Bird monitoring at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas: Status report

Peitz, David

In 2008, the Heartland I&M Network (HTLN) initiated breeding bird surveys on Pea Ridge National Military Park (PERI), Arkansas to address two objectives. The first was to monitor changes in bird community composition and abundance. Secondly, we monitored the responses of bird communities to changes in habitat structure and other habitat variables related to management activities. This report evaluates trends in the park’s breeding bird populations in the context of trends observed within the North American Bird Conservation Initiative’s (NABCI) Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region, the bird conservation region in which the park is located. By doing so, we can assess the influence of habitat management on the park on bird populations with an understanding of what population trends are doing regionally, outside the influence of PERI natural resource management activities. One hundred and one species of birds were recorded during May-June site visits in the five years since initiating monitoring. Eighty-six of the species are considered breeding species because they are permanent or summer residents. Twenty-four of the breeding species recorded on PERI are species of concern for the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region. Sixteen species recorded on PERI (including four of regional concern) show negative 5-year population trends, while their 45-year regional trends have been positive. However, 12 species (including four of regional concern) have positive recent trends on the park while their 45-year regional trends have been negative. Results of our most recent bird surveys (2012) are similar to previous years and show the Summer Tanager was the most commonly occurring and wide spread species on PERI. The Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Indigo Bunting, and Northern Cardinal were the next most abundant species, in that order. After the Summer Tanager; Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Indigo Bunting, and Eastern Wood-pewee were the next most widely distributed species on the park. All three were distributed equally across plot surveyed. With 25% of the park in a grassland habitat type, three breeding grassland obligate species were recorded, the Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark, and Grasshopper Sparrow. No woodland obligates were reported on the park. This report provides current regional and local trends for breeding birds for future comparisons with bird data collected as part of the long-term monitoring efforts at PERI. With this report, park staff will be able to better plan management objectives and assess the effectiveness of management alternatives. Monitoring data also provides park staff with additional information useful for interpreting natural resources.

Bird monitoring at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas: Status report

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