Owls, Rails and Whip-poor-wills

New Opportunities for Volunteer birders!

Coordinated Bird Monitoring

• NABCI led effort to implement new monitoring programs to “fill in the gaps” of bird monitoring.

• WBCI is working at the state level to implement new contextual bird monitoring programs in a coordinated manner.

• WBCI is also working to prioritize key adaptive management questions to better conserve key bird populations.

What are the “gaps”?

1. Wetland Birds2. Nocturnal Species3. Rare birds – NHI Endangered/Threatened

Species4. Colonial Waterbirds5. “Boreal Birds” – distribution6. Forest interior songbirds (Cerulean Warbler,

etc.)7. Improvements to the federal breeding bird

survey.

Contextual Bird Monitoring:Filling the “gaps”

Secretive Marshbirds• Rails, Coot, Moorhen, Bitterns,

and Grebes• Not monitored by existing

Federal Breeding Bird Survey due to nature of roads and wetlands.

• Very difficult to assess population status of many of these species especially in light of changing wetland conditions.

Marshbird Monitoring

Objectives:1. Generate abundances of target

marshbird species in different wetland habitat types.

2. Measure long-term population trends of target species as a meaure of ecosystem health.

3. Generate performance measures for adaptive management of wetland maintainence and restorations.

Surveyors Needed!

• Volunteers will be needed for a pilot program starting in May 2008.

• There is a required field training component (early May) plus at least one but likely two field visits in late May – early July.

• We’re looking for people interested in getting “into” the marsh by foot, kayak, canoe, etc.

• Need to be a good birder, but not an expert!

Routes• 1- 8 stations• usually along

shoreline

Stations• 100 m radius semi-circle• minimum distance between

- birds: 250m- amphibians: 500m

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MMPsurvey

stations

Stations• 100 m radius semi-circle• minimum distance between

-birds: 250m-amphibians: 500m

Birds• two visits/year• late May-early July• before sunset• 10 min point counts• counts (inside radius,

aerial foragers)• tally (outside)• tape playback

Bird Survey ProtocolBird Survey Protocol

Contextual Bird Monitoring:Filling the “gaps”

Nightjars• Common Nighthawk and

Whip-poor-will• Not well monitored by the

Federal BBS due to nocturnal behavior of these species.

• Anecdotal evidence suggests that both species may be declining in WI and across larger portions of their range.

Nightjar Monitoring

Objectives: 1. Generate long-term

population trend data for nightjars in order to help determine conservation status.

2. Generate data for range-wide population/habitat modeling to help direct conservation efforts.

What to Expect on a Nightjar “foray”

Time of Year: • Surveys are run Late May – Late June• Each route is run once during that timeframe• routes are run when the moon is at least half full and above the

horizon.• Each route has ten stops and takes about 1-2 hours to complete.Data Recorded:• Volunteers record calling WHIP and CONI during each 1-minute

interval of a five-minute point count.• Other nocturnal “creatures” are noted and may be recorded in the

future.• No need to be an expert birder, just need a good navigator, data

recording skills, and a keen ear for a small number of species.

Pilot Nightjar Survey for 2007

• WBCI initiated a pilot nightjar survey with the help of the NE CBM network and SE PIF.

• In total 22 routes were run from most portions of the state.

• 59 Whips were recorded along with 10 CONI.

• Most volunteers had fun listening to nightjars, owls, frogs/toads and even a few unexpected mammals!

• Next year we plan to expand the survey to include more routes across the expected range of the species’.

Contextual Bird Monitoring:Filling the “gaps”

Nocturnal Owls• Northern Saw-whet Owl,

Eastern Screech Owl, Barred Owl, Great-horned Owl, Long-eared Owl

• Not well monitored by Federal BBS due to nocturnal behavior and different phenology of breeding.

Photo by Dennis Malueg

Owl Monitoring

Objectives1. Generate population data on

most species of owls to determine long-term population trends and status.

2. Generate data for range-wide population/habitat modeling to help direct conservation efforts.

Photo by Dennis Maleug

Western Great Lakes Owl Survey

1. Surveys are run three times a spring from mid-March through early May.

2. Surveys take place during the “dark” along roads. Each survey route consists of ten stops.

3. Volunteers records owls heard during each two-minute stop along with distance and direction.

4. Each volunteer is required to complete an online training session.

How do I get involved?

1. Attend the upcoming Citizen-based bird monitoring symposium! March 2008 – University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

2. Contact Andy Paulios, WBCI Coordinator for more information. (Andy.Paulios@wisconsin.gov)

3. Check the WBCI website (www.wisconsinbirds.org) for details on individual programs or to sign up for the WBCI list-serve.

4. Submit your birding observations to eBird at www.ebird.org/WI.

Citizens make the bird world spin!