Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

October, 2014

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIRD OBSERVATORY

14500 LARK BUNTING LANE

BRIGHTON, CO 80603

303.659.4348

WWW.RMBO.ORG

TECH. REPORT # SC-CAGU-01

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIRD OBSERVATORY

Mission: To conserve birds and their habitats

Vision: Native bird populations are sustained in healthy ecosystems

Core Values:

1. Science provides the foundation for effective bird conservation.

2. Education is critical to the success of bird conservation.

3. Stewardship of birds and their habitats is a shared responsibility.

RMBO accomplishes its mission by:

 Monitoring long-term bird population trends to provide a scientific foundation for conservation

action.

 Researching bird ecology and population response to anthropogenic and natural processes to

evaluate and adjust management and conservation strategies using the best available science.

 Educating people of all ages through active, experiential programs that create an awareness and

appreciation for birds.

 Fostering good stewardship on private and public lands through voluntary, cooperative partnerships

that create win-win situations for wildlife and people.

 Partnering with state and federal natural resource agencies, private citizens, schools, universities,

and other non-governmental organizations to build synergy and consensus for bird conservation.

 Sharing the latest information on bird populations, land management and conservation practices to

create informed publics.

 Delivering bird conservation at biologically relevant scales by working across political and

jurisdictional boundaries in western North America.

Suggested Citation:

N.J. Van Lanen and D.J. Hanni. 2014. Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey. Tech. Report # SC-CAGU-01.

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Brighton, Colorado, USA.

Cover Photo:

Rock Wren, by Bill Schmoker

Contact Information:

Nick Van Lanen

RMBO

14500 Lark Bunting Lane

Brighton, CO 80603

970-482-1707 ext. 28

nick.vanlanen@rmbo.org

Acknowledgements

We thank Amanda Thimmayya for providing spatial and biological information and for her thoughtful

review of the draft of this report. Funding was provided by the Wyoming Military Department. We also

thank RMBO staff for assistance with map production and editing of the document.

iii

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ ii

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iii

List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... iv

List of Figures .................................................................................................................... iv

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1

Study Area ........................................................................................................................... 1

Breeding Songbird Surveys ............................................................................................... 3

Grid-based Point Count Surveys ....................................................................................... 3

Sampling Design ................................................................................................... 3

Sampling Methods ................................................................................................ 6

Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 7

Riparian Area Searches ..................................................................................................... 9

Breeding Raptor Surveys ................................................................................................. 12

Determining Presence of Large-bodied Diurnal Raptors .................................................. 13

Aerial Surveys ..................................................................................................... 13

Diurnal Road-based Surveys .............................................................................. 15

Diurnal Playback Surveys ................................................................................... 15

Determining Presence of Accipiters ................................................................................. 15

Determining Presence of Burrowing Owls........................................................................ 17

Determining Presence of Nocturnal Owls ........................................................................ 18

Estimating Raptor Population Sizes ................................................................................. 19

Aerial Surveys for Large-bodied Raptors ............................................................ 19

Diurnal Road-based Surveys for Large-bodied Raptors ...................................... 19

Diurnal Playback Surveys ................................................................................... 19

Wintering Songbird Surveys ............................................................................................ 20

Determining Presence of Wintering Songbirds ................................................................ 20

Estimating Population Sizes for Wintering Songbirds ...................................................... 20

Migration Stop-over Habitat ............................................................................................. 21

Literature Cited ................................................................................................................. 23

Appendix A: Bird Species Potentially Occurring on Camp Guernsey .......................... 27

Appendix B: Grid Based Point Count Survey Form ....................................................... 33

Appendix C: Camp Guernsey Area Search Form ........................................................... 35

List of Tables

Table 1. UTM coordinates of start and end points during area searches in riparian habitat in

Camp Guernsey. UTM coordinates are projected in NAD83, Zone 13. ..................................... 10

Table 2. Raptor species potentially occurring on Camp Guernsey, the likelihood of occurrence

and the recommended survey methodology to survey for each species. ................................. 12

Table 3. UTM coordinates of aerial transect east and west end points for surveying large-bodied

raptors on Camp Guernsey. UTM northing and easting coordinates are projected in

NAD83, Zone 13. ......................................................................................................................... 13

Table 4. Wooded grid cells available for sampling during broadcast surveys for accipiters and

nocturnal owls. Transectnum is the transect number associated with the grid cell. Rank

indicates the priority ranking for conducting surveys. ............................................................... 16

List of Figures

Figure 1. Geographic area recommended for sampling on Camp Guernsey. .............................................. 2

Figure 2. Example 1-km

grid cell with 16 point count stations based on the IMBCR design. .................... 4

Figure 3. The 25 highest-ranked grid cells selected using GRTS sampling on Camp Guernsey.Error! Bookmark not defined.

Figure 4. Locations of 2013 area searches conducted in riparian habitat on Camp Guernsey. ................. 11

Figure 5. Locations of 14 aerial transect line survey routes for determining presence of breeding raptors

on Camp Guernsey. ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 6. Potentially important bird migration routes and stop-over sites within Camp Guernsey. ......... 22

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Introduction

Birds can be excellent indicators of biological integrity and ecosystem health (Morrison 1986, Hutto

1998, O’Connell et al. 2000, Rich 2002, U.S. EPA 2002). Birds comprise a diverse group of niche

specialists, occupy a broad range of habitats, are relatively easy to monitor and are sensitive to both

physical and chemical impacts on the environment. They are useful barometers for environmental

change and measuring the sustainability of ecosystems impacted by human activities.

Monitoring is an essential component of wildlife management and conservation science (Witmer 2005,

Marsh and Trenham 2008). Common goals of population monitoring are to estimate the population

status of target species and to detect changes in populations over time (Thompson et al. 1998, Sauer

and Knutson 2008). Effective monitoring programs can identify species that are at-risk due to small or

declining populations (Dreitz et al. 2006), provide an understanding of how management actions affect

populations (Alexander et al. 2008, Lyons et al. 2008), evaluate population responses to landscape

alteration and climate change (Baron et al. 2008, Lindenmayer and Likens 2009) as well as provide basic

information on species distributions.

The Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO), in collaboration with the Wyoming Army National

Guard, has created an avian monitoring plan specifically for the Camp Guernsey military installation to

assist staff in obtaining robust monitoring data. This avian monitoring plan includes recommended

survey methodology and sampling designs to assist Camp Guernsey staff in collecting and analyzing

rigorous avian monitoring data for a wide range of species that may occur on the installation throughout

the year (Appendix A). Included in this report are designs and monitoring recommendations for the

following:

1) Breeding Songbird Surveys

1. Grid-based point count surveys

2. Area searches in riparian corridors

2) Breeding Diurnal Raptor Surveys

3) Breeding Nocturnal Raptor Species Surveys

4) Wintering Songbird Surveys

5) Identifying Potentially Important Migratory Stop-over Areas

Study Area

This avian monitoring plan is written and designed specifically for the Camp Guernsey installation

located near the town of Guernsey in eastern Wyoming. The installation spans more than 79,000 acres

of habitat dominated by mixed-grass prairie interspersed with small stands of Ponderosa Pine (Pinus

ponderosa) and isolated stretches of riparian habitat. At the time of this report, much of Camp

Guernsey is leased for grazing by private entities.

Recommendations in this avian monitoring plan involve sampling within the boundary of Camp

Guernsey (provided by the Wyoming Army and National Guard in 2013) with a few exceptions. Range

areas and the impact area within Camp Guernsey were made unavailable for sampling to minimize

conflict between bird surveys and military operations. The remaining extent within the Camp Guernsey

is therefore the area for which inferences can be made on bird populations while using the

recommendations in this plan (Figure 1).

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Figure 1. Geographic area recommended for sampling on Camp Guernsey.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Camp Guernsey lies within Bird Conservation Region 17 (BCR 17), Badlands and Prairies. The Badlands

and Prairies Bird Conservation Region is characterized by rolling plains and mixed-grass prairie that

contain large, continuous tracts of intact dry grassland managed predominately as ranchland (US North

American Bird Conservation Initiative 2000). The western portion of BCR 17 contains pine and spruce

forests at higher elevations. BCR 17 covers portions of five states: Montana, North Dakota, South

Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska.

Breeding Songbird Surveys

Grid-based Point Count Surveys

RMBO recommends that Camp Guernsey implement breeding landbird surveys in a manner consistent

with the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program for two reasons: 1)

IMBCR surveys utilize methods preventing road bias and account for incomplete detection of individuals

on the landscape and 2) the IMBCR program provides regional density and occupancy estimates for

numerous species. Comparisons between Camp Guernsey populations and regional populations can

help managers determine if changes to Camp Guernsey populations are a result of local management

actions or ecological processes instead of large-scale population drivers such as climate change,

migratory and wintering stop-over habitat alteration, large-scale application of chemicals, etc. IMBCR

estimates for BCR 17 and the Wyoming portion of BCR 17 represent biologically and geographically

appropriate regions for comparison to the Camp Guernsey installation.

