Nest density drives productivity in chestnut-collared longspurs: Implications for grassland bird conservation

Grassland birds are declining faster than any other avian guild in North America and are increasingly a focus of conservation concern. Adaptive, outcome-based management of rangelands could do much to mitigate declines. However, this approach relies on quantitative, generalizable habitat targets that have been difficult to extrapolate from the literature. Past work relies heavily on individual versus population response, and direct response to management (e.g. grazing) versus response to outcomes. We compared individual and population-level responses to vegetation conditions across scales to identify quantitative targets of habitat quality for an imperiled grassland songbird, the chestnut-collared longspur (Calcarius ornatus) in northern Montana, USA during 2017-2018. We estimated nest density and nest survival within 9-ha survey plots using open N-mixture and nest survival models, respectively, and evaluated relationships with plot- and nest-site vegetation conditions. Plot-scale conditions influenced nest density, whereas nest survival was unaffected by any measured condition. Nest-site and plot-scale vegetation measurements were only weakly correlated, suggesting that management targets based on nest sites only would be incomplete. While nest survival is often assumed to be the key driver of bird productivity, our results suggest that nest density and plot-scale conditions are more important for productivity of longspurs at the core of the breeding distribution. Habitat outcomes for grassland birds should incorporate nest density and average conditions at scale(s) relevant to management (e.g. paddock or pasture).