Improving Estimation Of Golden-Winged Warbler Adult Apparent Survival To Parameterize An Integrated Population Model

Improving estimation of Golden-winged Warbler adult apparent survival to parameterize an integrated population model Abstract The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is a declining long-distance migratory bird in high urgency of population recovery. The Golden-winged Warbler Status Review and Conservation Plan (Roth et al. 2019) identifies 27 conservation actions targeting different aspects of the species’ full annual cycle that were developed through many stakeholder workshops and in consultation with species experts. However, there are inadequate resources to implement all 27 actions; thus, this research will aid in identifying the actions most likely to increase populations. The GWWA is at a stage in the Road to Recovery in which partners have formed a working group with partners representing all phases of the annual cycle (North America, Central and South America), identified migratory connectivity of linked populations, collected some vital rates in the breeding and non-breeding grounds, and developed a full annual cycle plan. The proposed work will help the GWWA Working Group make significant progress towards accomplishing Goal 1 in the conservation plan, which states to “understand the full lifecycle of the GWWA to identify factors most likely limiting regional and global populations.” To address this goal and move the species along the Road to Recovery by identifying the factors limiting the global GWWA population, this project will collect vital rates that are crucial to the full annual cycle modeling through an integrated population model (IPM). The requested funding will greatly expand the spatial scope of the Nanotag project to produce data needed to parameterize the GWWA IPM being developed by the GWWA Working Group. This proposal focuses on the second half of a nanotag deployment effort whereby project collaborators have already deployed the tags and we will seek the birds to determine whether they returned from their nonbreeding grounds successfully.