Sampling Design

Using a design consistent with the IMBCR program, RMBO has identified Camp Guernsey as a single and

distinct stratum. The spatial extent of the stratum was determined by the installation boundary,

provided by Camp Guernsey staff. At the request of Camp Guernsey’s staff, the impact area and range

areas within the installation boundary were made unavailable for sampling to reduce conflicts with

military operations. The remaining extent of Camp Guernsey therefore represents the Camp Guernsey

stratum (Figure 1.)

Within the Camp Guernsey stratum, RMBO followed the IMBCR design, in which generalized random-

tessellation stratification (GRTS), a spatially-balanced sampling algorithm, was used to randomly select

sample units (Stevens and Olsen 2004). The GRTS design has several appealing properties with respect

to long-term monitoring of birds at large spatial scales:

 Spatially-balanced sampling is generally more efficient than simple random sampling of natural

resources (Stevens and Olsen 2004). Incorporating information about spatial autocorrelation in

the data can increase precision in density estimates;

All sample units in the sampling frame are ordered such that any set of consecutively numbered units is

a spatially well-balanced sample (Stevens and Olsen 2004). In the case of fluctuating budgets, IMBCR

partners can adjust the sampling effort among years within each stratum while still preserving a

random, spatially-balanced sampling design.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

The IMBCR design defines sampling units as 1-km

cells that were used to create a uniform grid over the

Camp Guernsey stratum. Within each grid cell there is a 4 x 4 grid of 16 points spaced 250 m apart (

Figure 2). All spatial data were compiled using ArcGIS 10.0 (Environmental Systems Research Institute

2011). RMBO has provided Camp Guernsey staff with a GIS shapefile containing UTM locations of the

center points and point count stations within these grids for use in the future. The 25 highest-ranked

grid cells selected using the sampling design described above are shown in Figure 3. RMBO

recommends a minimum of 20 grid cells be sampled annually to allow for the production of robust

density estimates and to determine trends in the density estimates over time. RMBO anticipates that a

minimum of 10 samples may be adequate if occupancy estimates are sufficient for Camp Guernsey

managers. Sampling intensity may vary across years; however, we recommend at least the minimum

suggested sampling of 20 sites be conducted for years in which robust estimates are desired.

Additionally, by surveying at least 20 of the 280 grid cells making up the Camp Guernsey stratum,

managers can reasonably assume that sampling is occurring across habitats in proportion to their

availability on the landscape.

The ability to detect trends is influenced by the magnitude of change in population estimates across

years, the variability in year-to-year estimates, the precision of estimates each year, and the number of

data points (years) for which estimates are available. The magnitude of change in population estimates

and the variability of estimates across years should be a reflection of the biological system and cannot

be impacted by sampling intensity or design. Increasing sampling intensity within years can increase the

precision of estimates. Similarly, sampling each year will maximize the number of data points within a

given timeframe and reduce the overall amount of time required to detect a trend. Using data from an

avian monitoring program similar to the one described in this document, we estimated the precision of

estimates needed to detect an annual 3% decline or increase in the population of a species within 25

years with 80% power. Results indicated that a density estimates with a Coefficient of Variation ≤ 40%

would detect such a trend if data were collected annually (J. Blakesley, RMBO, unpublished).

Figure 2. Example 1-km

grid cell with 16 point count stations based on the IMBCR design.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Figure 3. The 25 highest-ranked grid cells selected using GRTS sampling on Camp Guernsey.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Sampling Methods

Breeding landbird data should be collected using point count methodology (Buckland et al. 2001)

consistent with that of the IMBCR program (White et al. 2013). RMBO recommends that Camp

Guernsey staff visit the Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center

(http://rmbo.org/v3/avian/DataCollection.aspx) to download the latest IMBCR field protocol and

datasheets (Appendix B).

Staff and/or biological technicians with excellent aural and visual bird-identification skills should conduct

the data collection each year between May 20

and June 20

to ensure that surveys are completed

when birds detected during the surveys represent locally-breeding individuals and when breeding

individuals are still readily vocalizing. Prior to conducting surveys, technicians should be trained to

ensure they have a complete understanding of field protocols and sufficient knowledge of bird

identification. RMBO typically holds a seven-day training to ensure data are collected properly. An

abbreviated training session may be sufficient if individuals possess substantial knowledge of avian

identification and/or have previous experience conducting point count surveys.

Observers should survey in the morning, beginning one-half hour before sunrise and concluding their

survey no later than five hours after sunrise. The complete sampling interval at each point should be six

minutes. For every bird detected during each of the six minute counts, data collectors should record

species, sex, horizontal distance from the observer, the minute they detected the bird, and type of

detection (e.g., call, song, visual). Observers should measure distances using laser rangefinders. When

it is not possible to measure the distance to a bird, observers estimated distance by measuring to some

nearby object. Observers should record birds flying over but not using the immediate surrounding

landscape. The “flyover” detections should not be included in density or occupancy analyses because it

is unclear whether these birds actively occupy the site. Data collectors should consider all non-

independent detections of birds (i.e., flocks or pairs of conspecific birds together in close proximity) as

part of a ‘cluster’ rather than as independent observations. Observers should record the number of

birds detected within the cluster along with a unique letter code to keep track of each distinct cluster.

At the start and end of each survey data collectors should record the time, ambient temperature, cloud

cover, precipitation, and wind speed. Data collectors should navigate to each point using hand-held

Global Positioning System (GPS) units. Before beginning each count, data collectors should record the

following vegetation data (within a 50 m radius): dominant habitat type; relative abundance and percent

cover by species, mean height of trees and shrubs; and percent cover of several groundcover categories

(e.g., herbaceous, bare/litter, woody, grass). Vegetation data should be recorded quietly to allow birds,

potentially disturbed during the approach to the point, time to return to their normal habits prior to the

beginning of each count.

Field technicians should attempt to survey all points within a grid cell each morning. Occasionally,

terrain, weather conditions, or private landownership may prohibit the technician from completing all

16 point count surveys in a morning. If a technician cannot collect data at a minimum of six points

during a particular survey because of inclement weather then the grid cell should be revisited on

another day when data can be collected at a minimum of six point count stations. If a technician cannot

navigate to a minimum of six points because of terrain, then the survey site should be replaced with the

next highest ranked grid cell.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Data Analysis

At the most fundamental level, reliable knowledge about the status of avian populations requires

accounting for spatial variation and incomplete detection of the target species (Pollock et al. 2002,

Rosenstock et al. 2002, Thompson 2002). We recommend that density estimates are produced using

methods that incorporate distance sampling theory and removal modeling be used in the creation of

occupancy estimates to account for incomplete detection. The IMBCR survey protocol incorporates the

principles of removal modeling and distance sampling theory. Data collected using this protocol will

therefore allow Camp Guernsey managers to account for incomplete detection.

Distance Analysis

Distance sampling theory was developed to account for the decreasing probability of detecting an object

of interest (e.g., a bird) with increasing distance from the observer to the object (Buckland et al. 2001).

The detection probability is used to adjust the count of birds to account for birds that were present but

undetected. Application of distance theory requires that three critical assumptions be met: 1) all birds at

and near the sampling location (distance = 0) are detected, 2) distances to birds are measured

accurately, and 3) birds do not move in response to the observer’s presence (Buckland et al. 2001,

Thomas et al. 2010).

Analysis of distance data includes fitting a detection function to the distribution of recorded distances

(Buckland et al. 2001). The distribution of distances can be a function of characteristics of the object

(e.g., for birds, size and color, movement, volume of song or call and frequency of call), the surrounding

environment (e.g., density of vegetation) and observer ability. Because detectability varies among

species, we recommend analyzing the data separately for each species. We recommend Camp

Guernsey estimate breeding bird densities of all species for which there is a sufficient number of

independent detections (n ≥ 80) pooled across all years where data were collected. If there are a

sufficient number of detections (n ≥ 80) within a single year then data do not need to be pooled across

years. Bird detections should not be pooled across seasons. Therefore breeding bird detections

collected between May 20

and June 20

should not be combined with detections during non-breeding

(fall or winter) surveys. This is because territorial breeding birds are expected to be much more

detectable than non-breeding birds due to increased singing rates. Birds flying over, but not using the

immediate surrounding landscape, juveniles, suspected migrants, and birds detected between points

should be excluded from analyses.

