We tracked 47 Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) using radio telemetry over 2 breeding seasons in Virginia, USA. Here we present 2 noteworthy observations from this effort. First, we recorded one adult male with synchronous tail replacement in postbreeding molt during tracking from the early breeding season until the fall migration. Synchronous tail molt is seldom documented in Passeriformes and may have consequences for behavior and habitat use during this period of reduced mobility. Second, we recorded a widower male providing parental care by feeding young for nearly the entire nestling period. These observations highlight both the vulnerability of the Wood Thrush immediately following the breeding season and its potential reproductive resilience in the case of mate loss.
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5 February 2021
Notes from Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) telemetry: Synchronous tail replacement in prebasic molt and single-male nest provisioning
Vitek Jirinec,
Chris J. Smith,
Akshay Deverakonda,
Matthias Leu
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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Vol. 132 • No. 2
June 2020
Vol. 132 • No. 2
June 2020
habitat use
male parental care
mate loss
post-breeding habitat
roost
widower