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From field to fecal: informing conservation of Chuck-will's-widows through habitat, abundance, & diet analysis
Tomczyk, Sonia
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129986
Description
- Title
- From field to fecal: informing conservation of Chuck-will's-widows through habitat, abundance, & diet analysis
- Author(s)
- Tomczyk, Sonia
- Issue Date
- 2025-07-25
- Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
- Ward, Michael P
- Sperry, Jinelle H
- Committee Member(s)
- Benson, Thomas J
- Department of Study
- Natural Res & Env Sci
- Discipline
- Natural Res & Env Sciences
- Degree Granting Institution
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Degree Name
- M.S.
- Degree Level
- Thesis
- Keyword(s)
- Avian
- fecal metabardocing
- conservation
- ornithology
- Abstract
- Chuck-will’s-widows (Antrostomus carolinensis; CWWI) are a crepuscular nightjar and species of conservation concern that breeds across eastern North America. Most research on this species has been conducted alongside the Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferous; EWPW), leading to clumping of both species’ preferences and knowledge gaps in our understanding of the species-specific ecology of CWWI. By analyzing patterns in CWWI abundance, habitat use, insect abundance, and diet across three populations within its breeding range (Texas, Illinois, and Missouri), my thesis aims to determine whether CWWI exhibits specific habitat or dietary preferences that will inform conservation strategies for this declining species. Point count surveys suggest larger populations in Texas than in Illinois or Missouri, and that CWWI abundance, within all three populations, is positively correlated with increased insect abundance, low to moderate canopy cover, and greater amounts of edge within forests. Metabarcoding analysis of CWWI fecal samples collected across these sites also revealed that CWWI are more opportunistic feeders than other North American nightjars with diets composed of moths, beetles, cockroaches, and vertebrates. In addition, I conducted a methodological study evaluating potential biases in fecal metabarcoding caused by insect morphological traits. The results suggest that insect morphology—particularly exoskeleton type—influences detection probability and DNA yield in avian fecal samples. Specifically, DNA from insects with hard exoskeletons are more likely to be detected and exhibit higher copy numbers. This work contributes to the growing literature on metabarcoding and its applications for diet analysis across taxa, helping to improve the interpretation and reliability of dietary studies.
- Graduation Semester
- 2025-08
- Type of Resource
- Thesis
- Handle URL
- https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129986
- Copyright and License Information
- Copyright 2025 Sonia Tomczyk
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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
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