Landbird Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park: 2022 Annual Report (Revised)
Larramendy PT, Hall LS, Little A. 2026. Landbird Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park: 2022 Annual Report (Revised). Science Report. NPS/SR—2026/434. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2317933
The National Park Service has monitored landbirds at Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) during every breeding season since 1993 as part of the Mediterranean Coast Network Inventory and Monitoring Program. In this report, we summarize data collected during the breeding season (March through May) of 2022. We used distance-based sampling methods and a standardized protocol to count landbirds at 97% (331 of 338) of the CHIS permanent point count stations on East Anacapa Islet, Santa Barbara Island, Santa Cruz Island, San Miguel Island, and Santa Rosa Island. Counts were not made at seven point count stations on Santa Barbara Island due to the presence of nesting California Brown Pelicans, and at three of these stations, counts have not been made since 2015 to avoid disturbing nesting pelicans. Across point stations on all five islands, 56 species of landbirds were counted in 2022, 40 of which breed at CHIS. In descending order, the ten most detected landbirds at CHIS in 2022 were Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Bewick’s Wren, Western Meadowlark, House Finch, Horned Lark, White-crowned Sparrow, Common Raven, and Pacific-slope Flycatcher. The fewest number of landbird species were counted on East Anacapa Islet (5), while the greatest number were counted on Santa Cruz Island (42). While non-native and invasive birds were counted on only one of the five islands in 2022 (17 European Starlings on Santa Rosa Island), anecdotal sightings of non-native species occurred more frequently on both Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands. For example, Santa Cruz Island had the highest number of anecdotal sightings of non-native species (19) in 2022: 12 European Starlings, four Eurasian Collared-Doves, and three Rock Pigeons. Density analyses were conducted for three species across Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands, and one species, Northern Flicker, had a significant decreasing density trend from 2016 to 2022.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Larramendy, Peter; Hall, Linnea; Little, Annie
- Date of Issue
- 2026-05
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/2317933
- Units
- CHIS , MEDN , NRSS
- Keywords
- density estimates, distance sampling, East Anacapa Islet, point counts, raptors, San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara Island, Santa Cruz Island, Santa Rosa Island, songbirds