134 COVER CHARACTERISTICS A\D SHELTER REQL'IREMEXTS 



The general principle may be stated thus: — other factors beinp; equal, the desirahilitv of 

 a nesting site varies inversely with its distance from an ojiening. This rule usually holds good 

 irrespective of the type of cover in which the nest is located. In all types, the decrease in the 

 number of nests as the distance from an opening increases seems to occur at approximately 

 the same rate. Thus for 929 nests on which this point was specifically observed and which 

 were not situated in an opening 197 (21.2 per cent) were found within ten feet of open 

 cover and 261 (28.1 per cent) in the next 40 feet. Out of the whole group, in only 143 in- 

 stances (15.4 per cent I . was a nest more than 200 feel frcini an opening. 



The probability that many nests will actually be located in some of these openings has 

 already been mentioned. 



It is astonishing to see how close some birds will j)lace their nest to well-traveled roads. 

 Two instances, in particular, come to mind. One was on the southern (lank of the Catskills, 

 where a bird placed her nest on the overgrown hank of a steep cut through which a concrete 

 highway passed. In the other case, the nest was found under a small shrub a scant six feet 

 from a macadam highway in the northern Adirondacks. 



The application of this principle of proximity to an opening in designing productive grouse 

 habitat is covered in some detail in the chapters on Management. 



The Effect oj Slashings on \ I'sl Location 



Of all the oi)enings, no one type normally contains as much summer food for grouse broods 

 as do recently clear-cut areas. For this reason, special note was made of the various dis- 

 tances from a slashing at which nests were located in the different types of cover (table 128)*. 



The data indicate clearly that nests are more likeK to lie Iik alcd within tlie first ten-foot 

 strip of nesting cover surrounding a slashing than in llie scciukI. the tliird nr am iimre dis- 

 tant strip. 



In comparison uilh o])enings in general, however, (table 127)'^, the inniicdiate vicinitv of 

 a slashing does not seem to be substatiliall\ more attractive. One finds n<> greater tendency for 

 the nests located near these units to be (loser tlvrctii than were nests located near Dtlui t\pes 

 of o|)enings. 



It nnist nut Ijc lorgotten that voiuig grouse are precocial bird.--, tlial is. the\ take care of 

 themselves to a large extent IKmi llie lime they are hatched. This includes linding practi- 

 cally all of their own food ariil. if it a|)pears desirable, traveling relatively long distances 

 soon after hatching. This was evidenced by one brood, banded at the nest and contacted 

 24 hours later more than a half mile froTn that point. Other broods, not disturbed, have 

 moved lesser distances or been contacted, for several days after hatching, in the innnediate 

 vicinity of the nest site. Some grouse locate their nests close to another opening even though 

 a slashing ma\ be in liie iiinuediati' \irinit\. 



To sum up, a slashing seems to be a desirable luit li\ rm niean> necessary adjimet to good 

 nesting cover. This ty|)e really comes into its ow n as a piddurer of sunnner and. to a lesser 

 extent, fall foods for young and adult alike. 



In/Iiicncc oj Other T\/ic\ oj Ojicniniis on \cst Location 



0|»eMings are like magiii-ts of dilferent strength uliieh ser\e to draw nesting grouse <lose 



• Sec ApprnJix. p. 791. 

 A Spe Apprnilix. p. 7*>0. 