The SPSURVEY package (Kincaid 2008) can be used in Program R (R Development Core Team, 2010) to

estimate density, population size and confidence intervals for each species. For each species, a global

detection function should be fit for all years as well as a detection function which models year as a

covariate (when there is sufficient detection data within a given year). Akaike’s Information Criterion

(AIC) corrected for small sample size (AIC

) and model selection theory can be used to select the most

parsimonious detection function for each species (Burnham and Anderson 2002). The SPSURVEY

package uses spatial information from the survey locations to improve estimates of the variance of

density.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Occupancy Analysis

Occupancy estimation is most commonly used to quantify the proportion of sample units (i.e., 1-km

cells) occupied by an organism (MacKenzie et al. 2002). The application of occupancy modeling requires

multiple surveys of the sample unit in space or time to estimate a detection probability (MacKenzie et al.

2006). The detection probability adjusts the proportion of sites occupied to account for species that

were present but undetected (MacKenzie et al. 2002). The assumptions of occupancy modeling are: 1)

the probabilities of detection and occupancy are constant across the sample units, 2) each point is

closed to changes in occupancy over the sampling season, 3) the detection of species at each point are

independent and 4) the target species are never falsely identified (MacKenzie et al. 2006).

Removal modeling is based on mark-recapture theory where detection probability is estimated based on

the number of birds detected during consecutive sampling intervals (Farnsworth et al. 2002). We

recommend a removal design (MacKenzie et al. 2006) to estimate a detection probability for each

species by partitioning the six-minute count into three sequential two-minute sampling intervals. After

the target species is detected at a point, all subsequent sampling intervals at that point should be set to

“missing data” (MacKenzie et al. 2006). The 16 points in each grid cell can serve as spatial replicates for

estimating the proportion of points occupied within the sampled grid cells. We recommend a multi-scale

occupancy model (Nichols et al. 2008, Pavlacky et al. 2012) to estimate 1) the probability of detecting a

species given presence (p), 2) the proportion of points occupied by a species given presence within

sampled grid cells (Theta), and 3) the proportion of grid cells occupied by a species (Psi).

We expect that regional differences in the behavior, habitat use and local abundance of species will

correspond to regional variation in detection and the fraction of occupied points. Therefore, if Camp

Guernsey data will be analyzed in concert with a dataset collected over a larger geographic region, we

recommend estimating the proportion of grid cells occupied (Psi) for each stratum by evaluating four

models with different structure for detection (p) and the proportion of points occupied (Theta). Within

these models, the estimates of p and Theta can be held constant across the BCRs and/or allowed to vary

by BCR. Models are defined as follows:

Model 1: Constrain p and Theta by holding these parameters constant;

Model 2: Hold p constant, but allow Theta to vary across BCRs;

Model 3: Allow p to vary across BCRs, but hold Theta constant;

Model 4: Allow both p and Theta to vary across BCRs.

We recommend model averaging the estimates of Psi from models 1 through 4 and calculating

unconditional standard errors and 90% confidence intervals for the estimates (Burnham and Anderson

2002). By allowing p and Theta to vary by BCR, regional variation in detection and availability is

accounted for, which can be important for generating robust estimates of the proportion of grid cells

occupied (Psi). If Camp Guernsey conducts analyses in the future with only the data collected on site,

running a single model, which estimates p, Theta and Psi for Camp Guernsey data, will be sufficient.

The described application of the multi-scale model is analogous to a within-season robust design

(Pollock 1982) where the two-minute intervals at each point serve as the secondary samples for

estimating p and the points are the primary samples for estimating Theta (Nichols et al. 2008, Pavlacky

et al. 2012). Both p and Theta can be considered nuisance variables that are important for generating

unbiased estimates of Psi. Theta can be considered an availability parameter or the probability a species

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

was present and available for sampling at the points (Nichols et al. 2008, Pavlacky et al. 2012). As

mentioned above, we recommend estimating the probability of detection (p) using a removal design

with three sampling intervals. Using the six one-minute intervals recorded during sampling, bin minutes

one and two, minutes three and four, and minutes five and six to meet the assumption of a monotonic

decline in the detection rates through time. Data should be truncated, using only detections ≤124 m

from the sample points. Truncating these data at 124 m ensures that bird detections are occurring

within a consistent plot size and ensures that the points are independent (points were spread 250 m

apart), which in turn allows for the estimation of Theta (the proportion of points occupied within each

grid cell) (Pavlacky et al. 2012). Lastly, only using detections from within 124 m of the point count

station ensures that all detections occurred within the 1-km

grid cell.

The proportion of grid cells occupied should be estimated for all species that are detected on a

minimum of 5 points after removing detections beyond 124 m of each point. Occupancy estimates for

species occurring on fewer than five points should not be reported because of unreliable model

convergence.

Riparian Area Searches

Avian diversity was found to be relatively high in the riparian habitats of Camp Guernsey during the

2013 breeding season. The majority of observed species were also adequately monitored via the IMBCR

grid-based point count surveys (Van Lanen and Hanni 2014). We were able to produce occupancy

and/or density estimates for 46 of the 54 (85%) species that were detected during the riparian area

searches via the grid-based sampling effort. We believe this adequately monitors the breeding riparian

species and reduces the need for continued area searches in Camp Guernsey, provided the grid-based

landbird sampling program continues in the future. The following species were detected during riparian

area searches but their density and/or occupancy rates were not estimated from the grid-based

sampling effort: Common Raven, Eastern Bluebird, European Starling, Great-horned Owl, Mallard, Red-

winged Blackbird, Wood Duck, and Yellow-breasted Chat. If monitoring these species’ presence on

Camp Guernsey is of importance to managers then continued riparian area searches is advised

regardless of whether the grid-based sampling effort continues.

In the event that Camp Guernsey managers wish to continue riparian area searches, we have included

an area search datasheet in Appendix B. Area searches should follow the same seasonal and daily

timing recommendations and weather restrictions as the grid-based point counts. Figure 4 shows

riparian areas that were surveyed in 2013. UTM coordinates of the start and end of these surveys are

shown in Table 1. If continued riparian area searches are desired, we recommend that surveys are

conducted in the regions displayed in Figure 4 and that searches are restricted to the riparian stretches

between the start and end UTM coordinates shown in Table 1. Additional riparian area searches may be

added if other areas are thought to represent suitable habitat by Camp Guernsey managers. UTM

coordinates of start and end points of the additional surveys should be taken to allow for the searches

to be repeatable within and across years.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Table 1. UTM coordinates of start and end points during area searches in riparian habitat in Camp

Guernsey. UTM coordinates are projected in NAD83, Zone 13.

Area Search Location

Start UTM

(Easting)

Start UTM

(Northing)

End UTM

(Easting)

End UTM

(Northing)

Broom Creek Canyon

518650

4692800

518270

4696000

Patten Creek

522152

4698892

521882

4698719

S. Broom Creek Canyon

517493

4689103

517636

4690390

S of Impact Area

513558

4689837

512572

4689228

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Figure 4. Locations of 2013 area searches conducted in riparian habitat on Camp Guernsey.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Breeding Raptor Surveys

Rigorous monitoring of raptors requires several different methodologies in order to adequately detect

various species. Some raptor species may be monitored utilizing the songbird monitoring methodology

discussed earlier in this document, assuming enough detections are recorded. Other species can be

monitored using aerial surveys, road-based surveys, or broadcast/playback surveys (Fuller and Mosher

1987; Ethier 1997). Table 2 represents raptor species that may occur on Camp Guernsey and the

recommended method for detecting them. Managers should utilize the methods described in the

following sections to supplement the grid-based monitoring effort and to determine which raptor

species are present. Camp Guernsey managers can then determine if there is a need for more detailed

information for particular species which are known to occur on Camp Guernsey.

Table 2. Raptor species potentially occurring on Camp Guernsey, the likelihood of occurrence and the

recommended survey methodology to survey for each species.

Species

Likelihood of

Occurrence

Grid-

based

Aerial

Transect

Road-

based

Survey

Diurnal

Playback

Nocturnal

Playback

American Kestrel

Confirmed

Bald Eagle

Confirmed

Burrowing Owl

Confirmed

Cooper's Hawk

Unlikely

Eastern Screech-

owl

Unlikely

Ferruginous Hawk

Confirmed

Golden Eagle

Likely

Great Horned Owl

Confirmed

Long-eared Owl

Possible

Merlin

Confirmed

Northern Goshawk

Confirmed

Northern Harrier

Likely

Northern Saw-whet

Owl

Unlikely

Osprey

Confirmed

Prairie Falcon

Likely

Red-tailed Hawk

Confirmed

Sharp-shinned

Hawk

Unlikely

Short-eared Owl

Possible

Swainson's Hawk

Likely

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Determining Presence of Large-bodied Diurnal Raptors

Aerial Surveys

We recommend that Camp Guernsey staff fly aerial line transects to determine the presence and

potential nesting locations for larger raptor species including Ferruginous and Red-tailed Hawks, Osprey,

Great-horned Owls, Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles. UTM locations representing the east and west limits

of each proposed aerial line transect are shown in Table 3 and a map of the aerial line transects is shown

in Figure 5. We recommend that all transects be surveyed. Aerial surveys should be conducted

between May 15 and June 10 to optimize the likelihood of detecting all of the large-bodied breeding

raptors during a single survey window (Ethier 1997). If possible, all aerial line transects should be

surveyed in the same day to reduce the possibility of double counting individuals. If it is necessary to

conduct the aerial surveys over two days then we recommend surveys WY-DOD-CG-AT1 through WY-

DOD-CG-AT8 be flown together and WY-DOD-CG-AT9 through WY-DOD-CG-AT14 be flown together.

