stable isotope | Konza Prairie LTER

Abstract:

This dataset includes captures of mainly Grasshopper Sparrows (GRSP) prior to 2017, and after that, additionally many Dickcissels, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds and other songbirds. Each row pertains to an individual captured on a certain day. Individuals can repeat. Most captures include data on age, sex, head-bill, tarsus, wind chord, molt score, fat score, and mass. In many cases, a single feather was collected from each bird for isotopic analyses. Some individuals were measured for body composition (fat mass, lean mass, and body water) using a mobile Quantitative Magnetic Resonance (QMR) machine. Most individuals were bled in the field within 5 min of capture. The blood was chilled, centrifuged the same day, and plasma stored frozen for analyses of metabolite concentrations. Red blood cells were stored in lysis buffer for genotyping. All birds were banded with a USFWS band and many of the adults were individually marked using a unique combination of 3 plastic colored leg bands. Birds captured as independent young or nestlings banded prior to fledge were only marked with the USFWS bands. All birds were released at the location of capture. Missing values in character fields denoted by NA, and in numeric fields -999.

Data set ID:

111

Core Areas:

Populations

Related publications:

Patterns and correlates of within-season breeding dispersal: a common strategy in a declining grassland songbird

Emigration and survival correlate with different precipitation metrics throughout a grassland songbird's annual cycle

Riding out the storm: depleted fat stores and elevated hematocrit in a small bodied endotherm exposed to severe weatherAbstract

Short name:

CBS01

Related sites:

1D

2A

2D

4A

C1A

C3A

C3B

C3C

C3SA

C3SB

C3SC

K1A

K1B

K2A

N1B

N1A

N20A

N2A

N2B

Methods:

Variable Measured: Species, age, sex, capture date, location of capture, head-bill, tarsus, wind chord, molt score, fat score, and mass.

Species Code:
Species Code   Common Name    Scientific Name
BHCO   Brown-headed Cowbird   Molothrus ater
GRSP   Grasshopper Sparrow   Ammodramus savannarum
HESP   Henslow Sparrow   Ammodramus henslowii

Color Band Color Abbreviations:
A   Gray
B   Light Blue
D   Dark Blue
G   Green
K   Black
O   Orange
P   Pink
R   Red
S   Silver
W   White
Y   Yellow

Age:
NG   Nestling
HY   Hatch Year
AHY   After Hatch Year
SY   Second Year
ASY   After Second Year
TY   Third Year
ATY   After Third Year
U   Unknown

How aged or sexed:
Plumage   Young (hatch-year) birds have distinct plumage. Following their first year, GRSP cannot be sexed or aged by plumage
CP   Cloacal Protuberance present—indicates male in breeding condition
BP   Brood Patch present—if >0.5, indicates female in breeding condition (males only lose a few belly feathers)
OnNest   Nestlings found in nest = known age. Birds flushed from nest sexed as females
Song   Males observed singing prior to capture (females don’t sing)
Display   Males observed displaying prior to capture (females don’t display)
Molecular   Molecularly sexed post-hoc
Ossification   Young (< 4 mo) birds have incomplete ossification
Recap   If a bird was captured in a previous season, we can age precisely (if HY or NG at time for first capture), or know minimum age (if captured as AHY)

Sex:
M   Male
F   Female
U   Unknown

CP:
0   No evidence of swelling
1   Very slight thickening
2   Still longer than wide, but noticeably bulging
3   Resembling the drawing in the front of Pyle guide
4   Size of an unripe blueberry
5   Size and color of an ripe blueberry

BP:
1   Smooth feathers are dropped and some vascularization is evident, but most of the area is still rather smooth and dark red
2   Vascularization is evident, some wrinkles are present, and some fluid is present under the skin, giving the area a pale, opaque, pinkish color
3   Vascularization is at the maximum extent of the brood patch; the brood patch is thickly wrinkled, and much fluid is present under the skin
4   Wrinkled, vascularization and fluid is mostly gone, skin retains many thin, dry, contracted wrinkles
5   Molting with no vascularization or fluid, most wrinkles gone, and pinfeathers present only on breast with no other flight feather or body molt occurring

Molt:
0   No molt
1   Some pin feathers, adventitious flight feather molt, or very beginning stages of complete molt (i.e., dropped feathers but no new feathers grown in)
2   Moderate molt. Multiple feather tracts and/or flight feathers or retricies
3   Most tracts in molt including flight feathers and body

Fat:
0   No fat visible in furculum
1   A light covering or partial covering of fat on the inside of the furculum
2   >10% full and <~35% full
3   Roughly half full of fat
4   Furculum ~75% full, fat typically extending out of furcular area at the top and some visible fat in wing pits and lower belly
5   Furculum ~full-slightly bulging. Obvious fat reserves elsewhere on the body
6   Furculum very bulging. Extensive fat reserves elsewhere

Observer Initials   Full name
AB   Alice Boyle
AJH   Alex J Henry
AJM   Andrew Mayer
ANB   Allison Nicole Bays
BNP   Blair Pfeifer
BV   Bram Verheijen
CES   Chelsea E Sink
CKP   Chyna Kaling Pei
DCA   Dakota C Allen
DDH   Destiney D Hett
DJS   Dylan J Smith
EJW   Emily J Williams
GW   Virginia Winder
HCM   Henry Castro-Miller
HN   Hunter Nedland
HRL   Heather Lerner
JLG   Joanna Gresham
JMG   Jackie M Gehrt
JMS   Joseph Schmit
KB   Katharina Bremser
KEG   Keil E Garey
KET   Katelyn E Thompson
KLK   Kristin Kersten
KMS   Katy M. Silber
MDR   Miriam Reynaldo
MKW   Mary Kate Wilcox
MLG   Michaela L Gustafson
MW   Mariel Winnerman
NAB   Natasha A Bergevine
RCD   Ryan Donnelly
SKW   Sarah K Winnicki
SLD   Sarah Lindsay Demadura
SVR   Suzy V Replogle Curnutt