Conspecific attraction and shelter selection in gregarious insects

During habitat selection, the presence of conspecifics can frequently drive a nonuniform distribution of animals across habitats of equivalent quality. In group-living species, subgroups of individuals might display mutual attraction while differing in their preferences for environmental resources. The final decision to settle requires individuals to integrate both environmental and social cues. This raises the question of the relative importance of sociality and resources preferences in determining habitat choice. In this study, we examined the interactive influence of conspecific attraction on individual resource preferences on refuge choice in groups of cockroaches. Shelters scaled to the sizes of nymphs and adult males were offered to groups of only nymphs and only males and to mixed groups. The choices of males were consistent across social conditions. Conversely, the preferences of nymphs shifted depending on the social context; the presence of males overrode the affinity nymphs had for scaled-size shelters. We developed a numerical model implementing parameters derived from these experiments to test whether the final spatial distribution of individuals originated from a differential attraction between nymphs and males that was associated with their relative body size. Finally, we propose a general framework for understanding how similar mechanisms can promote the skewed distribution of organisms at different spatial scales.     

Spatial patterns of the frog Oophaga pumilio in a plantation system are consistent with conspecific attraction

The conspecific attraction hypothesis predicts that individuals are attracted to conspecifics because conspecifics may be cues to quality habitat and/or colonists may benefit from living in aggregations. Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are aposematic, territorial, and visually oriented—three characteristics which make dendrobatids an appropriate model to test for conspecific attraction. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using an extensive mark‐recapture dataset of the strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) from La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Data were collected from replicate populations in a relatively homogenous Theobroma cacao plantation, which provided a unique opportunity to test how conspecifics influence the spatial ecology of migrants in a controlled habitat with homogenous structure. We predicted that (1) individuals entering a population would aggregate with resident adults, (2) migrants would share sites with residents at a greater frequency than expected by chance, and (3) migrant home ranges would have shorter nearest‐neighbor distances (NND) to residents than expected by chance. The results were consistent with these three predictions: Relative to random simulations, we observed significant aggregation, home‐range overlap, and NND distribution functions in four, five, and six, respectively, of the six migrant–resident groups analyzed. Conspecific attraction may benefit migrant O. pumilio by providing cues to suitable home sites and/or increasing the potential for social interactions with conspecifics; if true, these benefits should outweigh the negative effects of other factors associated with aggregation. The observed aggregation between migrant and resident O. pumilio is consistent with conspecific attraction in dendrobatid frogs, and our study provides rare support from a field setting that conspecific attraction may be a relevant mechanism for models of anuran spatial ecology.     

Wood warblers copy settlement decisions of poor quality conspecifics: support for the tradeoff between the benefit of social information use and competition avoidance

Social information use in songbird habitat selection commonly involves a conspecific attraction strategy. Individuals copy the breeding‐site choices of conspecifics, that is, bias their own settlement decisions towards sites (tracts of spatially limited habitat with similar structure) already occupied by others. In order to be adaptive, social information use has to be discriminative. Especially the decisions of good quality individuals, i.e. measuring high at observable fitness correlates, should be copied more frequently than those of poor quality individuals. It is unknown, however, whether songbirds discriminatively use conspecific presence by evaluating the quality of information providers in habitat selection. We experimentally tested whether wood warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix selectively copied settlement decisions of conspecifics in relation to the quality of observed individuals. We also tested whether the use of social cues was influenced by the population density at a particular site in the preceding year. We found that wood warblers selectively used intraspecific social information, but in a pattern opposite to that expected based on existing hypotheses. Wood warblers copied breeding‐site choices of poor quality conspecifics and despite temporary attraction to sites where the presence of good quality individuals was simulated, they did not ultimately settle near these individuals. Population density in the preceding year did not influence settlement patterns. We argue that when making settlement decisions, wood warblers assessed the expected level of local intraspecific competition and selectively copied breeding‐site choices of conspecifics or refused to settle, depending on competitive abilities of observed individuals. This adds a novel aspect to the patterns and processes of social information use proposed thus far, and provides support for the predicted negative effect of intraspecific competition on benefit of information. Moreover, it seems that habitat selection in wood warblers is a complex decision‐making process, in which initial decisions are adjusted after acquiring more accurate information. Synthesis Social information use in songbird habitat selection commonly involves copying the breeding‐site choices of conspecifics (so‐called conspecific attraction). To be adaptive, this strategy has to be discriminative, but almost no empirical studies have tested this assertion. Our study shows that birds may selectively use social information by copying settlement decisions of poor quality conspecifics, but avoid settling near good quality individuals, likely because of their high competitive abilities. This decision‐making pattern supports the predicted, yet not experimentally tested, tradeoff between information value and cost of competition in social information use. Our study highlights also that the use of social cues in settlement decisions may be both positively and negatively biased.     