Table 3. UTM coordinates of aerial transect east and west end points for surveying large-bodied raptors

on Camp Guernsey. UTM northing and easting coordinates are projected in NAD83, Zone 13.

Aerial Transect

West_Easting

West_Northing

East_Easting

East_Northing

WY-DOD-CG-AT1

511500

4701500

515500

4701500

WY-DOD-CG-AT2

508500

4699500

522500

4699500

WY-DOD-CG-AT3

508500

4697500

523500

4697500

WY-DOD-CG-AT4

508500

4695500

523500

4695500

WY-DOD-CG-AT5

508500

4693500

523500

4693500

WY-DOD-CG-AT6

508500

4691500

523500

4691500

WY-DOD-CG-AT7

508500

4689500

523500

4689500

WY-DOD-CG-AT8

508500

4687500

513500

4687500

WY-DOD-CG-AT9

515500

4678500

522500

4678500

WY-DOD-CG-AT10

511500

4676500

523500

4676500

WY-DOD-CG-AT11

511500

4674500

518500

4674500

WY-DOD-CG-AT12

511500

4672500

519500

4672500

WY-DOD-CG-AT13

511500

4670500

519500

4670500

WY-DOD-CG-AT14

512500

4668500

519500

4668500

Aerial surveys should be conducted from a small plane or helicopter with adequate viewing windows

between sunrise and 1300 hours MDT. Flights should occur on days when visibility is not impeded and

weather conditions are fair. Early morning surveys should be flown in an east to west fashion to

improve observers’ ability to detect raptors. Surveys occurring between approximately 1000 hours and

1300 hours will therefore be the most efficient as transects can be flown both east to west and west to

east. The aircraft should maintain an altitude of 80 to 100 m above ground level and a flight velocity

between 50 and 75 km per hour during the surveys. The survey speeds and height of aircraft are based

loosely off of recommendations by Fuller and Mosher (1987).

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Figure 5. Locations of 14 aerial transect line survey routes for determining presence of breeding raptors

on Camp Guernsey.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Two observers (in addition to the pilot) should conduct the surveys to facilitate the detection of raptors

both north and south of the transect line. Observers should focus on locating raptors flying or perched

within 1 km of the aircraft. Once a raptor is spotted the aircraft should approach the location where it

was first seen and a GPS position should be recorded. Raptors should be aged and sexed when possible.

Record notes if raptors are observed at or near a nest site. Observers should make every effort to

prevent the double counting of raptors. Upon obtaining coordinates of the position, the aircraft should

return to the location on the transect line from which the raptor was observed and continue the survey.

Diurnal Road-based Surveys

In the event that aerial based surveys are not possible, Camp Guernsey managers may consider

surveying raptors using diurnal road-based surveys. We recommend raptor count stations be created at

1-km intervals along existing roadways. Surveyors should visit these count stations between 1000 and

1700 hours MDT when thermals are well developed and raptors are most visible. Surveys should be

conducted between May 15 and June 10. Surveyors should scan the surrounding landscape and sky for

five minutes at each count station, record all raptors detected and note any potential raptor nests.

Additionally, raptors seen while driving between points should also be recorded.

If locating active raptor nests is a priority for Camp Guernsey managers, surveyors should walk

concentric circles around survey locations where raptors are observed and are repeatedly calling if the

nest is not within sight from the survey location. Concentric circles should be 20 m apart from each

other. For example, the surveyor would walk a circle 20 m away from the survey point. If no nest is

found they should walk another circle 40 m away from the survey point. Raptors will typically increase

the intensity and frequency of vocalizations as an observer approaches a nest.

Diurnal Playback Surveys

Diurnal playback surveys are recommended for determining the presence of accipiters: Sharp-shinned

Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks and Northern Goshawks. They can also be effective in determining the

presence of Burrowing Owls. In the following section we outline and recommend methods for detecting

the presence of all accipiters and separate methods for identifying the presence of Burrowing Owls.

Determining Presence of Accipiters

To maximize survey efficiency while determining the presence of accipiters, we recommend surveys be

restricted to the 1-km

grid cells used in the grid-based monitoring section which contain a minimum of

35% forested habitat based on the LandFire Existing Vegetation Layer. Specifically, grid cells for

sampling should be restricted to those containing a minimum of 35% cover of “Northwest Great

Plains_Black Hills_Ponderosa Pine Woodland Savannah” and/or “Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa

Pine Woodland” cover types (LANDFIRE 2013). The 38 grid cells meeting the expected cover

requirement are shown in ranked order of survey preference in Table 4. Ideally, all 38 grid cells will be

sampled; however, if that is not possible, we recommend a minimum of 20 cells be surveyed. If less

than the full 38 grid cells are surveyed, the rank order should be followed to maintain a probability

sample rather than manually picking specific sites. For example, if 20 cells are to be surveyed, sites

ranked 1 – 20 should be visited.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Surveys should be conducted between July 1

and August 15

to ensure that all three species of

accipiters are detectable during the survey window. This timeframe coincides with the nestling and

fledgling phase for these three species which is when they are most detectable and not as sensitive to

disturbance caused by the survey method recommended in this plan (Rosenfield et al. 1988; Kennedy

and Stahlecker 1993, and McClaren 2003). Surveys can be conducted beginning ½ hour before official

sunrise and ending no later than ½ hour after official sunset. Surveys should not be conducted on days

with high winds, poor visibility, and/or precipitation.

Table 4. Wooded grid cells available for sampling during broadcast surveys for accipiters and nocturnal

owls. Transectnum is the transect number associated with the grid cell. Rank indicates the priority

ranking for conducting surveys.

TransectNum

Rank

% Cover

TransectNum

Rank

% Cover

WY-DOD-CG3

50%

WY-DOD-CG176

49%

WY-DOD-CG10

38%

WY-DOD-CG180

43%

WY-DOD-CG16

45%

WY-DOD-CG188

48%

WY-DOD-CG19

49%

WY-DOD-CG190

37%

WY-DOD-CG32

37%

WY-DOD-CG192

36%

WY-DOD-CG44

47%

WY-DOD-CG195

48%

WY-DOD-CG46

81%

WY-DOD-CG199

68%

WY-DOD-CG56

55%

WY-DOD-CG211

54%

WY-DOD-CG62

50%

WY-DOD-CG220

38%

WY-DOD-CG72

44%

WY-DOD-CG224

41%

WY-DOD-CG83

59%

WY-DOD-CG227

47%

WY-DOD-CG88

52%

WY-DOD-CG231

44%

WY-DOD-CG104

61%

WY-DOD-CG232

43%

WY-DOD-CG110

39%

WY-DOD-CG234

35%

WY-DOD-CG126

37%

WY-DOD-CG252

47%

WY-DOD-CG127

50%

WY-DOD-CG255

40%

WY-DOD-CG160

50%

WY-DOD-CG264

41%

WY-DOD-CG167

40%

WY-DOD-CG276

37%

WY-DOD-CG168

42%

WY-DOD-CG280

55%

Surveyors should visit all point count stations within a selected grid provided there is some suitable

habitat (forested landscape) within 150 m of the point count station. Point count stations can be visited

in any order to facilitate ease of travel. Once at a point count station, surveyors should play recordings

for each of the three accipiter species in the following order: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk and

Northern Goshawk. Broadcasting recordings in the order of smallest to largest species may help reduce

the likelihood of non-response due to the risk of interspecific competition or predation (Call 1978).

Broadcast acoustical survey methodology at the point count stations should follow the protocol

developed by Woodbridge and Hargis in 2006 (see page 55 of that document). This methodology calls

for 10 seconds of broadcast vocalizations followed by 30 seconds of silent observation. The next round

of vocalizations should be aimed 120 degrees from the direction of the last broadcast. After three

bouts, a complete 360-degree circle is made and the process is repeated for a second round of three

broadcasts. This entire process should then be repeated for the Cooper’s Hawk and then the Northern

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Goshawk. We recommend that a single audio file be created with the periods of silence and calls of all

three species to maintain consistency throughout playback surveys.

