Minnesota Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit

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Browsing Minnesota Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit by Author "Andersen, David E"

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    Assessment of Techniques for Evaluating American Woodcock Population Response to Best Management Practices Applied at the Demonstration-Area Scale (RWO 91 Annual Report, 2012)
    (2012) Daly, Kyle O; Andersen, David E; Brininger Jr, Wayne L
    American woodcock (Scolopax minor) have experienced significant long-term declines in the Eastern and Central Management Regions since Singing-ground Surveys (SGS) were first implemented in the mid-1960s. Declines in population trend coupled with declines in woodcock recruitment (indexed through immature:adult female ratios derived from wingcollection surveys) are widely believed to be caused by the loss or alteration of early succession forest and shrubland land-cover types throughout the breeding range. Developing a system of demonstrations areas (≈200 – 800 ha) where specific Best Management Practices (BMPs) are applied throughout the woodcock breeding range is one strategy to influence landscape change and potentially increase woodcock populations. However, how woodcock populations respond to BMPs applied at the demonstration-area scale is not well documented. To evaluate woodcock response to BMPs, we are assessing four population-level metrics at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in northwest Minnesota: displaying male abundance, female habitat use, female survival, and recruitment of juveniles. During the 2011 and 2012 field seasons we captured a total of 529 woodcock, including 41 (2011: n = 23, 2012: n = 18) adult female woodcock that we radio-marked. We found 50 nests (2011: n = 27, 2012: n = 23) and monitored 52 woodcock broods (2011: n = 30, 2012: n = 22). In 2011, abundance of displaying males was similar at Tamarac NWR to abundance in adjacent, reference areas, but in 2012 Tamarac NWR had higher abundance than adjacent areas. In both years, breeding females and broods used dense vegetation in managed areas.
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    Assessment of Techniques for Evaluating American Woodcock Population Response to Best Management Practices Applied at the Demonstration-Area Scale (RWO 91 Annual Report, 2013)
    (2012) Daly, Kyle O; Andersen, David E; Brininger Jr, Wayne L
    American woodcock (Scolopax minor) have experienced significant long-term population declines in the Eastern and Central Management Regions since Singing-ground Surveys (SGS) were first implemented in the mid-1960s. Declines in population trend coupled with declines in woodcock recruitment are widely believed to be caused by the loss or alteration of early succession forest and shrubland land-cover types throughout the breeding range. Developing a system of demonstrations areas (~200 – 800 ha) where specific Best Management Practices (BMPs) are applied throughout the woodcock breeding range is one strategy to influence landscape change and potentially increase woodcock population size. However, how woodcock populations respond to BMPs applied at the demonstrationarea scale is not well documented. To evaluate woodcock response to BMPs, we are assessing four population-level metrics at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in northwest Minnesota: displaying male abundance, female habitat use, female survival, and recruitment of juveniles. During the 2011 and 2012 field seasons we captured a total of 529 woodcock, including 41 (2011: n = 23, 2012: n = 18) adult female woodcock that we radio-marked. We found 50 nests (2011: n = 27, 2012: n = 23) and monitored 52 woodcock broods (2011: n = 30, 2012: n = 22). In 2011, abundance of displaying males was similar at Tamarac NWR to abundance in adjacent, reference areas, but in 2012 Tamarac NWR had higher abundance than adjacent areas. In both years, breeding females and broods used dense vegetation in managed areas.
