Effects of necklace radio transmitters on survival and breeding success of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus
Thirgood, S.J., Redpath, S.M., Hudson, P.J., Hurley, M.M. & Aebischer, N.J. 1995: Effects of necklace radio transmitters on survival and breeding success of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. - Wildl. Biol. 1: 121-126.
The effects of necklace radio transmitters on survival and breeding success of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus in southern and central Scotland during 1991-1994 were assessed. Recovery rates of birds with 15-g dummy radio transmitters did not differ from those of control birds marked with wing tags only. Clutch size and hatching success did not differ between female grouse equipped with functioning radio transmitters and an independent sample of control birds. It appears that necklace radio transmitters had no measurable effect on survival and breeding success of red grouse in our study areas, although the power of the statistical tests was low.
Key words: breeding success, Lagopus lagopus scoticus, necklace, radio transmitter, red grouse, survival, Scotland
Simon J. Thirgood & Peter J. Hudson, The Game Conservancy, Crubenmore Lodge, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire, PH20 1BE, United Kingdom
Stephen M. Redpath, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Monks Wood, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE17 2LS, United Kingdom
Martha M. Hurley, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544-1003, USA
Nicholas J. Aebischer, The Game Conservancy, Burgate Manor, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1EF, United Kingdom
Received 14 November 1995, accepted 26 May 1995
Associate Editor: Ralph J. Gutiérrez