 0.6-7 m) and foliag... more ABSTRACT We mapped tropical dry forest height (RMSE = 0.9 m, R2 = 0.84, range 0.6-7 m) and foliage height profiles with a time series of gap-filled Landsat and Advanced Land Imager (ALI) imagery for the island of Eleuthera, The Bahamas. We also mapped disturbance type and age with decision tree classification of the image time series. Having mapped these variables in the context of studies of wintering habitat of an endangered Nearctic-Neotropical migrant bird, the Kirtland&#39;s Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii), we then illustrated relationships between forest vertical structure, disturbance type and counts of forage species important to the Kirtland&#39;s Warbler. The ALI imagery and the Landsat time series were both critical to the result for forest height, which the strong relationship of forest height with disturbance type and age facilitated. Also unique to this study was that seven of the eight image time steps were cloud-gap-filled images: mosaics of the clear parts of several cloudy scenes, in which cloud gaps in a reference scene for each time step are filled with image data from alternate scenes. We created each cloud-cleared image, including a virtually seamless ALI image mosaic, with regression tree normalization of the image data that filled cloud gaps. We also illustrated how viewing time series imagery as red-green-blue composites of tasseled cap wetness (RGB wetness composites) aids reference data collection for classifying tropical forest disturbance type and age.
The Condor, Aug 1, 1996
We determined the flocking propensity of 48 species of birds occurring in native pine forest in t... more We determined the flocking propensity of 48 species of birds occurring in native pine forest in the Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic, and the species composition of 180 mixed-species flocks. Flocks were unusually ubiquitous, with 46 species occurring in at least one flock, 11 species regularly present, and all insectivorous species and all migrant species participating. Most birds encountered were permanent residents, but winter residents (Nearctic migrants) were an important component of the flocks and, as a group, had the highest flocking propensity. Flocks were cohesive and the resident insectivore, the Black-crowned Palm Tanager (Phaenicophilus palmarum) often served as the nuclear species. Censuses suggest species richness within flocks reflects the species present in the habitat, but agonistic interactions indicate that intraspecific aggression may limit the number of individuals of a species in these flocks. Species co-occurrence data indicate that species do not occur independently of one another in flocks. Positive associations were far more common than negative co-occurrences, suggesting mutual habitat dependencies or species interactions within flocks. A non-random association of nearest neighbors also indicated that species may be gaining feeding benefits from flocking by associating as close neighbors with an individual of another species, but we were not able to rule out the possibility that predation is an important selective agent. Intraspecific comparisons of foraging behavior between flocking and solitary birds provides some evidence that individuals modify foraging locations and foraging tactics upon joining mixed-species flocks, and that their foraging behavior tends to converge with the feeding behavior of the nuclear species. An increase in the feeding rate was recorded for one species. These data suggest that at least some species may accrue feeding advantages as flock participants.
Endangered Species Research, Feb 7, 2019
Understanding the population dynamics of migratory animals throughout the full annual cycle is cr... more Understanding the population dynamics of migratory animals throughout the full annual cycle is critical for effective conservation, and requires knowing where populations are located throughout the year. For most Neotropical−Nearctic migratory bird species, breeding distributions are well-described, but less is generally known about their migratory paths, stopover areas, and wintering grounds. The Kirtland's warbler Setophaga kirtlandii is an endangered longdistance migratory passerine with a restricted but well-described breeding distribution located primarily in Michigan (USA), with small subpopulations in Wisconsin (USA) and Ontario (Canada). Kirtland's warbler migratory paths and the location of important stopover areas were recently estimated, but published accounts of their wintering distribution and winter habitat use are currently incomplete and conflicting. In this paper, we used 128 detections from playback surveys, 86 sightings from birders entered into eBird, and previously published light-level geolocator tracking data from 27 males to refine the distribution and habitat use of wintering Kirtland's warblers. We demonstrate that Kirtland's warblers are most abundant in the central Bahamas, but also winter elsewhere in The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, and possibly southern Florida and Bermuda. Despite some previous accounts, which suggest that Kirtland's warblers primarily winter in Caribbean pine habitat, our survey and eBird data indicate that they almost exclusively use a variety of broadleaf scrub habitats. This new information will help guide future research and conservation efforts designed to protect this endangered species.
Animal Behaviour, Nov 1, 1979
Abstract Territorial male common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) were presented modified songs... more Abstract Territorial male common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) were presented modified songs to determine the species-identifying song components. Presentations were paired, with the response elicited by a synthetic normal song (control) compared to that elicited by modified songs. Modified songs in which the frequency range was held constant yet lowered by 1 kHz from the average elicited a response that was significantly lower than the control. Doubling internote time intervals resulted in lower responses. Removing downslurred and upslurred hooks on notes did not alter responses. A simple two-noted repeated phrase song, one note an upstroke, the other a downstroke, with a frequency envelope of approximately 2 to 6 kHz, may provide the minimum requirements for species recognition.
Journal of Wildlife Management, Jul 1, 1997
... of Forested Habitats (coauthor) Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Attracting Birds: A Manual for t... more ... of Forested Habitats (coauthor) Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Attracting Birds: A Manual for the Northeast BY JOHN H. RAPPOLE Aves ... Acknowledgments We gratefully acknowledge those who contributed to this effort: William R. Danielson and Christopher JE Welsh, US Forest ...
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, May 18, 2022
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, 2002
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, Apr 28, 2016
Review of: Birds of Vieques Island, Puerto Reco: Status, Abundance, and Conservation. 2015. Spe... more Review of: Birds of Vieques Island, Puerto Reco: Status, Abundance, and Conservation. 2015. Special Issue of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, BirdsCaribbean; Scholarly & Specialized Publishing, Charlottesville, Virginia. 252 pp. ISBN: 978-0-9821057-1-9.
This publication summarizes the histories of all known Puerto Rican parrot nests in the Caribbean... more This publication summarizes the histories of all known Puerto Rican parrot nests in the Caribbean National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest from 1973 through 2000. Included for each nest, when known, are the identities of the pair, clutch size, known fertile and infertile eggs, number of eggs that hatched, number of chicks that survived, sources of mortality, fostering (source, destination, or both), number of young fledged from the pair and from the nest, and percentage of days the nest was guarded. This information is useful for detecting and assessing potential changes in reproductive output and nest threats and is fundamental for understanding some of the demographic and genetic factors influencing the wild parrot population.
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Papers by Joseph Wunderle