Extreme site fidelity as an optimal strategy in an unpredictable and homogeneous environment

1. Animal site fidelity structures space-use, population demography, and ultimately gene flow. Understanding the adaptive selection for site fidelity patterns provides a mechanistic understanding to both spatial and population processes. This can be achieved by linking space-use with environmental variability (spatial and temporal) and demographic parameters. However, rarely is the environmental context that drives the selection for site fidelity behavior fully considered. 2. We use ecological theory to understand whether the spatial and temporal variability in breeding site quality can explain the site fidelity behavior and demographic patterns of Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus). We examined female site fidelity patterns across multiple spatial scales: proximity of consecutive year nest locations, space-use overlap within and across the breeding and brooding season, and fidelity to a breeding patch. We also examined the spatial and temporal variability in nest, chick, juve...