Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Breeding Bird Survey Update & 2014 Results

Jukkala, Gabriella; Burkman, Peggy

Breeding bird surveys at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore have been completed since 1990 to monitor long-term trends of populations, identify important habitats, determine the regional role of the park, and provide data for comparative use. The park has updated its survey protocol over time and in 2014 modifications focused on addressing the threat of climate change to breeding birds and wetland habitats and to better satisfy breeding bird monitoring protocols. This resulted in 76 point locations comprised of 54% new points and 46% original carry-over points along nine transects on seven islands/mainland. In 2014, below average abundance and above average species richness per point was recorded; Oak and Devils Island respectively yielded the highest per-point abundance and species richness. Guild analyses on habitat and nesting preference, as well as migration strategy was completed. Within guilds, the abundances of shrub/sub-canopy and other nesters (bank and building nesters), short-distance migrants, and species that prefer early successional, shrub swamp, and water have declined in the park since 1995, while canopy and cavity nesters, permanent residents, and species that prefer deciduous and mixed forests have increased. Red oak-sugar maple forest types have long-term increasing trends in abundance and species richness, while balsam fir-paper birch and alder shrubland have decreasing trends in both measures. The most abundant species in 2014 were the ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, Nashville warbler, black-throated green warbler, and American redstart; all but the American redstart have increasing trends from 1995-2014. Overall long-term abundance and richness trends differed between the park, regional national forests, and statewide. Similarities and dissimilarities in species specific trends existed between the three surveys. As the updated routes are used in future breeding bird surveys, a new, more comprehensive dataset will evolve that allows for comparisons between all islands and monitoring of climate-change sensitive habitats and species.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Breeding Bird Survey Update & 2014 Results

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