172 



COVER CHARACTERISTICS AM) SHELTER REQL IREME.\TS 



.^ 



TABLE 16. MK[ATI().\SH1I> OF THK KMIXHJKNC.V NMTII WHICH KDGliS OCC.UH TO THE 

 WKR.VGK LKVKL OF S1>1UN(; POPULATIONS ON 12 SECTIONS OK THE 

 CONNECTICUT HILL AREA— 1930-1942 



* These Iwo sections have been ennsidered together sinre the onK line oi 

 deiiiarkatinii between them is a small stteam. 



Effect of Edges on Brood Distribution 



It has been the general impression that broods, like adults, are inclined to seek out the 

 more varied edge vegetation. Table 152* indicates the number of broods of different ages 

 contacted on the Connecticut Hill area within 100 feet of the edge of one type of cover or a 

 combination of two, three or four type edges. From it one gathers the impression that, irre- 

 spective of age, the broods do not particularly frequent the immediate vicinity of several 

 type borders. Realizing that the chance of finding the birds near where two tyi)es border one 

 another is considerably greater than where one type corners on two or three others, the 

 relative degree of probability for each of the four situations was determined by selecting from 

 this area 100 points at random"^ and listing the number of t\pes to be found within 100 feet 

 of each position. The results are shown in table 17. 



TABLE 17. HKL\T10NSHIP OF THE NUMBER OF COVER TYPES WITHI.N 100 FEET OF 

 BROODS CONTACTED TO THE PROBXHILITY OF CONTACT AS 

 DETERMINED BY RANDOM SAMPLING- 

 CONNECTICUT HILL AREA two- ly 12 



The percentages here given for each group are so close as to ifiid fmllici weight In the cuiiclii- 

 sions that broods do not particularly seek out situations where three or four type edges are to 

 be found. 



Relation of Edges to Nest Location 



Other factors being equal, the desirability of a nesting site varies inversely with its distance 

 from an opening^. A woods' road, trail, slashing, overgrown land or an open field all serve 

 in this capacity. The first two are so tenuous a-; to represent increh ;im edge helwecn two 



* Sec Appendix. |.. 818. 



A Selecletl by a stntialiralN neeeptable ruiidoMi iiani)>ling nielhod. 



t See diseuanion on KITerl of Openingv on Nest Location, p. 131!. 



