MEDN Seabird Monitoring
Mazurkiewicz D. MEDN Seabird Monitoring. 1983. National Park Service
Seven species (six seabirds, one shorebird) were chosen initially in 1983 because together they were diverse in habitat and prey utilization and were widespread throughout the islands. Because of this, they were likely good sentinels for larger issues that may impact other species at CHIS. The feasibility of monitoring was also considered when revising the monitoring handbook in 1988 due to original protocols (1983) being too difficult to implement; several species were not selected for monitoring due to the anticipated difficulty and cost of monitoring. Park: CHIS Protocol Objectives: The seabird monitoring handbook has not been updated since 1988 and priorities have shifted over time due to changes in species composition and status as well as technology and funding opportunities that have allowed monitoring where it was not previously feasible. The original protocol objectives according to the handbook are to detect changes in the abundance of breeding birds, reproductive success, phenology, and population age structure for California Brown Pelicans (BRPE), Double-crested Cormorants (DCCO), Pelagic Cormorants (PECO), Western Gulls (WEGU), Xantus’ Murrelets (XAMU, now Scripps’s Murrelet [SCMU]), and Cassin’s Auklets (CAAU). One shorebird was also included, the Western Snowy Plover (SNPL).