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Habitat associations of translocated and native mountain quail in Oregon

2004; Washington State University Press; Volume: 78; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

2161-9859

Michael D. Pope, Michael M. Hansen, John A. Crawford,

Rangeland and Wildlife Management

We examined habitat associations for 235 radio-tagged native and translocated mountain quail in the Cascade Mountains of southwestern Oregon and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in northeastern Oregon from 1997 to 1999. Home-range size was estimated for 12 mountain quail from the Cascade Mountains and 21 quail from Hells Canyon. Mean home range size for combined areas was 141′31 ha. Compared with Hells Canyon, home ranges were significantly larger in the Cascade Mountain, and similar in size for males and females. In Hells Canyon, > 73% of mountain quail locations were found in 7 plant associations: black cottonwood/snowberry, Douglas-fir/mallow ninebark, talus garland, ponderosa pine/snowberry, red alder/dogwood, smooth sumac/wheatgrass, and dogwood. In comparison to random sites, black cottonwood/snowberry, talus garland, ponderosa pine/ snowberry, red alder/dogwood, and smooth sumac/wheatgrass were used more than expected. In Hells Canyon, males used ponderosa pine/snowberry and wheatgrass less than females. Mountain quail captured in the Cascades and translocated to Hells Canyon used mallow ninebark/snowberry Douglas-fir/mallow ninebark, and Douglas-fir/mountain ash/mallow ninebark associations more than native quail. In the southwestern Cascades, >80% of all locations were in early-successional (shrub/sapling) vegetation. Males used clear-cut/shrub and closed-pole areas more than females. Compared to random sites, mountain quail used grass/forb/shrub and sapling stands more and mid- to late-successional (small saw-timber, old-growth) less than expected.