Effects of age, breeding strategy, population density, and number of neighbors on territory size and shape in Savannah Sparrows

The size and shape of an animal’s breeding territory are dynamic features influenced by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors and can have important implications for survival and reproduction. Quantitative studies of variation in these territory features can generate deeper insights into animal ecology and behavior. We explored the effect of age, breeding strategy, population density, and number of neighbors on the size and shape of breeding territories in an island population of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis). Our dataset consisted of 407 breeding territories belonging to 225 males sampled over 11 years. We compared territory sizes to the age of the male territorial holder, the male’s reproductive strategy (monogamy vs. polygyny), the number of birds in the study population (population density), and the number of immediate territorial neighbors (local density). We found substantial variation in territory size, with territories ranging over two orders of magnitude from..., , , # Effects of age, breeding strategy, population density, and number of neighbors on territory size and shape in Savannah Sparrows

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7d7wm383b](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7d7wm383b)

Three attachments are included:

1. The dataset is in CSV format.
2. The analyses in RMD format and in in HTML format

**Data for Suarez Sharma et al. 2024 Ornith.csv**

Variable list:

\- Year: Year of territory data collection

\- Male_ID: Unique code for each male in the population. The code format is \"SAVS-###\"\". The numerical values were automatically generated.

\- Male age (1, 2, 3, or 4+): SAVS Male ages binned into categories

\- \"1\" = one year old

\- \"2\" = two years old

\- \"3\" = three years old

\- \"4\" = four years old or more

\- Breeding strategy: Observed breeding strategy of male SAVS.

\- MO = monogamous

\- PG = polygynous

\- NA = breeding strategy is undetermined

\-...