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    Brood Movements of Eastern Prairie Population Canada Geese: Potential Influence of Light Goose Abundance
    (2006) Nack, Robert R; Andersen, David E
    During the summers of 2000–2002, we used radio telemetry to document Eastern Prairie Population (EPP) Canada goose (Branta canadensis interior) brood movements and use of brood-rearing habitat. We compared these data with similar data collected in 1976–1978 (Didiuk 1979), prior to a significant increase in the size of the midcontinent light goose (lesser snow geese [Chen caerulescens] and Ross’s geese [C. rossii]) population and consequent habitat alteration near Cape Churchill, Manitoba. Since the late 1970s, use of traditional EPP Canada goose broodrearing areas by light geese has increased significantly near Cape Churchill, and the density of nesting EPP Canada geese has declined. Alteration of brood-rearing habitat has been hypothesized as a cause of the decline in EPP breeding density, as natal dispersal to more distant brood-rearing areas may influence future recruitment into the local breeding population. In 1976–1978, 20 (95%) of 21 radio-marked broods nesting in beach ridge/sedge meadow habitat moved to salt marsh brood-rearing areas; however, only 5 (19%) of 27 Canada geese, nesting in the same habitat, made initial movements to these traditional salt marsh brood-rearing areas in 2000–2002. In 2000–2002, 30 (75%) of 40 geese with broods made initial movements to beach ridge/sedge meadow habitat—10 of these broods eventually moved to salt-marsh habitats later in the brood-rearing period (v date ¼ 22 days postmedian hatch). Mean brood home range size from 2001–2002 in coastal and inland habitats nearly doubled compared to the mean brood home range size during 1976–1978. Eastern Prairie Population Canada geese currently use broodrearing habitat other than the coastal salt marshes they used prior to habitat alteration resulting from foraging by light geese. A shift in the use of brood-rearing habitat could potentially reduce nest densities on the study area if first-time breeders nest closer to distant brood-rearing areas. The impact of alternative brood-rearing habitat on gosling growth and survival for EPP geese is unknown, but foraging in poorer quality broodrearing habitat may also contribute to the observed decline in nesting density. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 70(2):435–442; 2006
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    DEMOGRAPHIC RESPONSE OF GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER TO HABITAT MANAGEMNET ACROSS A CLIMATE CHANGE GRADIENT IN THE CORE OF THE SPECIES' RANGE: 2012 SUMMARY REPORT
    (2012-12-31) Streby, Henry M; Peterson, Sean M; Andersen, David E
    In 2012 we repeated our 2011 efforts with a substantial increase in data collected. This was the second and final full field season investigating population ecology of Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera; hereafter GWWA) at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Rice Lake NWR in Minnesota and Sandilands Provincial Forest (PF) in Manitoba. We assessed nesting habitat use, nest productivity, fledgling survival, and post-fledging habitat use by GWWA at all three sites. We color banded 107 adult female and 112 adult male GWWA and we attached radio transmitters to 108 adult females. By tracking radio-marked females and by nest searching, we found and monitored 149 nesting attempts including 2 nests found by others conducting research at Tamarac NWR (see acknowledgments). The 66% increase over the 2011 nest sample was partly due to increased effort to radio-mark adult females, but mostly to the return of many experienced nest searchers from 2010 and 2011. We banded 311 nestlings and fledglings and radio-tracked 175 fledglings. We collected data on habitat characteristics and GWWA behavior at >2,400 adult, nest, and fledgling locations. Including renesting, we estimated that 58%, 74%, and 79% of females successfully nested and that 53%, 49%, and 48% of fledglings survived to independence from adult care at Tamarac NWR, Rice Lake NWR, and Sandilands PF, respectively. Interestingly, the increases (over 2011) in successfully nesting females at Rice Lake NWR and Sandilands PF were accompanied by considerable decreases in fledged brood size due to many partial-brood nest predation events, and the decrease in successfully nesting females at Tamarac NWR was accompanied by a considerable increase in fledged brood size. Similar to 2011, nest failure and fledgling mortality were due nearly entirely to predation at the Minnesota sites, whereas weather exposure and blowfly infection accounted for a relatively high percentage (23%) of fledgling mortalities at Sandilands PF. Unlike previous years, we tracked at least one (total = 6) nestling or young fledgling at each site to a garter snake (i.e., inside the snake), possibly reflective of the warmer, dryer early spring weather. Consistent with 2011, 30% of radio-marked females nested in older forest stands traditionally not considered GWWA habitat, and fledged family groups moved into and spent much of the post-fledging period in those older forest areas. Early findings from this project have been disseminated in 2 peer reviewed scientific journal articles and 2 more are currently in review. Detailed analyses for manuscripts about transmitter effects, population dynamics, micro- and macro-scale habitat associations, nest-site choice, parental care of fledglings, and interesting natural history observations are all underway.
