Term of Award

Fall 2004

Degree Name

Master of Science In the Department of Biology

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Committee Chair

C. Ray Chandler

Committee Member 1

Lorne Wolfe

Committee Member 2

Daniel Gleason

Abstract

Henslow's sparrows occupy the wet, fire-maintained, pine savannas of coastal Mississippi during winter. Management of these areas has been shown to be related to the abundance of Henslow's Sparrows at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, Jackson County, Mississippi. Studies at the Refuge have shown that the abundance of Henslow's Sparrows varies among savannas of different age class (time since last prescribed burn). Henslow's Sparrows are more abundant on savannas the first winter a savanna is habitable following a fire than in subsequent years. I examined how the diet of and food available to Henslow's Sparrows varied among sites and among age classes of savanna at the Refuge. I conducted the first detailed study of the species winter diet. I found that Henslow's Sparrows are generalists that eat a wide range of seeds and arthropods. Seeds of sedges composed the largest proportion of the diet. Diet varied among sites and with time since last burn (age class). Seed abundance varied among sites but did not vary among age classes. Thus, while management of the habitat is related to the diet, the abundance of food is not, and other microhabitat characteristics are affecting the abundance of sparrows within these areas. I found that herbaceous cover and biomass varied among age classes. Thus, this study concluded the diet and habitat use of wintering Henslow's Sparrows is influenced by prescribed burns and that structure, not food may be the factor most affecting the abundance of Henslow's Sparrows at the Refuge.

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