Space use and social association in a gregarious ungulate: Testing the conspecific attraction and resource dispersion hypotheses

Animals use a variety of proximate cues to assess habitat quality when resources vary spatiotemporally. Two nonmutually exclusive strategies to assess habitat quality involve either direct assessment of landscape features or observation of social cues from conspecifics as a form of information transfer about forage resources. The conspecific attraction hypothesis proposes that individual space use is dependent on the distribution of conspecifics rather than the location of resource patches, whereas the resource dispersion hypothesis proposes that individual space use and social association are driven by the abundance and distribution of resources. We tested the conspecific attraction and the resource dispersion hypotheses as two nonmutually exclusive hypotheses explaining social association and of adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus). We used location data from GPS collars to estimate interannual site fidelity and networks representing home range overlap and social associations among individual caribou. We found that home range overlap and social associations were correlated with resource distribution in summer and conspecific attraction in winter. In summer, when resources were distributed relatively homogeneously, interannual site fidelity was high and home range overlap and social associations were low. Conversely, in winter when resources were distributed relatively heterogeneously, interannual site fidelity was low and home range overlap and social associations were high. As access to resources changes across seasons, caribou appear to alter social behavior and space use. In summer, caribou may use cues associated with the distribution of forage, and in winter caribou may use cues from conspecifics to access forage. Our results have broad implications for our understanding of caribou socioecology, suggesting that caribou use season‐specific strategies to locate forage. Caribou populations continue to decline globally, and our finding that conspecific attraction is likely related to access to forage suggests that further fragmentation of caribou habitat could limit social association among caribou, particularly in winter when access to resources may be limited.     

Social cues facilitate habitat selection: American redstarts establish breeding territories in response to song

For migratory songbirds nesting in northern temperate forests, a short breeding season demands that males rapidly establish territories. Because critical insect and vegetation resources are unavailable during spring arrival, we suggest that conspecifics serve as settlement cues for males new to a local population. To test conspecific attraction, we conducted playback experiments with American redstarts Setophaga ruticilla. Experimental results demonstrate that song playbacks strongly attract conspecifics, recruiting an average of 4.2 additional males per plot; adult males new to our sites increased, while yearling males failed to respond. Yearlings arrived 6 to 10 days later than adults, raising the possibility that yearlings responded to songs of early arriving adults rather than to playbacks. Our work indicates that conspecific attraction is an important mechanism for breeding habitat selection in an established population of a migratory forest songbird, but the effect is moderated by age, reproductive experience and arrival timing.     

Allee effects and conspecific cueing jointly lead to conspecific attraction

Conspecific attraction is the preferential settlement into habitat patches with conspecifics. To be a good proximate strategy, fitness gains from settling with conspecifics must outweigh the costs of higher conspecific densities, such as intraspecific competition. Two types of benefits have been proposed to explain conspecific attraction: Allee effects (i.e., positive density dependence) and conspecific cueing (using conspecifics as an indicator of habitat quality). I present empirical evidence for conspecific attraction in the settlement of the porcelain crab, Petrolisthes cinctipes Randall (Anomura: Porcellanidae). Previous work demonstrated that P. cinctipes experiences strong intraspecific competition and that both Allee effects and conspecific cueing are present in P. cinctipes life-history. I developed an empirically-based fitness model of the costs and benefits of settling with conspecifics. Based on this model, I simulated optimal settlement to habitat patches that varied in conspecific density and habitat quality, where the correlation between density and habitat quality determined the level of conspecific cueing. I tested whether Allee effects alone, conspecific cueing alone, or Allee effects and conspecific cueing together could provide an ultimate explanation for the proximate settlement behavior of P. cinctipes. The settlement simulation was consistent with empirical settlement only when Allee effects and conspecific cueing were both included. Three life-history features are critical to this conclusion: (1) fitness is maximized at intermediate density, (2) fitness depends on the decisions of previous settlers, and (3) conspecific density provides good information about habitat quality. The quality of information garnered from conspecifics determines whether conspecific attraction is a good proximate strategy for settlement. I present a graphical illustration demonstrating how Allee effects and conspecific cueing work together to influence fitness, providing a conceptual framework for other systems.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Distribution dynamics of a great bustard metapopulation throughout a decade: influence of conspecific attraction and recruitment

