e-obs Stories & Publications

@article{goodman_space_2026,

title = {Space Use and Movements During Egg Laying Associated With Nest Fate and Female Survival in Eastern Wild Turkeys},

author = {Paige E. Goodman and Nicholas W. Bakner and Nickolas A. Gulotta and Erin E. Ulrey and Bret A. Collier and Michael J. Chamberlain},

url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ece3.73026},

doi = {10.1002/ece3.73026},

issn = {2045-7758},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

urldate = {2026-02-17},

journal = {Ecology and Evolution},

volume = {16},

number = {2},

pages = {e73026},

abstract = {Reproduction is a fundamental aspect of a species' life history that is energetically costly, yet critical for population sustainability and genetic diversity. Wild turkeys exhibit high rates of nest loss and female mortality during reproduction, prompting females to make decisions related to spatial and movement decisions during nesting. Using GPS data from eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris ), we assessed female movements and space use during laying and evaluated potential impacts of those metrics on nest success and female survival during incubation. We used a Bayesian logistic regression to estimate nest success and female survival based on space use, daily movements, and range overlap with conspecifics during the laying period. We found that with each increase of 700 m in average daily distance traveled during laying, there was a 1.73% decrease in the probability of nest success. We also found that having a greater number of conspecific females with overlapping core areas had a positive influence on nest fate. Specifically, an increase of 1 overlapping female (one standard deviation) was associated with a 4.76% increase in the probability of nest success. Conversely, we found weak support that female survival was positively related to increasing average daily distances traveled. Our findings suggest that female wild turkeys perceive reproductive advantages to sharing space with conspecifics during the laying period. Conversely, our findings suggest that movements of female wild turkeys within their reproductive period may only weakly influence metrics of reproductive success during both laying and incubation.},

note = {_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.73026},

keywords = {accelerometer, egg laying, ground, Meleagris gallopavo, mortality, nesting, reproduction, social, Space use, survival, terrestrial, Wild Turkey},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{ulrey_exploring_2026,

title = {Exploring spatial relationships of male wild Turkeys during the breeding season},

author = {Erin E. Ulrey and Nicholas W. Bakner and John C. Kilgo and Bret A. Collier and Michael J. Chamberlain},

url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-34883-7},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-025-34883-7},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

urldate = {2026-02-17},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

volume = {16},

number = {1},

pages = {4637},

publisher = {Nature Publishing Group},

abstract = {Leks are characterized as clusters of displaying males that females visit primarily for the purpose of mating, and represent complex mating systems observed across various species, including birds, mammals, and insects. Male wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) use reproductive strategies that involve visual and acoustic displays to compete for mates. However, there is ambiguity as to whether the mating system of eastern wild turkeys (M. g. silvestris) is a form of lekking. Our objective was to evaluate the potential that eastern wild turkeys use a form of a lek mating system via a movement based recursive analysis to identify if areas were revisited by males during the breeding season, and whether selection of revisited areas was related to resources or female distribution. Using GPS locations collected from 151 male and 261 female wild turkeys from 2014 to 2023 across the southeastern United States, we identified 6,565 locations that occurred within revisited areas during the breeding season and examined resource selection by males at those revisited areas. We found that average size of revisited areas was 49.89 ha and comprised approximately 8.12% of male breeding season home ranges. Male wild turkeys traveled greater distances from their winter home ranges to revisited areas, than did females from their winter home ranges to pre-laying ranges. Male wild turkeys selected revisited areas that were closer to hardwood forests and open areas. Additionally, we found that selection of revisited areas was positively associated with an increase in the relative probability of female presence and visibility of males. We encourage research to further elucidate the dynamics of wild turkey mating behaviors relative to potential forms of lekking that wild turkeys may use throughout their geographic range.},

keywords = {accelerometer, Behavioural ecology, Ecology, gps, ground, mortality, social, terrestrial, turkey},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{wightman_investigating_2025,

title = {Investigating diel patterns of predation events in wild turkeys using tri‐axial accelerometer data},

author = {Patrick H. Wightman and Nick A. Gulotta and Bradley S. Cohen and Bret A. Collier and Michael J. Chamberlain},

url = {https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wsb.1631},

doi = {10.1002/wsb.1631},

issn = {2328-5540, 2328-5540},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-12-01},

urldate = {2025-12-17},

journal = {Wildlife Society Bulletin},

volume = {49},

number = {S1},

pages = {e1631},

abstract = {Abstract 

 Numerous studies have evaluated the species responsible for predation events on birds and their nests, but little research has assessed the location and timing of mortality events. Describing the location and timing of mortality events in birds facilitates improved inference and supports a more rigorous understanding of predator‐prey dynamics. To better understand predation on eastern wild turkeys ( 

 Meleagris gallopavo silvestris; 

 hereafter, wild turkeys), we used a combination of GPS spatial data and tri‐axial accelerometer data to investigate the timing and location of predation events. We monitored 477 female and 215 male wild turkeys during 2022\textendash2024. We identified 154 predation events on 126 females and 28 males. We found that for females, 43% of mortalities occurred at night while ground roosting, 32% of mortalities occurred during the day, and 24% occurred at night while tree roosting. Furthermore, we observed that 96% and 81% of predation events during nesting and brooding, respectively, occurred at night for females. Predation events during nesting and brooding peaked and remained consistent throughout the night but decreased during the day. For males, we found that 57% of mortalities occurred during the day whereas 43% occurred at night while roosting. There was no discernible pattern in predation while males were roosting throughout the annual cycle, but predation events on the ground increased in March, peaked in April, and declined in May. Our results indicate that predation risk profiles are sex specific and vary based on phenological cycle. The effect of predation on ground‐nesting females is well‐documented, with management strategies historically focused on increasing vegetation cover, which is assumed to reduce predation. However, predation on males and females while tree roosting presents a challenging topic, as research and management intervention options remain limited.},

keywords = {accelerometer, bird, diel cycle, Meleagris gallopavo silvestris, mortality, predation, Wild Turkey},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}