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WOS 2010 ~ ABSTRACTS p. 22
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is an invasive plant found throughout the United States that bears fruits
that are present during periods of avian migration. The fruits provide a source of protein and nutrients for
frugivorous birds, especially migrant birds that switch to frugivory during migratory period. This implies that birds
that consume the fruits ultimately disperse the seeds of the fruits, contributing to the dispersal of the invasive plant.
A study of the relationship between the seed-dispersing birds and the honeysuckle can have important implications
when considering the management of this invasive plant; more specifically, identifying dispersers as migrant or
resident birds could provide a timeline for more effective management and control of the honeysuckle plant. This
study compared honeysuckle consumption of resident birds against migrant birds in Granville, Ohio during mid-
September to late October 2009 to provide insight into management options. Migrant birds of the area showed a
higher amount of honeysuckle consumption, implying a larger role in dispersal of seeds over resident birds.
Additionally, the honeysuckle was consumed by seven species previously identified as frugivores by other studies
and the majority of consumption occurred within a specific two-week period during the course of the study,
indicating a window of time in which honeysuckle could effectively be managed. The fall migratory patterns of
these species within the study site can be monitored to, in combination with cutting the plant in a timely manner,
effectively decrease the dispersal of the invasive plant.
29 S Quantifying incubation behavior of Common Eiders nesting on Jordan’s Delight Island, Maine. Monika
Parsons and Frederick A. Servello, Dept. Wildlife Ecology, Univ. Maine, Orono, ME 04469, and Cynthia S. Loftin,
US Geological Survey Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Eiders rely on both concealment and high incubation constancy to prevent egg loss to predation. Female eiders will
break from incubation to drink from the nearest water source, but the timing, frequency and duration of incubation
recesses vary considerably across the eider breeding range. Studies of causes of variation have been limited, and the
importance of weather and predator activity has not been addressed directly. Our objectives were to quantify the
characteristics of incubation recesses on a breeding site in Maine and to determine the influence of environmental
factors and disturbance on recesses. We conducted our study on Jordan’s Delight Island, Washington County,
Maine, in summer 2008-2009. We deployed Hobo temperature loggers with external probes (n =110) to remotely
monitor nest temperature and infer incubation activity. Nests were visited initially to deploy loggers, and loggers
retrieved at the conclusion of the nesting period to limit investigator disturbance. We instrumented 47 nests in 2008
and 63 nests in 2009. We reliably detected 76 recesses exceeding 15 minutes in 2008 and 277 recesses > 15 minutes
in 2009. The mean (± SE) length of incubation recesses in 2008 was 67.1 ± 5.0 min and 35.5 ± 1.1 min in 2009.
Most birds on Jordan’s Delight recessed during daylight hours ( 2=19.57, p