Based on the suggested seasonal timing for surveys, the following call types should be broadcast during

surveys: Sharp-shinned Hawk “kik-kik-kik” alarm call (Bildstein and Meyer 2000); Cooper’s Hawk “kak-

kak-kak” calls (Bent 1937; Rosenfield 1988); and Northern Goshawk juvenile food-begging and wail calls

(Woodbridge and Hargis 2006). These vocalizations can be found, and likely used with permission, at:

http://www.xeno-canto.org/. Alternatively, many bird vocalization compilations have been made and

are sold; such as Peterson’s “A Field Guide to Western Bird Songs” and “Stokes Field Guide to Bird

Songs”. Vocalizations should be broadcast by a speaker system producing at least 80 to 110 dB output 1

m from the speaker (Woodbridge and Hargis 2006). We recommend using Fox Pro NX Audio Playback

Devices for broadcasting vocalizations.

If no detections occur, the observer should then travel to the next point count station. The observer

should end the survey within a grid cell upon a detection of any of the three accipiter species. According

to Woodbridge and Hargis (2006), detections may occur while walking between broadcast stations.

Therefore, the observer should always walk between stations rather than use a motor vehicle and

should scan for signs (droppings, prey feathers, etc.). Because Northern Goshawks may be aggressive

during nest defense, we recommend that surveyors wear hard hats and eye protection during surveys.

Determining Presence of Burrowing Owls

As with accipiters, diurnal playback surveys are recommended for determining the presence of

Burrowing Owls to maximize the probability of detecting individuals that are present (Haug and Didiuk

1993; Conway and Simon 2003; Conway et al. 2008). Given the strong association Burrowing Owls have

with prairie dog colonies (Desmond et al. 2000; Orth and Kennedy 2001; Sidle et al. 2001; Tipton et al.

2009), we recommend all landbird grid cells containing a prairie dog colony be selected for Burrowing

Owl surveys as well. Burrowing Owl point count stations should be established within 150 m of the

colony and within the bounds of the grid cell where the colony is present.

Surveys should be conducted between June 20 and July 25 when the young of the year have left the

nest. This is when detection probability is maximized (Conway and Simon 2003; Conway et al. 2008).

Surveys should be conducted in the morning between sunrise and four hours after sunrise and in the

evening during the four hours prior to sunset (Haug and Didiuk 1993). As with the other methods

described, surveys should not be conducted during high winds, poor visibility, or precipitation. Ideally,

temperatures will be between 21 and 33 degrees Celsius (70 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit) (Manning

2011).

Surveys at the point count stations should begin with a three-minute silent observation period in which

the observer scans the landscape, paying particular attention in the direction of the prairie dog colony.

Following the three minutes of silent scanning, the observer will alternate playing 30 seconds of the

“coo-coo” male territorial Burrowing Owl call (Martin 1973; Haug and Didiuk 1993) with 30 seconds of

silence. The playback portion of the survey should include three periods of playing calls and three

periods of silence for a total of three minutes. Therefore, an entire survey at a point count station will

last six minutes in duration. The survey can be discontinued upon determining the presence of one or

more Burrowing Owls. We recommend that a single audio recording which includes the periods of

silence is created to ensure repeatability of the playback procedures during the surveys.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Determining Presence of Nocturnal Owls

We recommend conducting nocturnal playback surveys to determine the presence of the following

nocturnal owl species: Eastern Screech-owl, Great Horned Owl, Long-eared Owl, and Northern Saw-

whet Owl. Due to these species’ association with wooded habitat, we recommend surveys be restricted

to the 1-km

grid cells used in the grid-based monitoring section which contain a minimum of 35%

forested habitat based on the LandFire Existing Vegetation Layer. Specifically, grid cells for sampling

should be restricted to those containing a minimum of 35% cover of “Northwest Great Plains_Black

Hills_Ponderosa Pine Woodland Savannah” and/or “Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine

Woodland” cover types (LANDFIRE 2013). These 38 grid cells which meet the expected cover

requirement are shown in ranked order of survey preference in Table 4. Additionally, surveys should be

conducted at points designated at 250 m intervals along the riparian areas shown in Figure 4. Survey

locations should be created and used repeatedly for consistency of survey effort and locations.

All four species of nocturnal owls may be responsive within the seasonal window of March 1 through

May 1 (Bent 1938). As such, it may be possible to effectively survey for all four species during a single

visit to a point count station. However, due to the number of species and the possibility of reducing

detectability as a result of interference competition (Call 1978), we recommend that the four species be

surveyed on two separate occasions. Therefore, we recommend that surveys be conducted for Eastern

Screech-owls and Great Horned Owls from February 15 through March 15 and surveys be conducted for

Northern Saw-whet Owls and Long-eared Owls from March 15 through April 15. These seasonal

windows should result in surveys being conducted when each of these species are at, or near, the peak

of their territorial behavior (Cramp 1985; Ritchison et al. 1988; Johnson 1992; Martínez et al. 2002).

Surveys can be conducted beginning one-half hour after official sunset and concluding no later than

midnight MDT (Takats et al 2001). Surveys should not be conducted on evenings with high winds, poor

visibility, and/or precipitation.

Surveyors should visit all point count stations within a selected grid, provided there is some suitable

habitat (forested or riparian habitat) within 150 m of the point count station. Point count stations can

be visited in any order to facilitate ease of travel. Observers should walk between survey stations and

record any detections observed while traveling between points. Once at a point count station,

observers should begin the survey with a two-minute silent listening period. Following the two minutes

of listening, owl vocalizations should be played for four minutes. Lastly, the survey should conclude with

another two minutes of silent listening. Once playback procedures for the smaller of the two species

(Northern Saw-whet Owl or Eastern Screech-owl) are complete, the observer can begin playback

procedures for the larger of the two species (Long-eared Owl or Great Horned Owl). The complete

survey for both species should take 16 minutes. If no detections occur, the observer should then travel

to the next point count station. The observer should end the survey within a grid cell upon a detection

of any nocturnal owl species.

Male territorial and/or mating calls should be used during broadcast surveys for the four nocturnal owl

species: the “whoop” call of the Northern Saw-whet Owl (Bent 1938); the “warble” (bouncing) call for

Eastern Screech-owls (Smith 1987; Ritchison et al. 1988); the “hoo” call of the Long-eared Owl

(Johnsgard 1988); and the 4 to 7-note hoots of the Great Horned Owl (Johnsgard 1988). As with the

accipiter recordings, these vocalizations can be found, and likely used with permission, at:

http://www.xeno-canto.org/. Alternatively, many bird vocalization compilations have been made for

purchase; such as Peterson’s “A Field Guide to Western Bird Songs” and “Stokes Field Guide to Bird

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Songs”. A single recording should be made for the entire 16-minute survey, complete with silent

intervals, to ensure consistency across all surveys. Playback equipment used for nocturnal playback

surveys should meet the standards described above for diurnal playback surveys.

Estimating Raptor Population Sizes

Aerial Surveys for Large-bodied Raptors

Field methods for obtaining data to estimate large-bodied raptor populations are identical to those

described in the aerial survey section for determining presence or absence of raptors. Due to the

relatively small study area, we anticipate a low number of detections for each species. Because of this,

we recommend Camp Guernsey managers attempt to conduct a census for the installation rather than

attempt to estimate population sizes through distance analysis. In order to conduct the census, all

proposed transects in Table 2 (see also Figure 3) should be flown during the proposed survey window in

a given census year.

Diurnal Road-based Surveys for Large-bodied Raptors

As with the aerial surveys, we recommend a census be conducted for determining the number of large-

bodied raptors on Camp Guernsey. To do this, managers should visit all road-based raptor count

stations. Care should be taken to avoid double-counting of individuals.

Diurnal Playback Surveys

Accipiters

It is unlikely that Camp Guernsey managers will acquire enough detection data to accurately estimate

detectability of the three accipiter species. Therefore, we recommend that managers seeking

population sizes for these species attempt to conduct a complete census, or total count of individuals. It

should be noted that this can be difficult because accipiters may limit vocalizations during seasons

where they are not actively nesting (i.e., if they did not nest or if the nest failed). An alternative would

be to conduct dawn acoustical surveys and intensive search surveys; however, these tend to be time

consuming and may not be cost-effective (Woodbridge and Hargis 2006). Survey methods and timing

for estimating populations sizes are identical to that described above for determining the presence of

accipiters. We recommend that each grid cell be surveyed twice during the recommended window to

increase the likelihood of accipiter detections.

Burrowing Owls

As with estimating population sizes for accipiters, we recommend a census be attempted for Burrowing

Owls. The methods and timing for completing the census are identical to those described in the

determining presence section. Completing a census will require that all landbird grid cells containing a

prairie dog colony are visited. Repeat visits (two or more visits per site) will likely increase the number

of detections and are recommended if a true census of the population is desired.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Nocturnal Playback Surveys

As with the other raptor surveys, we recommend that a complete census be attempted in the event that

Camp Guernsey managers would like to estimate population sizes of nocturnal raptor species. The

methods and timing for completing the census are identical to those described in the determining

presence section. Completing a census for Camp Guernsey will require that all grid cells in Table 4 and

established point count stations spaced 250 m apart within riparian corridors are surveyed. Repeat

visits (two or more visits per site) will likely increase the number of detections and are recommended if

a true census of the population is desired.

