For overwintering species, individuals' ability to find refugia from inclement weather and predators probably confers strong fitness benefits. How animals use their environment can be mediated by their personality (e.g. risk-taking), but does personality mediate how overwintering species select refugia? Snow cover is a dynamic winter characteristic that can influence crypsis or provide below-the-snow refugia. We explored how wintering ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) selected snow roosting sites, a behaviour that reduces stress and cold exposure. We linked selection for approximately 700 roosts with survival of 42 grouse, and showed that grouse generally selected deeper snow and warmer areas. Grouse found in shallow snow were less likely to survive winter. However, individuals that selected deep snow improved their survival, suggesting that demographic consequences of selecting winter refugia are mediated by differences in personality. Our study provides a crucial, and seldom addressed, link between personality in resource selection and resulting demographic consequences.

中文翻译：

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动态避难所选择的个性差异对适应冬季的鸟类有人口统计学影响

对于越冬物种，个体从恶劣天气和捕食者中寻找避难所的能力可能会带来强大的健康益处。动物如何使用它们的环境可以通过它们的个性（例如冒险）来调节，但个性是否会调节越冬物种如何选择避难所？积雪是一种动态的冬季特征，可以影响隐蔽或提供雪下避难所。我们探索了越冬荷叶松鸡（Bonasa umbellus）如何选择雪地栖息地，这是一种减少压力和寒冷暴露的行为。我们将大约 700 个栖息地的选择与 42 只松鸡的存活联系起来，并表明松鸡通常选择更深的雪和更温暖的地区。在浅雪中发现的松鸡不太可能在冬天存活。然而，选择深雪的个体提高了他们的生存率，表明选择冬季避难所的人口统计结果是由个性差异所介导的。我们的研究在资源选择中的个性与由此产生的人口统计学后果之间提供了一个关键的、很少被提及的联系。