Streamside bird monitoring in the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network: New River Gorge National Park and Preserve 2007–2019

Marshall, Matt

doi:10.36967/nrr-2288217

This report summarizes the first 12 years (2007 to 2019) of monitoring the streamside bird community at New River Gorge NP & PRES. During that time period 19 observers conducted 4,158 point count surveys detecting 23,114 individual birds at 230 point count stations within the park. New River Gorge NP & PRES contains a rich and diverse streamside bird community with a total of 89 species detected; including 68 target species presumed to be breeding in the park during summer months. The vast majority were forest-associated species dominated by forest interior species whose life-histories depend on large tracts of mature, unfragmented, deciduous forest. Nineteen species overall and four of the five most abundant species were of conservation importance in the Appalachian Mountains bird conservation region. It is notable that the most abundant species at the park were also the top conservation priorities regionally, highlighting the significance of New River Gorge NP & PRES and the surrounding forested landscape to avian conservation. Trends in unadjusted abundance over the period of monitoring were assessed for the 68 species in the target population (Table E-1). Trends in adjusted abundance that take into account detection probability were estimated for 32 species for which there were sufficient data. Out of 68 species in the target population, 42 species (62%) appear to be stable or increasing and 26 species (38%) appear to be declining during the period of monitoring. New River Gorge NP & PRES was one of several parks in the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network where the majority of species exhibited stable or increasing population trends including many species of regional conservation importance; this was one of the more significant findings of the monitoring program to date and an encouraging sign in the face of recent overwhelming evidence of dramatic declines in bird populations. However, several species do appear to be significantly declining at New River Gorge NP & PRES (including the three most abundant species). An additional 29% of target species showed non-significant declines during the period of monitoring and warrant close attention. This report provides the first information regarding long-term population trends of breeding birds in New River Gorge NP & PRES which is the primary objective of the monitoring protocol. Continued monitoring will provide new insights and future analyses will explore specific factors linked to population trends. As anthropogenic land use and climate change continue to reshape the Appalachian landscape, park managers will need this information to best allocate effort that aligns with regional conservation planning and other park priorities.

Streamside bird monitoring in the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network: New River Gorge National Park and Preserve 2007–2019

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