Waterbird and breeding landbird inventories in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

Hahr, Meg; Trapp, Todd

Funding from the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory & Monitoring Initiative and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (KLGO) was used to carry out park-wide waterbird and breeding landbird inventories in 2003. The breeding landbird survey protocol which follows the Alaska Landbird Monitoring System (ALMS) methodology was developed by an avian ecologist at the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Biological Resources Division, Alaska Science Center. The survey was coordinated by the KLGO Natural Resources Program Manager, and field surveys were conducted by KLGO biological technicians and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologist. Two previously established Off-Road Breeding Bird Survey (ORBBS) routes consisting of 24 survey points were incorporated into the inventory design. An additional 28 points were added so that survey points would be distributed across the park's strong elevational and ecological gradients. Six of the park's seven primary plant associations were sampled, and survey points ranged from sea level to 1,200 m (4,000 feet) elevation. Waterbird surveys were conducted weekly in the spring (late April-May) and biweekly during fall (August-mid September). Over the course of these inventories, 56 bird species (in 25 families) were recorded during point counts, and 39 species of waterbirds (in nine families) were observed during waterbird surveys, bringing the total number of bird species observed during field surveys to 90. In addition to systematic surveys, we also documented incidental observations made by NPS biologists and other knowledgeable birders. Through these efforts, we were able to document 21 new bird species for KLGO (bringing the total number of documented species to 158) and confirm the occurrence of 91% of the bird species expected in the park. Considerable numbers of migrating birds were observed during spring in the upper Taiya Inlet, indicating the importance of the Taiya River estuary as a stop-over and/or staging area for migratory waterbirds. Utilizing the results of this effort, a revised bird checklist and an atlas database are being developed for the Taiya and Skagway River watersheds in collaboration with the Skagway Bird Club. Results of this study will also be used to develop a strategy for long-term monitoring of landbird and waterbird population trends and habitat associations in the park as part of the NPS Vital Signs Monitoring program.

Waterbird and breeding landbird inventories in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

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