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    DEMOGRAPHIC RESPONSE OF GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER TO HABITAT MANAGEMNET ACROSS A CLIMATE CHANGE GRADIENT IN THE CORE OF THE SPECIES' RANGE: 2013 SUMMARY REPORT
    (2013-12-31) Streby, Henry M; Peterson, Sean M; Kramer, Gunnar R; Andersen, David E
    No new data were collected for this project during 2013 but the RWO was extended into 2014 to support graduate student Sean Peterson during thesis completion and manuscript preparation. That thesis was successfully defended in November 2013, and the final thesis will be submitted to the University of Minnesota in early 2014 and disseminated to all cooperators as a Final Report for this project in 2014 along with all other published products. This 2013 annual report summarizes completed products and plans for additional data analysis, manuscript preparation, and publication in refereed outlets. So far we have produced 11 manuscripts from this project, of which 4 are published, 1 is in press, 4 are in review or revision, and 2 will be submitted for review in January 2014. We are organizing data and conducting analysis for 5 additional manuscripts. A second graduate student, Gunnar Kramer (supported on a separate RWO) will produce 2 of those manuscripts as part of his thesis. During 2013, we presented results from this project in 8 presentations; 5 at professional conferences, 2 at public venues, and 1 at a university. We have scheduled 2 additional professional presentations for 2014.
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    EFFECTS OF IMPERFECT DETECTABILITY ON INFERENCES FROM AVIAN MONITORING
    (2014-10-06) Rigby, Elizabeth A; Johnson, Douglas H; Andersen, David E
    Imperfect detectability can complicate analysis of bird survey data. Adjustment methods to account for imperfect detectability exist, but it is not clear how the benefits of these methods compare to their costs. Graduate student Elizabeth Rigby is constructing a computer simulation of bird surveys to evaluate the effects of survey method on survey conclusions. The computer simulation will create simulated birds, then conduct counts of these birds, taking into account realistic parameters of factors known to affect bird counts. This project is currently in the design and coding phase. In addition to the simulation, she conducted a field study of factors affecting detectability of birds in grasslands. The field study assessed the effects of distance to sound source, wind speed and direction, habitat structure and composition, and bird species on the detection of recorded bird songs. Mock surveys with over 9,000 opportunities to detect a recorded bird song were conducted in fall 2011 and 2012 with 4 observers. Detection of recorded songs was treated as a binary variable and analyzed with logistic regression and mixed models. Distance from the observer and an index of wind speed and direction were the strongest covariates to detection. Models used to predict detections of recorded songs performed well, correctly predicting detections 68-90% of the time (depending on species). Observer effects were important; odds of detection for inexperienced observers were only 26% of those of the primary observer. Detection around a sound source was asymmetrical and heavily affected by wind direction. Design and coding for the computer simulation, as well as analysis of field data, will continue in 2014.
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    FALL SURVIVAL, MOVEMENTS, AND HABITAT USE OF AMERICAN WOODCOCK IN THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION: 2002 FIELD SEASON REPORT
    (2003-07) Andersen, David E; Bruggink, John G; Doherty, Kevin; Lutz, Scott R; Meunier, Jed; Oppelt, Eileen
    Declines in the number of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) heard on annual singing ground surveys have resulted in concern regarding the population status of woodcock in both the Central and Eastern Management Regions. Although changes in the distribution and abundance of woodcock habitat are believed to largely be responsible 1 2002 Field Season Report · July 2003 2 for apparent population declines, relatively little is known regarding the influence of harvest on woodcock population dynamics. Similarly, movements and habitat use of woodcock in fall prior to migration are poorly understood. In 2001 (Minnesota) and 2002 (Michigan and Wisconsin), we initiated a study of woodcock to assess magnitude and causes of woodcock mortality, and investigate movements and habitat use of woodcock in the western Great Lakes Region during fall. In all 3 states, we radio-marked woodcock on paired study areas; one of which was open to woodcock hunting (“hunted areas”) and one of which was closed (“non-hunted areas”) to hunting or had limited access for hunting (“lightly-hunted areas”). In 2002, across all 3 states we captured and radio-equipped 376 woodcock; 203 on hunted areas and 173 on non-hunted or lightly-hunted areas. Survival rates of woodcock during the hunting season in Michigan were 0.839 + 0.270 in the hunted area and 0.909 + 0.219 in the non-hunted area. In Minnesota, the hunting season survival rate of woodcock in the hunted area was 0.764 + 0.140, and in the non-hunted area it was 0.929 + 0.093. In Wisconsin, the hunting season survival rates of woodcock were 0.860 + 0.135 in the hunted area and 0.855 + 0.184 in the lightly hunted area. A sub-sample of after hatch year (AHY) female woodcock was monitored intensively in each state and preliminary analyses of movement and habitat use data from these birds suggest that woodcock make primarily small-scale movements (< 50 m between sequential locations on sequential days and 12.6 ha average 95% fixed kernel home range size) prior to migration. Primary cover types used were aspen seedling/sapling, aspen pole, alder, and conifer. Preliminary analyses also suggest that woodcock used edges within individual covers.
