Bird Monitoring at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas: 2008 Status Report

Peitz, David

During 2008, the Heartland I&M Network and Prairie Cluster Prototype Monitoring Program (HTLN) initiated breeding bird surveys on Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas (PERI) to address two objectives. The first is to monitor changes in bird community composition and abundance. The second is to monitor the responses of bird communities to changes in habitat structure and other habitat variables related to management activities. This report provides plotspecific, habitat-specific, and park-wide baseline data on populations and breeding habitat of birds at PERI. Sixty-three species of birds were recorded during site visits in May. The Yellowthroated vireo (Vireo flavifrons) was the most commonly occurring species during the breeding season based on both the mean number of individuals per plot and the proportion of plots they occupied. The Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) and Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) had slightly more individuals per plot visited. But, the Yellow-throated vireo occupied more plots across the park. The Summer tanager (Piranga rubra), Eastern wood-pewee (Contopus virens), (Eastern) Tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor), Northern parula (Parula americana), Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla), and Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) were moderately abundant. Partners in Flight, a coalition of agencies and individuals whose mission it is to conserve North America’s declining bird populations, classify sixteen species found at PERI as species of continental importance. Species richness for birds in the grassland habitat of the monument is similar to those reported elsewhere. Three grassland obligate species were recorded, the Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), Grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), and Henslow’s sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii). Species richness in the woodland habitat, however, was lower than values reported elsewhere. No interior woodland obligates were recorded. Deciduous woodlands (1279.7 ha) dominate the bird habitat at PERI, with 76% of the plots located in this habitat type; 24% of the plots are located in habitat dominated by various grassland types and old fields (414.9 ha combined).

Bird Monitoring at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas: 2008 Status Report

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