Sex and Age-specific Annual Survival in a Neotropical Migratory Songbird, the Purple Martin (<i>Progne subis</i>)

ABSTRACT. We estimated apparent annual survival probability of adult Purple Martins (Progne subis) using a 14-year data set from a population in northwestern Pennsylvania. We modeled age, sex, and year effects on adult survival using known-age birds (585 males and 392 females) first banded or resighted as one-year-olds in two core breeding colonies. We resighted banded birds at (1) the two core breeding colonies, (2) other breeding colonies within 50 km of the core colonies, and (3) a large premigratory roost that attracts adult Purple Martins from colonies ≤200 km away. Apparent annual survival probability for one-year-olds increased by 0.08 when we included encounters outside the core colonies. Survival probability for older males and females was largely unaffected, a result of their high breeding-site fidelity. The model with age-specific survival (1 year old, 2–4 years old, ≥5 years old) and an age*sex interaction had the strongest support when all encounters were included. Apparent annual survival of...