GREATER ROADRUNNER (GEOCOCCYX CALIFORNIANUS) HOME RANGE AND HABITAT SELECTION IN WEST TEXAS Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We studied Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) habitat use during spring and summer 2011 on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch in the Red Rolling Plains of west Texas. We captured 9 roadrunners (1 male, 8 females) and fitted each with a 10-g backpack-style radio-transmitter. We relocated roadrunners 2-4 times per week from February to August. Roadrunners used a mean minimum convex polygon home range of 43.0 ha, a 50% core range of 11.9 ha, and 33% overlap between adjacent home ranges. Home ranges were approximately half the size of those reported in a recent study of roadrunners in north Texas. Habitat selection ratios showed that roadrunners selected for ridge and grassland vegetation types and avoided bare ground and flatland vegetation types at both first- and second- but not third-order levels of selection. Similar results were documented for roadrunners in north Texas.

published proceedings

  • WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Montalvo, A. E., Ransom, D. J., & Lopez, R. R.

citation count

  • 2

complete list of authors

  • Montalvo, Andrea E||Ransom, Dean Jr||Lopez, Roel R

publication date

  • January 2014