Fine-Scale Selection of Habitat by the Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Abstract Proper management of grasslands and shrublands requires an understanding of the factors that influence the persistence of organisms. We compare differences in vegetation between sites occupied by the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and random sites to investigate composition of grasses and forbs and the importance of cover. We observed that birds selected habitat, at least in part, based on composition of grasses and forbs. There was generally a larger variance in diversity of plants for random sites compared to sites associated with presence of lesser prairie-chicken. The role of vegetative cover in selection of habitat is important for avoidance of predators, but use of cover also is a means of thermoregulation. Risk-sensitive behavior is a trade-off between avoiding predation and suitable microclimate. We report evidence that the lesser prairie-chicken consistently seeks to limit the risk of predation and selects locales with a favorable microclimate; birds select sites mor...