Seasonal roost selection of wild turkeys at their northern range edge

Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are diurnally active birds that spend the dark hours roosting in trees. We tested the hypothesis that multiple benefits exist for roost tree selection by wild turkeys, including thermoregulation, resource acquisition, and protection from predators. We compared 48 roost trees used by eastern wild turkeys (M. g. silvestris) in Ontario, Canada to 48 non-roost trees sampled contemporaneously during 2017-2019 to determine roost site selection between seasons. Mean (± SE) roost tree height (21.4 ± 0.8 m) was taller than non-roost trees (18.2 ± 0.8 m), and roost trees were also larger in diameter at breast height (58.1 ± 5.5 cm versus 38.7 ± 3.1 cm). Using ibuttons to collect microclimate temperatures at the tree, we found that mean temperature (± SE) of a deciduous roost (14.5 ± 0.1°C) was higher than temperature at either a coniferous roost (13.9 ± 0.1°C) or ambient temperature (13.2 ± 0.1°C) during the summer months. In winter however, we did not find any ...