DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cjsxksnmh
title: 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

description: 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 &lt;0.1 - 16.5 km), then
 remained highly localized for 7 days post-calving (median 0.2 km; range
 &lt;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.
description: # Parturition timing and the Pre- and post-partum behaviour of female
 Moose assessed using animal-borne video and movement-based approaches:
 Data & code Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.cjsxksnmh](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cjsxksnmh) We
 conducted research on moose parturition timing and pre- and post-partum
 behaviour of female moose. GPS-collars were deployed on female moose,
 including collars equipped with animal-borne video and environmental data
 (AVED) collection systems. 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. We
 also classified videos from AVEDs, analysed pre- and post-partum movement
 patterns of female moose and analysed the variation of parturition dates
 between female moose. The following files, code and data information
 accompany the research we conducted. ### Provided files #### File:
 Video-based_observations.csv **Description:** Video observations
 classified using three categories (Confirmation of parturition,
 Locomotion, Snout activity) for different individuals (IDAnimal) for 24
 hours before and after the first visual confirmation of the calving event.
 ##### Variables * IDAnimal: Individual moose ID * Year: Year of video *
 Time: Time of video * Locomotion: Moose locomotion described as either
 Walking, Standing or Laying down * Snout activity: Moose snout activity
 described as either Feeding, Ruminating, Licking calf, Other or None *
 Confirmation of parturition: Presence of a visual observation providing
 confirmation of parturition described as either Calf presence, Eating
 placenta or None #### File: ParturitionDates.csv **Description:** Dates of
 97 calving events ordered by individual moose and year (IDAnimal_year)
 ##### Variables * IDAnimal_year: Individual moose ID and year of event *
 DOB: Parturition dates #### File: NetSquaredDisplacementValues.xlsx
 **Description:** Net-squared displacement (nsd) values in kilometres from
 the calving site from 7 days before to 30 days after parturition (Date)
 for 97 calving events (IDAnimal_year) for 67 moose. ##### Variables *
 IDAnimal_year: Individual moose ID and year of event * Date:
 Year-month-day time of the measurement * nsd: net-squared displacement in
 kilometres from the calving site ## ### Provided Code #### File:
 MovementBasedMethods(BCPA_FPT_MRT_rMCP)Code_NetSquaredDisplacementCode.R
 **Description:** Code for 4 of the 6 movement-based methods used to infer
 parturition dates coupled with the code for the analysis of movement
 patterns before and after parturition. **Code for BCPA, FPT, MRT and rMCP
 was derived from the following sources:** * Bivand, R. S., Pebesma, E.,
 & Gómez-Rubio, V. (2013). *Applied spatial data analysis with R* (2
 ed.).
 Springer. [https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7618-4](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7618-4) - Calenge, C. (2006). The package “adehabitat” for the R software: a tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals. *Ecological modelling*, *197*(3-4), 516-519. [https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.03.017](https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.03.017) - Gurarie, E. (2013). *Behavioral change point analysis in R: The bcpa package*.** In (Version 1.1) [https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/bcpa/vignettes/bcpa.pdf](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/bcpa/vignettes/bcpa.pdf) - Pebesma, E. (2018). Simple features for R: standardized support for spatial vector data. *The R Journal*, *10*(1). [https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/r-journal/626/](https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/r-journal/626/) - Pebesma, E., & Bivand, R. (2023). *Spatial data science: With applications in R*. Chapman and Hall/CRC. [https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429459016](https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.1201/9780429459016) - Pebesma, E., & Bivand, R. S. (2025). Package ‘sp’. [https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/sp/sp.pdf](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/sp/sp.pdf) **Software specifications:** **`#####Behavioural Change Point Analysis (BCPA) - method #####`** `#Code created in December 2023` `#RStudio Version 2023.12.1+402 (2023.12.1+402)` `#required libraries:` `library(dplyr) # For data organization` `library(bcpa) # For movement trajectory analysis, breakpoint detection (MakeTrack, GetVT, WindowSweep, ChangePointSummary)` `library(ggplot2) # For plotting` 
 
 **`#####First Passage Time (FPT) - method#####`** `#Code created in
 December 2023` `#RStudio Version 2023.12.1+402 (2023.12.1+402)` `#required
 libraries:` `library(sp) # For spatial data classes and CRS handling`
 `library(adehabitatLT) # For movement trajectory creation and FPT
 calculation` `library(ggplot2) # For plotting` 
 
 **`##### Movement Rate by Time (MRT) - method#####`** `#Code created in
 December 2023` `#RStudio Version 2023.12.1+402 (2023.12.1+402)` `#required
 libraries:` `library(adehabitatLT) # For creating movement trajectories`
 `library(ggplot2) # For plotting` `library(scales) # For x-axis datetime
 labels` `library(dplyr) # For data manipulation and organization` 
 
 **`#####rolling Minimum Convex Polygon (rMCP) - method#####`** `#Code
 created in December 2023` `#RStudio Version 2023.12.1+402 (2023.12.1+402)`
 `# required libraries:` `library(sf) # For handling spatial data and
 geometries` `library(ggplot2) # For plotting` 
 
 **`#####Net squared displacement calculation#####`** `#Code created in
 January 2025` `#RStudio Version 2023.12.1+402 (2023.12.1+402)` `#required
 libraries:` `library(dplyr) #For data organization` 
 
