Title:

Data for the analysis of antipredator responses of blackbird flocks toward different drone platforms used as hazing tools in sunflower fields

Author(s):

Egan, Conor C.; Blackwell, Bradley F.; Fernández-Juricic, Esteban; Klug, Page E.

Publication Year:

2023

How to Cite:

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Egan, Conor C.; Blackwell, Bradley F.; Fernández-Juricic, Esteban; Klug, Page E. 2023. Data for the analysis of antipredator responses of blackbird flocks toward different drone platforms used as hazing tools in sunflower fields. Research Dataset Series. USDA, APHIS, WS National Wildlife Research Center. Ft. Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.2737/NWRC-RDS-2023-001

Abstract:

We evaluated the behavioral responses of mixed blackbird flocks, dominated by red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), to the initial approach and 2-minutes of hazing by three drone platforms: a predator model, a fixed-wing model resembling an airplane, and a multirotor. We conducted this experiment in commercial sunflower fields in North Dakota, USA from September to October 2017. We approached each blackbird flock with one platform, including one direct flight approach and a second approach followed by a 120 second hazing period. This data publication includes the results of all 60 trials. Data include measurements such as wind and temperature at time of trial, ambient light intensity, size of sunflower field, size of blackbird flock, distance between the drone and blackbird flock when 50% of flock took flight, whether or not the entire flock left the field due to drone hazing, etc. We also included the R code used to analyze these data.

Keywords:

biota; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; Wildlife (or Fauna); Birds; agroecosytem; crop damage; frightening devices; hazing; human-wildlife conflict; UAS; UAV; visual deterrent; North Dakota

Related publications:

• Egan, Conor C.; Blackwell, Bradley F.; Fernández-Juricic, Esteban; Klug, Page E. 2023. Dispersal of blackbird flocks from sunflower fields: Efficacy influenced by flock and field size but not drone platform. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 47(3): e1478. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1478

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