The post-fledging period remains one of the most understudied portions of the avian lifecycle despite the fact that fledglings require resources distinct from those used during nesting. Post-fledging research can further inform breeding grounds management actions and improve conservation outcomes. While the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is known to make stand-level habitat shifts between nesting and post-fledging, the microhabitat conditions selected by fledglings remains unknown. We used cross-scale habitat selection analyses to evaluate the stand-specific microhabitat conditions required by fledgling Golden-winged Warblers in Pennsylvania. From 2014 through 2017 we radio-tagged and tracked 98 fledglings associated with 80 different sub-broods. We documented habitat use and compared habitat between fledgling and nest sites. Fledglings selected areas with dense overhead and lateral vegetation across stand types. Rubus cover and stem density of >2 m saplings were important in stand initiation and stem-exclusion stage stands, respectively. In mature forest upland and forested wetlands, fledgling Golden-winged Warblers selected for patches with lower basal area relative to what was available. Compared to nest sites fledgling locations contained less herbaceous cover and greater overhead vegetation density apparently provided by taller woody vegetation. Our findings suggest that management actions have high potential for creating post-fledging Golden-winged Warbler habitat, especially if factors such as invasive species and over-browsing are controlled during the regeneration stage of stands. Managers may need to take a proactive approach to create the structure required by fledglings in mature forest stand types where largely intact canopies inhibit understory regeneration. Existing management guidelines for the species should be updated to account for the unique vegetation structure required by fledglings during this stage of the lifecycle.

中文翻译：

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跨尺度栖息地选择揭示了雏鸟金翅莺的展台内结构要求

尽管雏鸟需要的资源与筑巢时所使用的资源不同，但雏鸟后阶段仍是禽类生命周期中研究最多的部分之一。出土后研究可以进一步为繁殖地管理行动提供信息，并改善保护成果。众所周知，金翅莺（Vermivora chrysoptera）会在筑巢和出雏后进行标准的栖息地转移，但由雏鸟选择的微生境条件仍然未知。我们使用了跨尺度的栖息地选择分析来评估宾夕法尼亚州刚起步的金翅鸣鸟所需的特定林分微栖息地条件。从2014年到2017年，我们进行了无线电标记并跟踪了与80个不同子血统相关的98个雏鸟。我们记录了栖息地的使用情况，并比较了雏鸟和巢穴之间的栖息地。雏鸟选择的林分高架，且林分类型各具侧向植被。幼林的起初和除茎阶段的林分，红宝石覆盖度和> 2 m幼树的茎密度都很重要。在成熟的森林高地和森林湿地中，初生的金翅鸣鸟被选为相对于可用的基础面积较小的补丁。与巢地相比，雏鸟位置的草皮较少，而较高的木本植物显然提供了较高的头顶植被密度。我们的发现表明，管理措施具有创造出后羽金翅莺栖息地的巨大潜力，特别是如果在林分再生期间控制入侵物种和过度浏览等因素的话。管理者可能需要采取积极主动的方法，以在成熟林分类型的幼树中建立幼鸟所需的结构，在这些林分中，完整的树冠会抑制林下植被的再生。应更新有关该物种的现有管理准则，以说明在生命周期的这一阶段中雏鸟所需的独特植被结构。