Dispersing individuals can use conspecifics as indicators of habitat quality and aggregate at traditionally occupied sites, leaving other favourable patches unoccupied. Here we test the predictions of the conspecific-based habitat selection hypothesis on a Spanish great bustard (Otis tarda) metapopulation, currently fragmented due to recent human-induced habitat changes. The number of birds had increased by 23% between 1988 and 1998, but not consistently among leks. Leks that were large in 1988 increased, while those that were small decreased, which suggests that dispersing individuals used the numbers of conspecifics as cues for breeding-site selection. Moreover, leks with high productivity increased, while those with low productivity decreased. Finally, lek distribution was markedly stable throughout the decade, with no establishment of new leks, and suitable habitat patches remained unoccupied, as predicted by the conspecific attraction hypothesis. These results were corroborated by a simulation model which incorporated natal dispersal rates between leks as obtained through radio-tracking of 15 birds that survived throughout their 4-year dispersal period. In conclusion, in spite of the apparent increase in total numbers throughout the decade, both conspecific attraction and local differences in reproductive success contributed to a more aggregated distribution, increasing the species' vulnerability to local catastrophes, and the risks of reduced genetic diversity and extinction of small leks.     

Habitat selection rules in breeding mallards (Anas platyrhynchos): a test of two competing hypotheses

Ideal preemption and conspecific attraction are alternative hypotheses of the habitat selection rules used by individuals. According to the former an occupied site is assumed to be preempted and therefore not available for later arriving individuals, whereas according to the latter individuals are assumed to be attracted by conspecifics to occupied sites, rather than avoiding them. We studied these competing hypotheses in breeding mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) by a cross-over experiment in 2 years, introducing birds onto lakes before migratory wild mallards arrived. If mallards use the ideal preemptive rule, breeding density of wild mallards in experimental lakes should be lower and they should be occupied less frequently than control lakes, but if mallards use the conspecific attraction rule the reverse should be true. Our results allowed us to reject the ideal preemptive rule whereas the conspecific attraction rule was to some extent supported. We discuss these findings in relation to population limitation. The results suggest that the local breeding population studied is not limited by spacing behaviour related to habitat selection. Received: 14 July 1997 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

Conspecific attraction and nest site selection in a nomadic species,the zebra finch

Conspecific nesting density affects many aspects of breeding biology, as well as habitat selection decisions. However, the large variations in breeding density observed in many species are yet to be fully explained. Here, we investigated the settlement patterns in a colonial species with variable breeding density and where resource distribution could be manipulated. The zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, is a classic avian model in evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly very little about nest site selection strategies and nesting densities in this species, and in fact, in nomadic species in general. Yet, important determinants of habitat selection strategies, including temporal predictability and breeding synchrony, are likely to be different in nomadic species than in the non‐nomadic species studied to date. Here, we manipulated the distribution of nesting sites (by providing nest boxes) and food patches (feeders) to test four non‐exclusive habitat selection hypotheses that could lead to nest aggregation: 1) attraction to resources, 2) attraction to breeding conspecifics, and 3) attraction to successful conspecifics and 4) use of private information (i.e. own reproductive success on a site). We found that wild zebra finches used conspecific presence and possibly reproductive success, to make decisions over where to locate their nests, but did not aggregate around water or food within the study areas. Moreover, there was a high degree of inter‐individual variation in nesting density preference. We discuss the significance of our results for habitat selection strategy in nomadic species and with respect to the differential selection pressures that individuals breeding at different densities may experience.     