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    FALL SURVIVAL, MOVEMENTS, AND HABITAT USE OF AMERICAN WOODCOCK IN THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION: 2003 FIELD SEASON REPORT
    (2004-02) Andersen, David E; Bruggink, John G; Doherty, Kevin; Lutz, R.Scott; Meunier, Jed; Oppelt, Eileen
    Declines in the number of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) heard on annual singing ground surveys have resulted in concern regarding the population status of woodcock in both the Central and Eastern Management Regions. Although changes in the distribution and abundance of woodcock habitat are believed to largely be responsible for apparent population declines, relatively little is known regarding the influence of harvest on woodcock population dynamics. Similarly, movements and habitat use of woodcock in fall prior to migration are poorly understood. In 2001 (Minnesota) and 2002 (Michigan and Wisconsin), we initiated a study of woodcock to assess magnitude and causes of woodcock mortality, and investigate movements and habitat use of woodcock in the western Great Lakes Region during fall. In all 3 states, we radio-marked woodcock on paired study areas; one of which was open to woodcock hunting (“hunted areas”) and one of which was closed (“non-hunted areas”) to hunting or had limited access for hunting (“lightly-hunted areas”). In 2003, across all 3 states we captured and radio-equipped 338 woodcock; 194 on hunted areas and 144 on non-hunted or lightly-hunted areas. Survival rates of woodcock during the 2003 hunting season in Michigan were 0.778 + 0.157 in the hunted area and 0.857 + 0.240 in the non-hunted area. In Minnesota, the hunting season survival rate of woodcock in the hunted area was 0.733 + 0.303, and in the non-hunted area it was 0.854 + 0.155. In Wisconsin, the hunting season survival rates of woodcock were 0.657 + 0.151 in the hunted area and 0.735 + 0.151 in the lightly hunted area. A sub-sample of after hatch year (AHY) female woodcock was monitored intensively in each state and preliminary analyses of movement and habitat use data from these birds suggest that woodcock make primarily small-scale movements (47.7% <50 m between subsequent locations and 5.82 ha average 95% fixed kernel home range size) prior to migration. Primary cover types used were aspen (Populus spp.) seedling/sapling, aspen pole, alder (Alnus spp.), conifer, and willow (Salix spp.). Preliminary analyses also suggest that woodcock used edges within individual covers, but that use of edge habitats is variable among habitat types and years.