Wintering Songbird Surveys

Determining Presence of Wintering Songbirds

To establish an inventory of wintering songbirds on Camp Guernsey, resource managers should follow

methods similar to those of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) with several minor adjustments. The winter

surveys should be restricted to within the boundaries of Camp Guernsey but a defined CBC count circle

is not necessary. Similarly, winter surveys do not need to be conducted during the CBC survey window.

Surveys conducted between December 1 and February 1 on Camp Guernsey should ensure that birds

detected represent wintering birds, not actively-migrating individuals. A survey team could be

assembled with Camp Guernsey natural resource staff, volunteers from local Audubon chapters, and/or

recruits from WYOBIRDS listserv. Winter inventories should include surveys in grassland, ponderosa

pine, and riparian habitats to fully capture the diversity of winter residents on Camp Guernsey.

Estimating Population Sizes for Wintering Songbirds

Line-transect count methodology is recommended for estimating winter songbird populations. The

IMBCR survey plots can be easily adapted into two 750-m long line transect segments by having the

observer walk from point 1 to point 4 and then from point 12 to point 9 (or vice versa). Bird data should

not be collected while walking from point 4 to point 12 to ensure that birds are not double-counted.

Data collection should mimic that of the IMBCR protocol; however, the observer(s) should record

perpendicular distance between the transect line and the point where the bird was first detected rather

than radial distance from the observer. Line-transect surveys should occur between sunrise and 1300

MST. Given the large daily survey window, it is possible that an observer will be able to survey multiple

IMBCR grids in a single day. As with the wintering songbird inventory, surveys should be conducted

between December 1 and February 1.

Populations can be estimated from these line transect data in DISTANCE as described in the Distance

Analysis section for grid-based point count surveys. It is important to note that in DISTANCE, the analyst

should indicate that a line transect was used instead of a point transect. This will adjust the survey area

and subsequent estimates to account for the difference in methodology.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Migration Stop-over Habitat

Numerous factors have been identified in driving migration and stop-over ecology of bird species. Many

studies indicate the ultimate driving force in habitat use during migration is food availability (Hutto

1985, Petit 2000, and Buler et al. 2007). Raptors have been shown to avoid open water, travel along

ridgelines, and concentrate in areas where thermals become well developed (Bildstein 2006).

Waterfowl and shorebirds may be particularly sensitive to water depth (Isola et al. 2000). Insectivorous

neo-tropical migrants have been shown to utilize areas with high percentages of hardwood canopy

cover which is usually associated with high arthropod abundance (Buler et al. 2007). Without

conducting rigorous bird monitoring on Camp Guernsey during both fall and spring migration, we are

left to make recommendations regarding potentially important migration stop-over sites based on

general ecological and migratory patterns.

We hypothesize that substantial riparian areas within Camp Guernsey will represent important stop-

over habitat (Figure 6) based on hardwood canopy cover, increased levels of insect abundance, potential

for fruiting trees and shrubs, and heterogeneity of the vegetation structure typically associated with

riparian areas (Buler et al. 2007). Additionally, we suggest that north-south oriented ridgelines with

some exposed bare rock may represent important raptor movement corridors during migration (Figure

6). North-south oriented ridgelines can produce updrafts when subjected to winds prevailing from the

east or west. The orientation of these ridges, and their updrafts, also facilitates the north-south or

south-north direction of travel for migrating raptors. The bare rock atop these ridges is more likely to

absorb sunlight and aid in the development of thermals which are readily used by raptors throughout

the year, particularly during migration (Bildstein 2006).

In addition to the areas identified in Figure 6, we suggest that early successional Ponderosa Pine habitat

within Camp Guernsey may be important as well. Rodewald and Brittinham (2004) found consistently

high use of edge-dominated and early successional forests by numerous land bird species during fall

migration. Therefore, disturbance during the migratory seasons should be minimized in early

successional stage forested areas. Lastly, habitat alterations within the areas in Figure 6, early

successional stage forests, and within the recently burned habitat, which will soon transition into early

successional forest should be avoided.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Figure 6. Potentially important bird migration routes and stop-over sites within Camp Guernsey.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Literature Cited

Alexander, J. D., J. L. Stevens, G. R. Geupel, and T. C. Will. 2008. Decision support tools: bridging the gap

between science and management. 13 February-16 February, 2008.

Baron, J. S., S. H. Julius, J. M. West, L. A. Joyce, G. Blate, C. H. Peterson, M. Palmer, B. D. Keller, P.

Kareiva, J. M. Scott, and B. Griffith. 2008. Some guidelines for helping natural resources adapt

to climate change. International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental

Change Update 2:46-52.

Bent, A. C. 1938. Life histories of North American birds of prey. Pt. 2. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 170: 1-

482.Birdlife International. 2003. Biodiversity Indicator for Europe: Population Trends of Wild

Birds. http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/indicators/pdfs/eur _biodiversity_ indicators.

Bildstein, K.L. 2006. Migrating raptors of the world: their ecology and conservation. Cornell University

Press, Ithaca, New York. 320 pp.

Bildstein, K. L., and K. Meyer. 2000. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus). The Birds of North America

Online (A. Poole, ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY. Retrieved from the Birds of North

America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/482

Buler, J.J., F.R. Moore, and S. Woltmann. 2007. Multi-scale examination of stopover habitat use by

birds. Ecology 88(7): 1789-1802.

Buckland, S. T., D. R. Anderson, K. P. Burnham, J. L. Laake, D. L. Borchers, and L. Thomas. 2001.

Introduction to distance sampling: estimating abundance of biological populations. Oxford

University Press, Oxford, UK.

Burnham, K. P., and D. R. Anderson. 2002. Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical

information-theoretic approach. Springer-Verlag, New York, New York, USA.

Call, M.W. 1978. Nesting habitats and surveying techniques for common western raptors. USDI, BLM

Tech. Note 316.

Conway, C.J., and J.C. Simon. 2003. Comparison of detection probability associated with burrowing owl

survey methods. Journal of Wildlife Management 67(3): 501-511.

Conway, C. J., V. Garcia, M.D. Smith, and K. Hughes. 2008. Factors affecting detection of burrowing owl

nests during standardized surveys. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 72: 688-696.

Cramp, S. [Ed]. 1985. The birds of the western paleartic. Vol. 4. Oxford University Press, Oxford, England.

Desmond, M. J., J. A. Savidge, and K. M. Eskridge. 2000. Correlations between burrowing owl and black-

tailed prairie dog declines: a 7-year analysis. Journal of Wildlife Management 64:1067-1075.

Dreitz, V. J., P. M. Lukacs, and F. L. Knopf. 2006. Monitoring low density avian populations: An example

using Mountain Plovers. Condor 108:700-706.

Environmental Systems Research Institute. 2011. ArcGIS, version 10.0. Environmental Systems Research

Institute, Incorporated, Redlands, California, USA.

Ethier, T. 1997. Survey methods for raptors in British Columbia. Ministry of Environment, Lands and

Parks. 50 pp.

Farnsworth, G. L., K. H. Pollock, J. D. Nichols, T. R. Simons, J. E. Hines, and J. R. Sauer. 2002. A removal

model for estimating detection probabilities from point-count surveys. Auk 119:414-425.

Fuller, M.R., and J.A. Mosher. 1987. Raptor survey techniques. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 29 pp.

Hanni, D.J., C.M. White, R.A. Sparks, J.A. Blakesley, J.J. Birek, N.J. Van Lanen, J.A. Fogg, J.M. Berven, and

M.A. McLaren. 2012. Integrated Monitoring of Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR): Field

protocol for spatially-balanced sampling of landbird populations. Unpublished report.

http://rmbo.org/v3/avian/DataCollection.aspx. Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. Brighton,

CO. 39 pp.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Haug, E.A., and A.B. Didiuk. 1993. Use of Recorded Calls to Detect Burrowing Owls. Journal of Wildlife

Management. 64(2):188-194.

Hutto, R.L. 1985. Habitat selection by nonbreeding, migratory land birds. M.L. Cody, editor. Habitat

selection in birds. Academic Press, Orlando, FL, USA. pp 455-476.

Hutto, R. L. 1998. Using landbirds as an indicator species group. J. M. Marzluff and R. Sallabanks (eds.),

Avian Conservation: Research and Management. Island Press, Washington, DC. pp 75-92.

Isola, C.R., M.A. Colwell, O.W. Taft, and R.J. Safran. 2000. Interspecific differences in habitat use of

shorebirds and waterfowl foraging in managed welands of California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Waterbirds 23(2): 196-203.

Johnsgard, P.A. 1988. North American owls: biology and natural history. Smithsonian Institution Press.

Washington, D.C., USA. 329 pp.

Johnson, D.H. 1992. Spotted owls, great horned owls, and forest fragmentation in the central Oregon

Cascades. M.S. Thesis. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, U.S.A.