Testing the heterospecific attraction hypothesis with time-series data on species co-occurrence

The distributional patterns of actively moving animals are influenced by the cues that the individuals use for choosing sites into which they settle. Individuals may gather information about habitat quality using two types of strategies, either directly assessing the relevant environmental factors, or using the presence of conspecifics or heterospecifics as an indirect measure of habitat quality. We examined patterns of heterospecific attraction with observational time-series data on a community of seven waterbird species breeding in artificial irrigation ponds. We fitted to the data a multivariate logistic regression model, which attributes the presence–absence of each species to a set of environmental and spatial covariates, to the presence of con- and heterospecifics in the previous year and to the presence of heterospecifics in the same year. All species showed a clear tendency to continue breeding in the same sites where they were observed in the previous year. Additionally, the presence of heterospecifics, both in the previous year and in the same year, generally increased the probability that the focal species was found breeding on a given pond. Our data thus give support for the heterospecific attraction hypothesis, though causal inference should be confirmed with manipulative experiments.     

Emergent properties of conspecific attraction in fragmented landscapes

Attraction to conspecifics may have wide-ranging implications for habitat selection and metapopulation theory, yet little is known about the process of attraction and its effects relative to other habitat selection strategies. Using individual-based simulations, I investigated the emergent properties of conspecific attraction during habitat selection on survival, fecundity, short-term fitness (survival x fecundity), and distributions in fragmented landscapes. I simulated conspecific attraction during searching and settlement decisions and compared attraction with random, habitat-based (searching for the presence of habitat), and habitat quality sampling strategies (searching for and settling in high-quality habitat). Conspecific attraction during searching or settlement decisions had different consequences for animals: attraction while searching increased survival by decreasing time spent in nonsuitable habitat, whereas attraction during settlement increased fecundity by aggregating animals in high-quality habitats. Habitat-based sampling did not improve fitness over attraction, but directly sampling habitat quality resulted in the highest short-term fitness among strategies. These results suggest that attraction can improve fitness when animals cannot directly assess habitat quality. Interestingly, conspecific attraction influenced distributions by generating patch size effects and weak edge effects, highlighting that attraction is one potential, yet previously unappreciated, mechanism to explain the widespread patterns of animal sensitivity to habitat fragmentation.     

Spatial distribution and settlement strategies in willow ptarmigan

In heterogeneous landscapes individuals select among several habitat patches. The fitness rewards of these choices are assumed to play an important role in the distribution of individuals across landscapes. Individuals can either use environmental cues to directly assess the quality of breeding sites, or rely on social cues to guide the settlement decision. We estimated the density of adult birds and per capita reproductive success of willow ptarmigan over 5–15 years in 42 survey areas, nested within 5 spatially separated populations in south-central Norway. Our aims were to (1) examine spatial and temporal patterns of variation in densities of adult birds (i.e., the breeding densities) and reproductive success (juveniles/pair) measured in autumn and (2) evaluate which habitat distribution model best described the distribution of willow ptarmigan across heterogeneous mountain landscapes. Variation in density of adult birds was primarily attributable to variation between survey areas which could arise from spatial heterogeneity in adult survival or as a consequence of spacing behavior of juveniles during the settlement stage. In contrast, reproductive success was more variable between years and did not vary consistently between survey areas once year effects were accounted for. The lack of any relationship between the density of adult birds and reproductive success supported the predictions of an ideal free distribution (IFD), implying that within years, the mean reproductive success was approximately equal across survey areas. However, analysis based on Taylor's power law (i.e., the relationship between logarithms of spatial variance and mean density of adult birds) suggested that aggregation was stronger than expected under IFD. This implies that the relative change in density of adult birds was larger in areas with high mean densities than in areas with low densities. The exact mechanisms causing this statistical pattern are unclear, but based on the breeding biology of willow ptarmigan we suggest that yearlings are attracted to areas of high densities during the settlement period in spring. Our study was conducted during a period of low overall density and we suggest that this pattern might be particular to such situations. This implies that the presence of conspecifics might represent a cue signaling high adult survival and thus high habitat quality.     

High-quality habitat and facilitation ameliorate competitive effects of prior residents on new settlers

Many species disperse during their lifetime. Two factors that can affect the performance of individuals following dispersal are the presence of conspecifics and intrinsic habitat quality at the settlement site. Detecting the influence of these factors can be difficult for at least two reasons: (1) the outcomes of interactions with conspecifics are often variable including both competition and facilitation, and (2) selection of high quality habitats often leads to positive covariance between habitat quality and density. In this study, I investigate positive and negative effects of resident blue streak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) on the growth and survival of recently settled conspecifics while accounting for habitat quality. Juvenile L. dimidiatus settle near adult conspecifics, but likely have to compete with resident adults for access to food. However, field experiments indicate that settlers have access to more resources at occupied sites, and as a result, grow faster despite evidence for competition with residents. This result is a direct consequence of two factors: (1) resident conspecifics facilitate settlers by attracting client fish, and (2) resident conspecifics are strongly associated with high quality habitat. These results highlight the need to simultaneously consider habitat quality and competitive and facilitative interactions between conspecifics when making inferences about ecological processes from spatial patterns of individual performance.     

