Habitat Selection of Breeding Birds in an East Tennessee Deciduous Forest

Abstract

Bird populations were sampled between May 30 and July 20, 1972, on twenty—four 0.08—ha plots on Walker Branch Watershed, a primarily deciduous forest located in Anderson County, Tennessee. Univariate analysis of variance was used to test for differences in abundance categories of each bird species with respect to 28 habitat variables. Differences in habitat preferences within major bird families (Picidae, Parulidae, Paridae, and Thraupidae) were apparent from this analysis. Discriminant function analysis was therefore used to order the variables according to their strength in separating abundance categories for 13 of the more abundant bird species. This analysis indicated that some bird species were distributed according to specific habitat variables. For example, Downy Woodpecker abundance was highly correlated with the number of saplings on a plot. Distributions of other species (e.g., the Scarlet Tanager) were not strongly related to any single variable but were related weakly to a large number of variables. The results form a basis for predicting avifaunal composition changes resulting from alteration of habitat structure.