Data and code for: Parturition timing and the pre- and post-partum behaviour of female moose assessed using animal-borne video and movement-based approaches

Limited information on moose calving behaviour, including parturition
timing, cow-calf interactions, and pre- and post-partum movement
patterns hinder our ability to define calving phenology and habitat use.
GPS-collars were deployed on 89 female moose over five years,
including 8 collars equipped with animal-borne
video and environmental data (AVED) collection systems, across northern
Quebec regions. We first assessed the accuracy and precision of six
movement-based methods typically used to infer calving dates of moose and
other ungulates, by comparing calving
dates estimated from GPS-collar
movement patterns to AVED video observations of calves
and calving. Comparisons of 8 females during 12
calving seasons identified three of the six movement-based methods to be
both accurate and precise and we used these three movement-based methods
to estimate parturition dates for the larger sample of
female moose equipped with GPS collars. Moose parturition dates occurred
from May 12 to June 23, with more than 70% of births occurring between May
18 and May 26. Classification of videos from AVEDs revealed that females
spent more time walking, standing, feeding, and ruminating the day before
calving compared to the day after, when they spent more time laying down
and licking their calf. Analysis of movement patterns demonstrated that
one day before calving, females were located (net square displacement) 2.5
km from their calving site (median; range <0.1 - 16.5 km), then
remained highly localized for 7 days post-calving (median 0.2 km; range
<0.1 - 4.9 km). Parturition dates varied slightly between regions,
by on average three days, but did not vary between years or
according to latitude, longitude, autumn temperature, forestry
disturbance, or hunting disturbance. AVED observations of moose calving
validate some, but not all, movement-based methods employed to estimate
parturition dates and aid in defining the timing, behaviour, and movement
patterns related to this critical life history phase in moose populations.