Survival and movements of brown‐headed nuthatches after translocation to the Missouri Ozarks

Abstract

AbstractThe brown‐headed nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) was likely extirpated from Missouri in the early 1900s as a result of habitat loss through extensive logging. Conservation partners including the Missouri Department of Conservation, United States Forest Service, University of Missouri, and others, relocated 102 brown‐headed nuthatches from Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas to Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri in 2020 and 2021 to establish a local population. We tracked 50 individuals for 24 ± 11 (median ± SD) days after release using radio telemetry and monitored movements in relation to sex and whether a bird was captured alone or as part of a group. We examined 25‐day survival using a spatial Cormack Jolly Seber (sCJS) model to account for likely dispersal outside of our study area. All birds survived capture, transport, and release. The 25‐day survival estimate was 0.56 (95% CI = 0.36–0.78) in 2020 and 0.68 (95% CI = 0.46–0.89) in 2021. Mean total distance moved following release was 5,670 (SD = 3,407) m and mean daily movement was 243 (SD = 135) m which was less than the mean daily dispersal distance estimated from our sCJS model (420 m, SD = 221). Our short‐term monitoring suggests initial success of the translocation, but continued monitoring is needed to evaluate long‐term success. Our survival analysis approach, which included movement data, illustrates the importance of considering dispersal when estimating survival.