Kennedy, P.L., and D.W. Stahlecker. 1993. Responsiveness of nesting northern goshawks to taped

broadcasts of 3 conspecific calls. Journal of Wildlife Management: 249-257.

Kincaid, T. 2008. Unpublished report. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.

C., USA.

LANDFIRE: LANDFIRE Existing Vegetation Type Layer. 2013, June – last update. U.S. Department of

Interior, Geological Survey. Online. Available: http://landfire.cr.usgs.gov/viewer/ [2013,

November 17]

Lindenmayer, D. B., and G. E. Likens. 2009. Adaptive monitoring: a new paradigm for long-term

research and monitoring. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24:482-486.

Lyons, J. E., M. C. Runge, H. P. Laskowski, and W. L. Kendall. 2008. Monitoring in the context of

structured decision-making and adaptive management. Journal of Wildlife Management

72:1683-1692.

MacKenzie, D. I., J. D. Nichols, G. B. Lachman, S. Droege, J. A. Royle, and C. A. Langtimm. 2002.

Estimating site occupancy rates when detection probabilities are less than one. Ecology 83:2248-

2255.

MacKenzie, D. I., J. D. Nichols, J. A. Royle, K. H. Pollock, L. L. Bailey, and J. E. Hines. 2006. Occupancy

estimation and modeling: inferring patterns and dynamics of species occurrence. Elsevier,

Burlington, Massachusetts, USA.

Manning, J.A. 2011. Factors affecting detection probability of burrowing owls in southwest

agroecosystem environments. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 75(7): 1558-1567.

Marsh, D. M., and P. C. Trenham. 2008. Current trends in plant and animal population monitoring.

Conservation Biology 22: 647-655.

Martin, D.J. 1973. A spectrographic analysis of burrowing owl vocalizations. The Auk 90: 564-578.

Martínez, J.A., Í. Zuberogoitia, J. Colás, and J. Macía. 2002. Use of recorder calls for detecting long-eared

owls Asio otus. Ardeola 49.1: 97-101.

McClaren, E.L. 2003. Suggested protocol for conducting northern goshawk surveys within established

and unknown goshawk nest areas. Tech. Report.

Morrison, M. L. 1986. Bird populations as indicators of environmental change. Current Ornithology

3:429-451.

Nichols, J. D., L. L. Bailey, A. F. O'Connell, N. W. Talancy, E. H. C. Grant, A. T. Gilbert, E. M. Annand, T. P.

Husband, and J. E. Hines. 2008. Multi-scale occupancy estimation and modelling using multiple

detection methods. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:1321-1329.

O’Connell, T. J., L. E. Jackson, and R. P. Brooks. 2000. Bird guilds as indictors of ecological condition in

the central Appalachians. Ecological Applications 10: 1706-1721.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Orth, P. B., and P. L. Kennedy. 2001. Do land-use patterns influence nest-site selection by burrowing

owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in northeastern Colorado? Canadian Journal of Zoology 79:

1038-1045.

Pavlacky, D. C., Jr., J. A. Blakesley, G. C. White, D. J. Hanni, and P. M. Lukacs. 2012. Hierarchical multi-

scale occupancy estimation for monitoring wildlife populations. Journal of Wildlife Management

76:154–162.

Petit, D.R. 2000. Habitat use by landbirds along Neartic-Neotropical migration routes: implications for

conservation of stopover habitats. Studies in Avian Biology 20: 15-33.

Pollock, K. H., J. D. Nichols, T. R. Simons, G. L. Farnsworth, L. L. Bailey, and J. R. Sauer. 2002. Large scale

wildlife monitoring studies: statistical methods for design and analysis. Environmetrics 13:105-

119.

R Development Core Team. 2010. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna,

Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Retrieved from http://www.R-project.org.

Rich, T. D. 2002. Using breeding land birds in the assessment of western riparian systems. Wildlife

Society Bulletin 30(4):1128-1139.

Ritchison, G., P.M. Cavanagh, J.R. Belthoff, and E.J. Sparks. 1988. The singing behavior of eastern

screech-owls: seasonal timing and response to playback of conspecific song. Condor: 648-652.

Rodewald, P.G., and M.C. Brittingham. 2004. Stopover habitats of landbirds during fall: use of edge-

dominated and early-successional forests. The Auk 121(4): 1040-1055.

Rosenfield, R.N., J. Bielefeldt, and R.K. Anderson. 1988. Effectiveness of broadcast calls for detecting

breeding Cooper’s Hawks. Wildlife Society Bulletin 16(2): 210-212.

Rosenstock, S. S., D. R. Anderson, K. M. Giesen, T. Leukering, and M. F. Carter. 2002. Landbird counting

techniques: current practices and an alternative. Auk 119:46-53.

Sauer, J. R., and M. G. Knutson. 2008. Objectives and metrics for wildlife monitoring. Journal of Wildlife

Management 72: 1663-1664.

Sidle, J. G., M. Ball, T. Byer, J. J. Chynoweth, G. Foli, R. Hodorff, G. Moravek, R. Peterson, and D. N.

Svingen. 2001. Occurrence of burrowing owls in black-tailed prairie dog colonies on Great Plains

National Grasslands. Journal of Raptor Research 35: 316-321.

Smith, D.G. 1987. Owl census techniques. Biology and conservation of northern forest owls. USDA

Forest Service. General Tech. Report. RM-142. Fort Collins, CO, USA.

Stevens, D. L., Jr., and A. R. Olsen. 2004. Spatially balanced sampling of natural resources. Journal of the

American Statistical Association 99:262-278.

Takats, D.L., C.M. Francis, G.L. Holroyd, J.R. Duncan, K.M. Mazur, R.J. Cannings, W. Harris, and D. Holt.

2001. Guidelines for nocturnal owl monitoring in North America. Beaverhill Bird Observatory

and Bird Studies Canada, Edmonton, Alberta. 32 pp.

Thomas, L., S. T. Buckland, E. A. Rexstad, J. L. Laake, S. Strindberg, S. L. Hedley, J. R. B. Bishop, T. A.

Marques, and K. P. Burnham. 2010. Distance software: design and analysis of distance sampling

surveys for estimating population size. Journal of Applied Ecology 47:5-14.

Thompson, W. L., G. C. White, and C. Gowan. 1998. Monitoring vertebrate populations. Academic

Press, San Diego, California, USA.

Thompson, W. L. 2002. Towards reliable bird surveys: accounting for individuals present but not

detected. Auk 119:18-25.

Tipton, H.C., P.F. Doherty, Jr., and V.J. Dreitz. 2009. Abundance and density of mountain plover

(charadrius montanus) and burrowing owl (athene cunicularia) in eastern Colorado. The Auk

126(3): 493-499.

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). 2002. Methods for evaluating wetland condition:

biological assessment methods for birds. Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Washington. D.C, USA. EPA-822-R-02-023.

US North American Bird Conservation Initiative. 2000. Bird Conservation Regions descriptions: a

supplement to the North American Bird Conservation Initiative: Bird Conservation Regions map.

US Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington, Virginia, USA.

Van Lanen, N.J., and D. J. Hanni. 2014. Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey: 2013 Report. Rocky

Mountain Bird Observatory. Brighton, Colorado, USA.

White, C. M., M. F. McLaren, N. J. Van Lanen, D.C. Pavlacky Jr., J. A. Blakesley, R. A. Sparks, J. J. Birek and

D. J. Hanni. 2014. Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR): 2013 Field

Season Report. Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. Brighton, Colorado, USA.

Witmer, G. W. 2005. Wildlife population monitoring: some practical considerations. Wildlife Research

32:259-263.

Woodbridge, B.; Hargis, C.D. 2006. Northern goshawk inventory and monitoring technical guide.

Gen.Tech. Rep. WO-71. Washington, DC, USA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 80

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Appendix A: Bird Species Potentially Occurring on Camp Guernsey

Species, likelihood of occurrence, likely season of occurrence and link to natural history information for birds on Camp Guernsey. † Partners in

Flight priority species for BCR17 are bolded. M = migration, S = summer, W = winter in the Season column.

