Band-tailed Pigeon Satellite Telemetry Points

The band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) is distributed in 2 distinct regions of western North America. The Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeon (P. f. monilis) occurs from British Columbia south to Baja California in the mountains and foothills primarily west of the crest of the Cascade-Sierra Nevada Mountains. Band-tailed pigeons on the Pacific Coast regularly visit and congregate at mineral sites where they obtain salt and other minerals. State wildlife biologists monitor populations of band-tail pigeons using counts of birds at mineral sites. Understanding the breeding distribution and migration strategies of band-tailed pigeons will help optimize this survey. Recent advances in the miniaturization of satellite transmitters may enable this novel approach to answer much needed questions regarding the movements of and habitats used by this bird. In this study, we marked band-tailed pigeons with new lightweight solar-powered transmitters to determine winter distribution, spring and fall migrations, and breeding movements. This project is supported by the Pacific Flyway Study Committee, US Fish and Wildlife Service Webless Migratory Game Bird Research Program, the California, Oregon, and Washington Fish and Wildlife agencies, and Canadian Wildlife Service. The Dixon Field Station of the U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center in Dixon, California has developed methodology to monitor population change in Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons, studied breeding ecology of pigeons in northern California, and evaluated landscape characteristics associated with pigeon use of mineral sites.