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    FALL SURVIVAL, MOVEMENTS, AND HABITAT USE OF AMERICAN WOODCOCK IN THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION: 2004 FIELD SEASON REPORT
    (2005-02) Andersen, David E; Meunier, Jed; Bruggink, John G; Oppelt, Eileen; Lutz, R.Scott; Doherty, Kevin
    Declines in the number of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) heard on annual singing ground surveys have resulted in concern regarding the population status of woodcock in both the Central and Eastern Management Regions. Although changes in the distribution and abundance of woodcock habitat are believed to largely be responsible for apparent population declines, relatively little is known regarding the influence of harvest on woodcock population dynamics. Similarly, movements and habitat use of woodcock in fall prior to migration are poorly understood. In 2001 (Minnesota) and 2002 (Michigan and Wisconsin), we initiated a study of woodcock to assess magnitude and causes of woodcock mortality, and investigate movements and habitat use of woodcock in the western Great Lakes Region during fall. In all 3 states, we radio-marked woodcock on paired study areas; one of which was open to woodcock hunting (“hunted areas”) and one of which was closed (“non-hunted areas”) to hunting or had limited access for hunting (“lightly-hunted areas”). From 2001-2004 across all 3 states we captured and radio-equipped 1,169 woodcock; 594 on hunted areas and 575 on non-hunted or lightly-hunted areas. Preliminary survival estimates during the hunting season ranged from 0.639 ± 0.150 (hunted area in Wisconsin in 2003) to 0.900 ± 0.228 (hunted area in Minnesota in 2001) and were generally higher in non-hunted than in hunted areas. However, survival estimates between study sites in the same state during the same year were not statistically different from one another, except in 2 instances. Survival was variable among years and sites, but highest in hunted areas, suggesting that hunting mortality may vary more than other causes of mortality. A sub-sample of after-hatch-year (AHY) female woodcock was monitored intensively in each state and analyses of movement and habitat use data from these birds suggest that woodcock make primarily small-scale movements (47.7% <50 m between subsequent locations and 5.82 ha average 95% fixed kernel home range size) prior to migration. Primary cover types used were aspen (Populus spp.) seedling/sapling, aspen pole, alder (Alnus spp.), conifer, and willow (Salix spp.). Preliminary analyses also suggest that woodcock used edges within individual covers, but that use of edge habitats is variable among habitat types and years.
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    HOME RANGE AND HABITAT USE OF NORTHERN GOSHAWKS (Accipiter gentilis) IN MINNESOTA
    (2001-04) Boal, Clint W; Andersen, David E; Kennedy, Patricia L
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    Microhabitat Characteristics of Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus, Nests at Cape Churchill, Manitoba
    (2005) Boal, Clint W; Andersen, David E
    We examined microsite characteristics at 21 Lapland Longspur (Ca/carius /apponicus) nests and land cover types in which they occUlTed in Wapusk National Parle. Cape Churchill, Manitoba. Nests were located in four of six physiographic-vegetation land-cover types. Regardless of land-cover type. all but one nest was built on a pressure ridge or mound. Nests were built midway between the bottom and top of ridges or mounds with steeper slopes than was randomly available. Longspur nests had a distinctive southwest orientation (P < 0.(01). Longspurs selected nest sites that consisted of comparatively greater amounts of shrub species and lesser amounts of moss than were randomly available. Nests were generally well concealed by vegetation(mean =67.0%) and concealment was negatively associated with amount of graminoid species at the nest (P =0.0005). Our nesting habitat data may facilitate a better understanding of breeding Lapland Longspur habitat requirements, and
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    Migration Chronology Distribution of Eastern Population of Sandhill Cranes (RWO 86 Annual Report, 2013)
    (2013) Fronczak, David L; Andersen, David E
    The Eastern Population (EP) of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) is rapidly expanding in size and geographic range. The core of their breeding range occurs in Wisconsin, Michigan, and southern Ontario; however, the EP range has expanded in all directions as the population has grown. Little is known about the geographic extent of breeding, migration, and wintering ranges of EP cranes, or migration chronology and use of staging areas. In December of 2009, we began trapping and attaching solar Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTTs) on EP sandhill cranes to assess movements throughout the year. We continued trapping throughout the spring and fall of 2010, the winter of 2010-2011, the fall of 2011 and winter of 2011-2012. To date, we have rocket-net trapped and attached PTTs (n = 33) to cranes in Indiana: Goose Ponds Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA), Greene County and Jasper-Pulaski FWA, Jasper and Pulaski Counties; Minnesota: Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Sherburne County; Tennessee: Hiawassee Wildlife Refuge, Meigs County and Hop-In Wildlife Refuge, Obion County; and Wisconsin: Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Burnett County. Location data for these birds are currently being received from Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) America Inc., MD, translated by software developed by NorthStar Science and Technology LLC, MD, and viewed using Environment System Research Institute (ESRI) ArcGIS software. Data are currently being analyzed, with a target of spring 2014 to provide a final project report
