Bird community monitoring at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ohio: Status report 2005–2019

Peitz, David; Kull, Kathleen

doi:10.36967/nrr-2278012

Breeding bird surveys were initiated on Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ohio, in 2005 to assess temporal changes in the species composition and abundance of birds on the park. These data also improve our understanding of relationships between breeding birds and their habitat and the effects of management actions, such as invasive plant species control and grassland field restorations, on bird populations. Birds were sampled using point counts with 27 variable circular plots located on a systematic grid of 400 x 400-m cells (originating from a random start point). All birds seen or heard on a plot during a 5-min sampling period were recorded. In the 15 years since initiating our breeding bird survey, birds were surveyed on as many of the 27 variable circular plots as possible annually, resulting in 403 plot visits. Surveys have yielded records for 112 different species of birds. Ninety-eight of the species recorded are classified as permanent or summer residents to the area, 13 are classified as migrants through the area, and one as a winter resident. Fourteen species recorded are considered species of conservation concern for the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and/or the Appalachian Mountains bird conservation regions, the bird conservation regions in which Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is located. Nine of the 98 resident species were recorded on Hopewell Culture National Historical Park frequently enough to determine trends in their populations. Six species had increasing populations on the park, and the other three had stable populations. With 71% of the 338 ha of natural vegetation on Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in various old field (grassland) types, it is not surprising that about 16 of the breeding bird species recorded utilize this habitat type almost exclusively. Based on population trends, the bird community at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is faring similarly to or better than the larger bird communities in the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and/or the Appalachian Mountains bird conservation regions. Increasing diversity and richness values, along with stable evenness values, suggest that the park’s habitat is improving in terms of its ability to meet the needs of more breeding bird species, and the habitat currently present provides for the rich array of breeding species annually. However, this species-rich community structure could be altered if significant portions of the park’s old fields (grasslands) were removed or converted back to agricultural fields, or if some of the less common habitats were lost.

Bird community monitoring at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ohio: Status report 2005–2019

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