 ### Other data information #### **Moose location data:** * Moose location
 data is considered sensitive because this species is subject to harvest.
 Locations of harvested species of potential conservation concern cannot be
 shared in the public domain. #### **Code for IBM movement-based method:**
 * Code is provided in the appendix of the following paper: DeMars, C. A.,
 Auger‐Méthé, M., Schlägel, U. E., & Boutin, S. (2013). Inferring
 parturition and neonate survival from movement patterns of female
 ungulates: a case study using woodland caribou. *Ecology and
 Evolution*,*3*(12),
 4149-4160. [https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.785](https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.1002/ece3.785) #### **Data necessary to analyse variation in parturition dates** * Maps depicting logging disturbances were accessed via: [https://opendata.nfis.org/mapserver/nfis-change_eng.html](https://opendata.nfis.org/mapserver/nfis-change_eng.html) * Dataset name: CA Forest Harvest 1985-2022 * Reference for dataset: Hermosilla, T., M.A. Wulder, J.C. White, N.C. Coops, G. W. Hobart, (2017). Updating Landsat time series of surface-reflectance composites and forest change products with new observations. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. 63,104-111. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2017.07.013](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2017.07.013) ([Hermosilla et al. 2017](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2017.07.013)) *  The September temperature information was accessed via: [https://power.larc.nasa.gov/api/temporal/daily/point?parameters=T2M,T2M_MAX,T2M_MIN&community=AG&longitude=LONGITUDE&latitude=LATITUDE&start=STARTDATE&end=ENDDATE&format=JSON](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/api/temporal/daily/point?parameters=T2M,T2M_MAX,T2M_MIN&community=AG&longitude=LONGITUDE&latitude=LATITUDE&start=STARTDATE&end=ENDDATE&format=JSON) * Input longitude, latitude, start and end date in the correct spaces in the URL to access the information * Reference: Thrasher, B., Wang, W., Michaelis, A., Melton, F., Lee, T., & Nemani, R. (2022). NASA Global Daily Downscaled Projections, CMIP6. *Scientific Data*, *9*, Article 262. [https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01393-4](https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01393-4) * Location of hunting cabins were retrieved via: [https://www.donneesquebec.ca/recherche/dataset/couche-des-droits-fonciers-baux](https://www.donneesquebec.ca/recherche/dataset/couche-des-droits-fonciers-baux) * Dataset name: Droits fonciers (baux) * Reference for dataset: MINISTÈRE DES RESSOURCES NATURELLES ET DES FORÊTS. Couche des droits fonciers (baux), [Jeu de données], dans Données Québec, 2019, mis à jour le 14 juillet 2023. [[https://www.donneesquebec.ca/recherche/dataset/couche-des-droits-fonciers-baux](https://www.donneesquebec.ca/recherche/dataset/couche-des-droits-fonciers-baux)], (consulté le 12 janvier 2026). * Latitude & Longitude: * Moose location data is considered sensitive because this species is subject to harvest. Locations of harvested species of potential conservation concern cannot be shared in the public domain. * Moose kill sites: * Moose location data including kill sites is considered sensitive because this species is subject to harvest. Locations of harvested species of potential conservation concern cannot be shared in the public domain. * Sex ratios & Moose density: * Sex ratio (expressed as the proportion of males to females) and moose density (expressed as the number of moose per 10 km^2^) were obtained via reports of aerial surveys conducted in 2021 in the AFR (Brodeur et al., 2022), in 2023 North of AFR (Brodeur et al., 2025), and in 2024 east of the AFR (Gouvernement du Québec) * Brodeur, V., Rondeau, W., & Jutras, C. (2022). *Aerial survey of moose in hunting zone 17 in winter 2021*. Quebec: Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Direction de la gestion de la faune du Nord-du-Québec Retrieved from [https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/documents/wildlife/RA_Inventaire-Orignal-Zone17_Hiver2021_MFFP_EN.pdf](https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/documents/wildlife/RA_Inventaire-Orignal-Zone17_Hiver2021_MFFP_EN.pdf) * Brodeur, V., Rondeau, W., Jutras, C., & Grant, E. (2025). *Inventaire aérien de l’orignal dans le sud-ouest de la zone de chasse 22*. Quebec: Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Direction de la gestion de la faune du Nord-du-Québec. Retrieved from [https://bibliotheque.cecile-rouleau.gouv.qc.ca/documents/archives/pgq/E5G4610_B76_2021_2023_A.pdf](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliotheque.cecile-rouleau.gouv.qc.ca%2Fdocuments%2Farchives%2Fpgq%2FE5G4610_B76_2021_2023_A.pdf&data=05%7C02%7Cmikaela.b.leblanc%40mail.mcgill.ca%7C1309b4d3bdc34bf32d5408de3f4a9c6b%7Ccd31967152e74a68afa9fcf8f89f09ea%7C0%7C0%7C639017787521093231%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=f5N3RBKOFLWtGMIeMGExVxj98riMIa8dcqHf9OKSMHc%3D&reserved=0 "Original URL: https://bibliotheque.cecile-rouleau.gouv.qc.ca/documents/archives/pgq/E5G4610_B76_2021_2023_A.pdf Click to follow link.") * Gouvernement du Québec. Aerial survey of moose in 2024. Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Direction de la gestion de la faune du Nord-du-Québec. , Unpublished. ####