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    Resource Use of Arctic Peregrine Falcons along the Colville River, Alaska (RWO 90 Annual Report, 2012)
    (2012) Andersen, David E; Kennedy, Patricia L; Bruggeman, Jason E
    To improve knowledge about the ecology, life history, and behavior of arctic peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) on the Colville River Special Area (CRSA), we propose to (1) summarize and evaluate existing CRSA peregrine nesting data to assess trends in territory occupancy and abundance, and assist in summary and evaluation of nesting habitat use and related productivity, (2) implement additional data collection efforts focused on assessing factors related to the probability a territory is occupied, and (3) identify disturbance thresholds for arctic peregrine falcons from different types of human activity. In 2011, we assisted in 2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Bureau of Land Management surveys (1 during nesting and 1 during the fledgling period) of peregrine falcons on the Colville River that documented 56 pairs and 3 singles occupying 59 sites. During 2012, the Ph.D. student originally hired to lead this project left the University of Minnesota. Following that departure, we recruited a postdoctoral research associate (JEB) to take over as the lead in addressing research objective 1, beginning in September 2012. In addition, Ted Swem (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) spent the 2011‐2012 academic year at the Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Minnesota, and updated and formatted the long‐term arctic peregrine falcon database. Based on that historical database, we have acquired data sources related to characteristics of nest locations along the Colville River. We are currently developing models relating habitat, topography, climate, prey availability, competition, and site quality covariates to occupancy and abundance of breeding peregrines. We anticipate using the results of those models to help identify what factors have the most influence on peregrines nesting along the Colville River, and to help identify critical information needs.
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    Resource Use of Arctic Peregrine Falcons along the Colville River, Alaska (RWO 90 Annual Report, 2013)
    (2014-02-13) Bruggeman, Jason E; Andersen, David E; Kennedy, Patricia L
    To improve knowledge about the ecology, life history, and behavior of arctic peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) on the Colville River Special Area (CRSA), we proposed to (1) summarize and evaluate existing CRSA arctic peregrine nesting data to assess trends in territory occupancy and abundance, (2) assist in summary and evaluation of existing data on nesting habitat use and related productivity, (3) implement additional data collection and analysis efforts to address information needs, and (4) use results of the first three objectives to address management implications in the CRSA. To address the first objective in 2013, we used a long‐term dataset developed from breeding arctic peregrine surveys to evaluate how occupancy dynamics of individual nest sites and entire nesting cliffs were related to abiotic and biotic factors. We developed competing dynamic occupancy models with hypotheses for the probabilities of initial occupancy, colonization, local extinction, and detection, and used a stepwise procedure and information‐theoretic techniques to select the best‐approximating models. Initial occupancy probability was positively correlated with the amount of surrounding prey habitat and height of the nest site above the Colville River. Colonization probability was also positively correlated with nest height, and negatively correlated with the date of snow melt and distance to the nearest nest site occupied by a conspecific, the latter of which is likely a consequence of variability in resources along the river. Local extinction probability varied with aspect and was negatively correlated with productivity from the previous year (i.e., site quality), amount of prey habitat, and height. Colonization and local extinction probabilities were positively and negatively correlated, respectively, with threshold and logarithmic functions of year. Detection probabilities varied across years and were lower during second surveys. Our results demonstrated relationships between multiple abiotic and biotic factors and arctic peregrine falcon occupancy dynamics, and suggested certain nest sites and cliffs in the CRSA could be protected differently than others. Nest sites and cliffs with historically higher productivity were occupied most frequently and had a lower probability of local extinction between years. This suggests protection measures around higher quality nest sites and cliffs would have the most impact on breeding peregrine population dynamics, and offers the possibility that current regulations in the CRSA Management Plan could be relaxed around infrequently occupied nest sites. Also related to our first objective, we used the long‐term dataset to conduct an initial analysis to assess factors related to abundance and population dynamics of arctic peregrines on cliffs. In 2014 and in relation to our third objective, we will complete analyses and develop a model of arctic peregrine resource selection, and use results to produce a map documenting historical and predicted probability of use throughout the CRSA. The results of our analyses will help identify the abiotic and biotic factors having the most influence on arctic peregrines nesting along the Colville River, and evaluate critical information needs.