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Titre :
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Does acrobat ant presence affect Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) foraging tree selection? (2025)
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Auteurs :
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Breanne C. Ward, Auteur ;
Robert T. Meyer, Auteur
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Type de document :
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Article
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Dans :
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Wilson Journal of Ornithology (The) (137(4) December, 2025)
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Article en page(s) :
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550-562
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Mots-clés:
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Avian ecology
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Comportamiento de forrajeo
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Crematogaster pinicola
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crematogaster pinicola
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ecología de aves
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ecosistema de llanuras de pino
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foraging behavior
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longleaf pine
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pino de hoja larga
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upland pine ecosystem
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Résumé :
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The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) is a federally endangered species endemic to pine (Pinus spp.) savannas in the southeastern United States. Based on two prior studies assessing adult Red-cockaded Woodpecker diets, acrobat ants (Crematogaster pinicola) are suspected to be a significant food item year-round. Evidence of a food preference could have implications for forest management if managers aim to improve forage availability. Here, we determine whether Red-cockaded Woodpecker foraging behavior was influenced by the presence of acrobat ants by comparing foraging trees selected by Red-cockaded Woodpeckers with neighboring trees that were not (hereafter; unselected trees). We assessed ant presence for 125 pairs of selected and unselected trees (n = 250) across 20 Red-cockaded Woodpecker groups within the Red Hills region of south Georgia and north Florida using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Acrobat ants were observed on Red-cockaded Woodpecker-selected trees (n = 20) and on nearby unselected trees (n = 22) of various sizes. We found minimal to no evidence that acrobat ants, or any ant species predicted Red-cockaded Woodpecker selection of foraging trees. Red-cockaded Woodpecker foraging time did not differ on trees where acrobat ants were detected or undetected. Red-cockaded Woodpecker foraging time increased on recently dead trees and pine cones. An occupancy model of acrobat ants on random trees stratified across foraging areas suggested Red-cockaded Woodpeckers foraged on trees containing acrobat ants in proportion to their occurrence on the landscape. Land managers should maintain various tree sizes and dead trees on the landscape to support a diverse arboreal community for Red-cockaded Woodpecker foraging habitat.
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En ligne :
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https://doi.org/10.1080/15594491.2025.2527998
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