1. Rhode Island Woodcock Initiative American Woodcock Habitat Demonstration Area Brian Tefft, RIDEM Fish and Wildlife

2. Objectives  Create Habitat Demonstration Area for American Woodcock  Manage Early Successional Habitats for Woodcock and other wildlife using BMP’s  Monitor woodcock response to management  Measure key habitat features  Measure use of habitats by avian species  Create educational materials for private landowners

3. Woodcock Management

4. Habitat Management

6. Capture and Banding  Mist net on singing grounds April and May 2008  Applied transmitters and leg bands  Obtained locations and monitored survival

7. Monitoring  Monitor woodcock 2-3 times/week to obtain location  Conducted singing ground counts  Conducted avian point counts  Document use by other High Priority Avian Species in BCR

8. Habitat Measures Measured  Dominant forest cover  Age class  Stem density  Over-story density  Earth worm biomass

9. Results

10. Results Telemetry  Home range: MCP  Feeding covers  Roosting fields  Nesting covers

11. Home Ranges

12. Home Range 444

13. Home Ranges

14. Average Diurnal H.R. (MCP n=5) was 34.9 acres (14 ha)  302: MCP 2.7 acres (1.1 ha) 1 mile from roost fields/singing grounds  444: MCP 4.9 acres (1.9 ha) 1.2 mile from roost fields/singing grounds  422: MCP 17.2 acres (6.9 ha)  362: MCP.7 acres (.3 ha)  462: MCP 149 acres (60 ha)*

15. Habitat Measurements  Stem density In HR: Average: 95,125 stems/ha Range 71,250 – 116,500 Out HR: Average: 84,583 stems/ha Range: 41,667-210,000

16. Habitat Measurements Dominant Forest Type – Feeding Covers  Wetland Forest: 58%  Deciduous Upland Forest: 25%  Mixed Upland Forest: 9%  Field: 4%

17. Habitat Measurements Overstory Density:  In HR: 91% cover  Out HR: 75% cover

18. Habitat Measurements  Forest Age Class of Day Feeding covers Seedling: 3% Sapling: 11% Pole: 47% Mature: 32% Non-forest: 6%

19. Earthworm Biomass

20.  In HR: Ave total weight 44.5 g (129 worms)  Out HR: Ave total weight 1.2 g (18 worms)

21. Avian Point Counts  39 total species observed  Blue-winged Warbler: present @ 70% points  Eastern Towhee: present @ 100% points  Cowbirds present @ 90% points

22. Acknowledgements  Wildlife Management Institute  Rhode Island Resource Conservation District  University of Rhode Island  USFWS Federal Aid Project W-23R-52