Offspring number in a livebearing fish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Poecilia mexicana</Emphasis>, Poeciliidae): reduced fecundity and reduced plasticity in a population of cave mollies

Life history traits within species often vary among different habitats. We measured female fecundity in mollies (Poecilia mexicana) from a H₂S-rich cave and from a neighbouring surface habitat, as well as in laboratory-reared individuals of both populations raised in either light or continuous darkness. Compared to conspecifics from surface habitats, cave-dwelling P. mexicana had reduced fecundity (adjusted for size) in the field. In the laboratory, the fecundity of surface mollies was higher in light than in darkness, whereas fecundity in the cave mollies was almost unaffected by the ambient light conditions. Our results suggest a heritable component to the reduction in fecundity in female cave mollies. Moreover, the reduced plasticity in fecundity of cave mollies in response to light conditions might be an example of genetic assimilation or channelling of a life history trait in a population invading a new environment.     

Gathering public information for habitat selection: prospecting birds cue on parental activity

Because habitat quality strongly affects individual fitness, understanding individual habitat selection strategies is fundamental for most aspects of the evolution and conservation of species. Several studies suggest that individuals gather public information, i.e. information derived from the reproductive performance of conspecifics, to assess and select habitats. However, the behavioural mechanisms of information gathering, i.e. prospecting, are largely unknown, despite the fact that they directly constrain individual selection strategies. To test whether prospectors gather public information or other cues of habitat quality, we manipulated brood size of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) and investigated subsequent attraction of prospectors. Experimentally adding two nestlings increased the probability of attracting prospectors to the nest as a result of increased parental feeding rates. Prospectors were attracted to the most successful sites because feeding rate predicted subsequent fledgling production. In the year following prospecting, individuals selected a breeding site very close to the prospected site. These results provide the first experimental evidence, to our knowledge, of the links between information gathering behaviour and breeding habitat selection strategies based on public information.     

Spatial,Temporal, and Density-Dependent Components of Habitat Quality for a Desert Owl

Spatial variation in resources is a fundamental driver of habitat quality but the realized value of resources at any point in space may depend on the effects of conspecifics and stochastic factors, such as weather, which vary through time. We evaluated the relative and combined effects of habitat resources, weather, and conspecifics on habitat quality for ferruginous pygmy-owls (Glaucidium brasilianum) in the Sonoran Desert of northwest Mexico by monitoring reproductive output and conspecific abundance over 10 years in and around 107 territory patches. Variation in reproductive output was much greater across space than time, and although habitat resources explained a much greater proportion of that variation (0.70) than weather (0.17) or conspecifics (0.13), evidence for interactions among each of these components of the environment was strong. Relative to habitat that was persistently low in quality, high-quality habitat buffered the negative effects of conspecifics and amplified the benefits of favorable weather, but did not buffer the disadvantages of harsh weather. Moreover, the positive effects of favorable weather at low conspecific densities were offset by intraspecific competition at high densities. Although realized habitat quality declined with increasing conspecific density suggesting interference mechanisms associated with an Ideal Free Distribution, broad spatial heterogeneity in habitat quality persisted. Factors linked to food resources had positive effects on reproductive output but only where nest cavities were sufficiently abundant to mitigate the negative effects of heterospecific enemies. Annual precipitation and brooding-season temperature had strong multiplicative effects on reproductive output, which declined at increasing rates as drought and temperature increased, reflecting conditions predicted to become more frequent with climate change. Because the collective environment influences habitat quality in complex ways, integrated approaches that consider habitat resources, stochastic factors, and conspecifics are necessary to accurately assess habitat quality.     