Species

Likelihood of Occurrence

Season

Link to Natural History Information

American Avocet

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Avocet/lifehistory

American Coot

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_coot/lifehistory

American Crow

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_crow/lifehistory

American Goldfinch

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/lifehistory

American Kestrel

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_kestrel/lifehistory

American Redstart

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_redstart/lifehistory

American Robin

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/lifehistory

American White Pelican

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_white_Pelican/lifehistory

American Wigeon

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_wigeon/lifehistory

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ash-throated_Flycatcher/lifehistory

Bald Eagle

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/lifehistory

Bank Swallow

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/bank_swallow/lifehistory

Barn Swallow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/barn_swallow/lifehistory

Black-billed Magpie

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-billed_magpie/lifehistory

Black-capped Chickadee

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/lifehistory

Black-headed Grosbeak

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-headed_grosbeak/lifehistory

Blue Grosbeak

Unlikely

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_grosbeak/lifehistory

Blue Jay

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_jay/lifehistory

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-gray_Gnatcatcher/lifehistory

Blue-winged Teal

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue-winged_teal/lifehistory

Brewer's Blackbird

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/brewers_blackbird/lifehistory

Brewer's Sparrow

Confirmed

M,S

http://birds.audubon.org/species/brespa

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Species

Likelihood of Occurrence

Season

Link to Natural History Information

Brown Creeper

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/brown_creeper/lifehistory

Brown Thrasher

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/brown_thrasher/lifehistory

Brown-headed Cowbird

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/brown-headed_cowbird/lifehistory

Bullock's Oriole

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/bullocks_oriole/lifehistory

Burrowing Owl

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Burrowing_Owl/lifehistory

Canada Goose

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/canada_goose/lifehistory

Canyon Wren

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/canyon_wren/lifehistory

Cassin's Finch

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cassins_Finch/lifehistory

Cassin's Kingbird

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/cassins_kingbird/lifehistory

Cassin's Sparrow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cassins_Sparrow/lifehistory

Cedar Waxwing

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/cedar_waxwing/lifehistory

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chestnut-collared_Longspur/lifehistory

Chipping Sparrow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/chipping_sparrow/lifehistory

Clark's Nutcracker

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/clarks_nutcracker/lifehistory

Cliff Swallow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cliff_Swallow/lifehistory

Common Grackle

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_grackle/lifehistory

Common Merganser

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_merganser/lifehistory

Common Nighthawk

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_nighthawk/lifehistory

Common Poorwill

Likely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_poorwill/lifehistory

Common Raven

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_raven/lifehistory

Common Yellowthroat

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_yellowthroat/lifehistory

Cordilleran Flycatcher

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/cordilleran_flycatcher/lifehistory

Dark-eyed Junco

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed_junco/lifehistory

Downy Woodpecker

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/downy_woodpecker/lifehistory

Dusky Flycatcher

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dusky_flycatcher/lifehistory

Dusky Grouse

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dusky_grouse/lifehistory

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Species

Likelihood of Occurrence

Season

Link to Natural History Information

Eastern Bluebird

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_bluebird/lifehistory

Eastern Kingbird

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_kingbird/lifehistory

European Starling

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/european_starling/lifehistory

Ferruginous Hawk

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ferruginous_Hawk/lifehistory

Field Sparrow

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/field_sparrow/lifehistory

Forster's Tern

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/forsters_tern/lifehistory

Golden Eagle

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/golden_eagle/lifehistory

Grasshopper Sparrow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/grasshopper_sparrow/lifehistory

Gray Catbird

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gray_catbird/lifehistory

Gray Flycatcher

Unlikely

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gray_flycatcher/lifehistory

Gray Jay

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gray_jay/lifehistory

Great Blue Heron

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_blue_heron/lifehistory

Great Horned Owl

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/lifehistory

Greater Sage-Grouse

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Sage-Grouse/lifehistory

Green-tailed Towhee

Likely

M,W

http://birds.audubon.org/birds/green-tailed-towhee

Green-winged Teal

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/green-winged_teal/lifehistory

Hairy Woodpecker

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/hairy_woodpecker/lifehistory

Horned Lark

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/horned_lark/lifehistory

House Finch

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_finch/lifehistory

House Sparrow

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_sparrow/lifehistory

House Wren

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_wren/lifehistory

Killdeer

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/killdeer/lifehistory

Lark Bunting

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lark_bunting/lifehistory

Lark Sparrow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lark_sparrow/lifehistory

Lazuli Bunting

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lazuli_bunting/lifehistory

Least Flycatcher

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/least_flycatcher/lifehistory

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Species

Likelihood of Occurrence

Season

Link to Natural History Information

Lesser Goldfinch

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lesser_goldfinch/lifehistory

Lesser Scaup

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lesser_scaup/lifehistory

Lewis's Woodpecker

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lewiss_woodpecker/lifehistory

Loggerhead Shrike

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/loggerhead_shrike/lifehistory

Long-eared Owl

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Long-eared_Owl/lifehistory

MacGillivray's Warbler

Likely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/MacGillivrays_Warbler/lifehistory

Mallard

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mallard/lifehistory

McCown's Longspur

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/McCowns_Longspur/lifehistory

Mountain Bluebird

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mountain_bluebird/lifehistory

Mountain Chickadee

Confirmed

M,W

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mountain_chickadee/lifehistory

Mountain Plover

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mountain_plover/lifehistory

Mourning Dove

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mourning_dove/lifehistory

Northern Flicker

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_flicker/lifehistory

Northern Goshawk

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_goshawk/lifehistory

Northern Harrier

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_harrier/lifehistory

Northern Mockingbird

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_mockingbird/lifehistory

Northern Pintail

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_pintail/lifehistory

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Rough-winged_Swallow/lifehistory

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/lifehistory

Northern Shoveler

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_shoveler/lifehistory

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/olive-sided_flycatcher/lifehistory

Orange-crowned Warbler

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/orange-crowned_warbler/lifehistory

Orchard Oriole

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/orchard_oriole/lifehistory

Osprey

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/osprey/lifehistory

Ovenbird

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ovenbird/lifehistory

Pied-billed Grebe

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/lifehistory

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Species

Likelihood of Occurrence

Season

Link to Natural History Information

Pine Siskin

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/pine_siskin/lifehistory

Pinyon Jay

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pinyon_Jay/lifehistory

Plumbeous Vireo

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/plumbeous_vireo/lifehistory

Prairie Falcon

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/prairie_falcon/lifehistory

Pygmy Nuthatch

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pygmy_Nuthatch/lifehistory

Red Crossbill

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red_crossbill/lifehistory

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-breasted_nuthatch/lifehistory

Red-eyed Vireo

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-eyed_vireo/lifehistory

Red-headed Woodpecker

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-headed_woodpecker/lifehistory

Red-naped Sapsucker

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-naped_sapsucker/lifehistory

Red-tailed Hawk

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory

Red-winged Blackbird

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-winged_blackbird/lifehistory

Ring-necked Pheasant

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ring-necked_pheasant/lifehistory

Rock Wren

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rock_Wren/lifehistory

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ruby-crowned_kinglet/lifehistory

Ruddy Duck

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ruddy_duck/lifehistory

Ruffed Grouse

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ruffed_grouse/lifehistory

Sage Sparrow

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sage_sparrow/lifehistory

Sage Thrasher

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sage_thrasher/lifehistory

Savannah Sparrow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/savannah_sparrow/lifehistory

Say's Phoebe

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/says_phoebe/lifehistory

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/lifehistory

Short-eared Owl

Possible

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/short-eared_owl/lifehistory

Song Sparrow

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/song_sparrow/lifehistory

Sora

Unlikely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sora/lifehistory

Spotted Towhee

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/spotted_towhee/lifehistory

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Species

Likelihood of Occurrence

Season

Link to Natural History Information

Steller's Jay

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Stellers_Jay/lifehistory

Swainson's Hawk

Likely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Hawk/lifehistory

Swainson's Thrush

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/swainsons_thrush/lifehistory

Townsend's Solitaire

Likely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/townsends_solitaire/lifehistory

Tree Swallow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tree_swallow/lifehistory

Turkey Vulture

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/turkey_vulture/lifehistory

Upland Sandpiper

Likely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/upland_sandpiper/lifehistory

Vesper Sparrow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/vesper_sparrow/lifehistory

Violet-green Swallow

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/lifehistory

Warbling Vireo

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/warbling_vireo/lifehistory

Western Kingbird

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/western_kingbird/lifehistory

Western Meadowlark

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/western_meadowlark/lifehistory

Western Tanager

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/western_tanager/lifehistory

Western Wood-Pewee

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Wood-Pewee/lifehistory

White-breasted Nuthatch

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breasted_Nuthatch/lifehistory

White-crowned Sparrow

Possible

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-crowned_sparrow/lifehistory

White-throated Swift

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-throated_swift/lifehistory

Wild Turkey

Confirmed

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wild_turkey/lifehistory

Willow Flycatcher

Possible

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/willow_flycatcher/lifehistory

Wilson's Phalarope

Possible

M,S

http://birds.audubon.org/species/wilpha

Wilson's Snipe

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wilsons_snipe/lifehistory

Wood Duck

Unlikely

All

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wood_duck/lifehistory

Yellow Warbler

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow_warbler/lifehistory

Yellow-breasted Chat

Likely

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-breasted_chat/lifehistory

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Confirmed

M,S

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/lifehistory

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Appendix B: Grid Based Point Count Survey Form

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Avian Monitoring on Camp Guernsey

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Conserving birds and their habitats

Appendix C: Camp Guernsey Area Search Form