132 COVER CHARACTERISTICS AND SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



It is interesting to note that no one cover t)'pe seems to be substantially more attractive 

 than another when associated with any given aspect. No justification can here be found for 

 the thought occasionally expressed that warm st)uthern slopes are most likely to attract nest- 

 ing birds. Conversely, the more mature woodland types, offering greater shelter, are not pre- 

 ferred on sunny slopes, nor are the more open types on northern exposures. In this connec- 

 tion, one sometimes forgets that grouse establish their nests before the leaves are out and that, 

 except where conifers are present, there might, therefore, apparently be no great difference 

 between types in their sheltering effect on the nest. 



Undoubtedly some preferences do exist. Perhaps 1,270 nests are too few to bring these 

 out. particularly when many grouse find no more than one or two aspects of slope available 

 within their normal territory. 



Perhaps, also, were it possible to conduct a studv of grouse nest locations in a region where 

 each aspect supported a different climax type, a valid difference in use might be obtained 

 based not so much on exposure as on the differences in cover type occupying each aspect. 

 For instance there is a tendency in southern New York for southern slopes to support a larger 

 proportion of the oak and hickory type in contrast with beech, birch, maple and hemlock on 

 the colder northern aspects. On the other hand, if all aspects contained the same climax 

 types, then it might be possible to determine the effect of exposure on cover choice. With 

 both factors known, the data could be more accurately correlated to find the relation of each 

 to nest location. 



The Influence of Conifers on Nest Location 



It has already been noted that only a few grouse nests were found in predominantly coni- 

 ferous cover types. Where hardwood types prevail, in the region studied, it is normal to find 

 a considerable number of individual or of small clumps of evergreens scattered through the 

 woodlands. Analyzing the records to determine whether these trees are particularly sought 

 out as nest sites (table 126)* one finds but 181 out of 1,088 nests, located at the base of 

 conifers. An additional 197 were found from one to ten feet away from a conifer, although 

 often at the base of some other tree. 



The average distance of a nest from an evergreen was 136 feet. The fact that 228 nests were 

 located more than SOO feet from anv evergreen, again indicates that conifers do not repre- 

 sent a necessary element of nesting cover. 



Effect of Openings on Nest Locations 



Openings in the cover play a much larger part in determining the location of grouse nests 

 than is generally realized (table 127)"^. One may spend many an interesting hour in the woods 

 looking for nests but seldom finding them. The fact that 18.6 per cent of those located were 

 in an opening while 56.0 per cent were within 100 feet of an opening of some description 

 may help to explain one's lack of success while coursing the deeper woods. The word open- 

 ing, however, must be interpreted broadlv. It includes not onlv meadows and fields border- 

 ing on woodlands but also overgrown lands (types B. C and D) and recently cut-over areas 

 which are still largely in the herb and berry stage (type I). Old woods' roads and trails make 

 an often unnoticed break in the crown cover but provide a better chance for a somewhat greater 

 variety of herbs and sometimes berries to thrive than is found in the surrounding cover. A 

 bordering second-growth of hardwoods (type E) represents favorite nesting cover. 



• Spe AppendiK, p. 789. 

 A See Appendix, p. 790. 



