Examination of home range in male purple finches (Carpodacus purpureus)

Abstract

The primary goal of this study was understand the home ranges of red and brown purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus) males. Home ranges are an important basis of study because they provide valuable information on the habitat size, distribution, and ecosystem required to sustain a species. Data amassed on the males in our study was collected using an integrated radiotracking methodology. Various home range parameters were estimated for the red and brown males during the breeding season using a Minimum Convex Polygon estimator. Although there was not a significant difference in the home ranges of each age type, the overall area used by the brown males was generally larger in size than the red males.