Abundance and habitat associations of Common Poorwills in the Sonoran Desert

We conducted point counts at a Sonoran Desert site from 1994 thru 1996 to examine the abundance and habitat associations of Common Poorwills (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii). The abundance of poorwills did not significantly differ among years. At a macrohabitat scale, poorwill abundance was positively associated with cover of washes and uplands, while at a microhabitat scale, abundance was positively associated with cover of rocky substrate and mid-canopy (1.0 m-2.5 m) perennial vegetation, and was negatively associated with cover of understory (0.05 m to 1.0 m) grass. Common poorwills most often used areas characterized by an interspersion of physiographic types. Our findings are consistent with many qualitative observations from the natural history literature.

Abundance and habitat associations of Common Poorwills in the Sonoran Desert Academic Article