Survival rates of band‐tailed pigeons estimated using passive integrated transponder tags

Authors

Daniel P. Collins, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Guthrie S. Zimmerman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Scott A. Carleton, National Park Service
William L. Kendall, Colorado State University
Christopher L. Coxen, New Mexico State University

Date of this Version

1-6-2023

Citation

J Wildl Manag. 2023;87:e22385. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22385

Comments

U.S. government works are not subject to copyright.

Abstract

Obtaining survival estimates on the Interior population of band-tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) is challenging because they are trap shy, but the joint use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and bands is a potential solution. We investigated the use of PIT tags to passively recapture band‐tailed pigeon at 3 locations in New Mexico, USA, to estimate survival. From 2013–2015, we captured, banded, and marked >600 individual band‐tailed pigeons with PIT tags. To estimate annual survival rates, we used a Barker multi‐state joint live and dead encounters and resighting model. Survival models excluding transience had survival estimates across site, sex, and year of 0.86 (95% CI = 0.84–0.88) for after hatch year birds and 0.63 (95% CI = 0.48–0.76) for hatch year birds. These results are consistent with other survival estimates reported for the Interior population of band‐tailed pigeons using band return data and potentially provide an effective alternative method of monitoring survival of this population.