Avoid your neighbours: size-determined spatial distribution patterns among northern pike individuals

The spatial distribution of individual animals may both cause and be caused by intra- and/or interspecific interactions. This work aims primarily on effects of intraspecific interactions. Agonistic and unequally strong interactions among conspecifics should make the within-population distribution of individuals to be characterised by spatial avoidance of potentially risky conspecifics, according to the individual risks perceived. This process should affect individual performance and involve individual tradeoffs, as failing to adequately avoid risky conspecifics could incur unnecessary costs, while, at the same time, successful conspecific avoidance may reduce access to patches favourable for e.g. foraging or sheltering. Intraspecific agonistic behaviours, such as cannibalism and competition, are likely to have prominent effects in size-structured populations. It is therefore reasonable to assume spatial avoidance of intraspecific risks according to individuals' size relationships in such populations. With this field investigation I show that individuals of northern pike spatially avoid larger conspecifics. This avoidance creates a size-influenced and spatially clumped distribution pattern among pike individuals. At low pike densities, however, distances between individuals increase, allowing for an even distribution pattern to appear. The spatial distribution patterns among piscivore individuals should affect both the individual performance of predators and the potential for spatial anti-predatory responses of their prey, and hence be a factor in consumer–resource interactions.     

Predation-Related Costs and Benefits of Conspecific Attraction in Songbirds—An Agent-Based Approach

Songbirds that follow a conspecific attraction strategy in the habitat selection process prefer to settle in habitat patches already occupied by other individuals. This largely affects the patterns of their spatio-temporal distribution and leads to clustered breeding. Although making informed settlement decisions is expected to be beneficial for individuals, such territory clusters may potentially provide additional fitness benefits (e.g., through the dilution effect) or costs (e.g., possibly facilitating nest localization if predators respond functionally to prey distribution). Thus, we hypothesized that the fitness consequences of following a conspecific attraction strategy may largely depend on the composition of the predator community. We developed an agent-based model in which we simulated the settling behavior of birds that use a conspecific attraction strategy and breed in a multi-predator landscape with predators that exhibited different foraging strategies. Moreover, we investigated whether Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions according to the perceived predation risk may improve the fitness of birds that rely on conspecific cues. Our results provide evidence that the fitness consequences of conspecific attraction are predation-related. We found that in landscapes dominated by predators able to respond functionally to prey distribution, clustered breeding led to fitness costs. However, this cost could be reduced if birds performed Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions and perceived nesting with too many neighbors as a threat. Our results did not support the hypothesis that in landscapes dominated by incidental predators, clustered breeding as a byproduct of conspecific attraction provides fitness benefits through the dilution effect. We suggest that this may be due to the spatial scale of songbirds’ aggregative behavior. In general, we provide evidence that when considering the fitness consequences of conspecific attraction for songbirds, one should expect a trade-off between the benefits of making informed decisions and the costs of clustering.     

Habitat availability,social attraction and nest distribution patterns in longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis peltastes)

Synopsis Two forces, limited availability of preferred habitat and social attraction between conspecifics were hypothesized to explain nest aggregation in male longear sunfish. In the laboratory, males cluster their nests within a small segment of a much larger uniform area of nesting habitat. In the field, large areas of unused habitat suitable for nesting were found, suggesting that nesting aggregations are not formed as a result of limited preferred habitat. Males appear to be socially attracted during breeding, and social nesting presumably is a successful reproductive strategy for at least a portion of the population.     

Effect of conspecific attraction on the presence of Northern Bobwhites

Researchers and managers have used the tendency of some species of birds to settle near conspecifics (i.e., conspecific attraction) to help establish or reestablish species of conservation concern in targeted habitats. However, most studies of conspecific attraction as a recruitment tool have been conducted with either migratory or colonial-breeding species, and less is known about the possible importance of conspecific attraction for resident species. In 2017 and 2018 in Louisiana, we examined the possible use of conspecific attraction as a management tool for Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), game birds that are year-round residents. We used an alternating split experimental design across years where Northern Bobwhite vocalizations were broadcast at half of our study sites during the first year of our study and the other half were controls. The following year, experimental sites became controls, and controls became experimental sites. We also assessed land cover at each site to determine if variation in habitat composition at small spatial scales influenced bobwhite presence. We detected six times more Northern Bobwhites at treatment sites (sites with playback) than control sites and found a positive association between the proportion of grass cover and bobwhite presence. These results suggest that a non-migratory, resident species may select breeding locations based, at least in part, on the presence of conspecifics, and that playback of their calls could be incorporated into management plans. Playing back conspecific calls in early spring when Northern Bobwhites are likely searching for breeding locations may facilitate colonization and allow individuals to find locations where managers are attempting to restore their populations.