Jay Carlisle Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) Program: Idaho 2015 Update

NABCI “Opportunities for Improving Avian Monitoring” Goal 1: Integrate monitoring into bird management and conservation practices. Goal 2: Coordinate monitoring programs among organizations and integrate them across spatial scales. Goal 3: Increase the value of monitoring information by improving statistical design. Goal 4: Maintain bird population monitoring data in modern data management systems.

IMBCR Funding Partners

Overview of the Design BCR is the sampling frame Grid-based, scaleable sampling design Stratified with fixed (not ephemeral) strata Spatially balanced sample selection – Increased precision – reduces variance Not road biased Collect site characteristics at the sampling points – For evaluating changes in populations

Sampling Frame Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) Ecologically distinct regions in North America with similar bird communities, habitats, and resource management issues.

Stratification Strata are defined by areas to which we want to make inferences Strata are based on fixed attributes Federal/state land ownership Elevation, latitude, soil type, eco- region All vegetation types available for sampling Flexible Each state within the BCR and each BCR within a state can be stratified differently depending on local needs

X IMBCR sampling design allows inference at multiple spatial scales: BCR Land Ownership Management Units within units Sampling locations selected such that all scales of inference are sampled randomly and in a spatially balanced fashion

Sample Unit Selection Spatially balanced sample distribution (GRTS) All sample units ranked within each strata in selection order

Sampling Points within Sampling Unit Point count layout for songbirds; sampling technique will vary with taxa, methods Sample unit = 1 km 2 16 points per cell 250 m spacing Survey points Fixed radius = 125 m Survey area per point 4.9 ha Six minute point-counts Three 2-minute intervals

Point Count Methods Visit 1 grid cell per day –Attempt to survey all 16 points Ocular vegetation data collection 6 minute point count  1 minute intervals  Measure distances to each bird detected

Inform Conservation Design: Informing staff of IMBCR & uses Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center – Specialized queries available – User’s guide exists – Recorded demonstrations available User’s guide to IMBCR program and products for USFS – Available by the end of 2015

Set Population Objectives & Management Priorities: Predictive occupancy & density mapping

Inform Management and Policies: Comparing Estimates Across Space

Inform Management and Policies: Habitat Modeling Identifying thresholds Can determine what actions are needed to alter habitat to support species Brewer’s Sparrow Sagebrush Sparrow

USFS Idaho breeding season USFS R1: 8,335 individuals of 110 bird species (81 grids) – Clearwater, Idaho Panhandle, Nez Perce, Kootenai, and Bitterroot National Forests – Swainson’s Thrush (N=915), Townsend’s Warbler (640), Western Tanager (579), Yellow-rumped Warbler (507), and Dark-eyed Junco (502) USFS R4: 2,073 individuals of 83 bird species (16 grids) – Boise, Payette, Salmon-Challis, and Sawtooth National Forests – Western Tanager (152), Chipping Sparrow (132), Dark-eyed Junco (124), Yellow-rumped Warbler (118), and Brewer’s Sparrow (99) USFS sensitive: American Three-toed Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, Black-backed Woodpecker, Mountain Quail, & Pygmy Nuthatch

SpeciesTotal Swainson's Thrush977 Western Tanager730 Townsend's Warbler673 Dark-eyed Junco628 Yellow-rumped Warbler626 Chipping Sparrow499 Red-breasted Nuthatch483 Pine Siskin397 American Robin379 Varied Thrush318 Ruby-crowned Kinglet299 MacGillivray's Warbler230 Golden-crowned Kinglet225 Warbling Vireo214 Lazuli Bunting211 Chestnut-backed Chickadee178 Hermit Thrush169 Mountain Chickadee149 Pacific Wren147 Hammond's Flycatcher141 Cassin's Vireo136 Common Raven132 Northern Flicker131 House Wren117 Cassin's Finch111 Brewer's Sparrow100 Dusky Flycatcher92 Nashville Warbler85 SpeciesTotal Black-headed Grosbeak78 Olive-sided Flycatcher76 Red Crossbill72 Pileated Woodpecker68 Hairy Woodpecker67 Vesper Sparrow62 Spotted Towhee56 Western Wood-Pewee54 Gray Jay53 Brown Creeper52 Mountain Bluebird49 Clark's Nutcracker43 Wilson's Warbler40 Fox Sparrow39 Steller's Jay39 Red-naped Sapsucker38 Black-capped Chickadee34 Evening Grosbeak34 Orange-crowned Warbler34 Ruffed Grouse33 Lincoln's Sparrow30 White-crowned Sparrow30 Cedar Waxwing28 Song Sparrow28 Brown-headed Cowbird25 Townsend's Solitaire23 Dusky Grouse20 Western Meadowlark20

Craters breeding season 4,397 individuals of 55 different species (28 grids) 10 most frequently detected species: – Western Meadowlark (n = 1152) Horned Lark (973) – Brewer’s Sparrow (724) Rock Wren (230) – Grasshopper Sparrow (214) Common Raven (192) – Mourning Dove (156) Sage Thrasher (135) – Vesper Sparrow (123) Brown-headed Cowbird (84) 12 species listed by the BLM and/or IDFG: – Black-throated, Brewer’s, Grasshopper, & Sagebrush sparrows – Burrowing and Short-eared owls – Greater Sage-grouse, Ferruginous Hawk, Long-billed Curlew – Green-tailed Towhee, Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Thrasher

Sage ThrasherBrewer’s Sparrow

BLM state office Districts in SW Idaho as a pilot effort

Comparing trends from original and new designs

Benefits of this approach Increases collaboration Decreases costs of monitoring (more partners) Ability to compare bird trend to habitat trend Compare local trend to broader scale trend Increases Precision – we can combine data across programs/efforts Decrease time to detect trend

Benefits of IMBCR … Increase the credibility of monitoring programs with a robust sampling design and the scientific method Engage resource managers to ensure relevance Multi-scale results & tool development to support project planning and unit assessments All-lands monitoring, with the ability to generate wildlife estimates specific to management units Provide confidence to policymakers, funders and the public by increasing accountability and leveraging resources among partners

Partnerships = Leverage $ Colorado Partnership – USFS = $80,000 + in kind – CDOW = $120,000 + in kind – CO- BLM= $34,000 – RMBO = $15,000 (in kind) – NPS = Not yet incorporated ~$74,000 Total = $249,000 – May increase if NPS integrates Wyoming Partnership – USFS = $50,000 + in kind – WYFG = $50,000 – WY-BLM = $45,000 – WYNDD = $15,000 (in kind) – RMBO = $7,500 (in kind) – USGS = possible participation in 2008 Total = 167,500+ USGS + salary time in kind(*)

IMBCR Program Products

Project design criteria BCR16 in CO Brewer’s sparrow occupancy increases with sagebrush cover and patch size

Comparison of Population Estimates IMBCR & Partners in Flight (BBS) Bird Conservation Region 17: Badlands and Prairies Brewer’s Sparrow: IMBCR: 5.87 million PIF (BBS):670,000 Horned Lark: IMBCR:5.05 million PIF (BBS)8 million

Example: Brewer’s Sparrow – CO, BCR 16, BLM – Large scale (1 km 2 sampling cell) Habitat Modeling

Occupancy Distribution Map Brewer’s Sparrow, BLM lands, BCR 16, Colorado Occupancy rates were predicted using sagebrush area Patch size will be incorporated in future models

Results of Habitat Modeling Example: Brewer’s Sparrow – CO, BCR 16, BLM – Small scale (sampling point)

BCR & Management Boundaries In Idaho