mbr-pwrcgs/Infocenter/i4710id.html

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i4710id.html

Nathan

06 May 2008

Tyrannid Flycatchers As Indicators Of Habitat Quality

Vermilion Flycatcher(Pyrocephalus rubinus)

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Vermilion_Flycatcher.html

http://www.backfromthebrink.org/speciesimages/5/2_southwestern_willow_flycatcher.jpg&imgrefurl

http://www.backfromthebrink.org/speciesimages/5/1_southwestern_willow_flycatcher.jpg&imgrefurl=

http://identify.whatbird.com/img/4/1069/image.aspx

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher(Empidonax traillii extimus)

(Sogge et al. 1997)

Sogge et al. 1997

Figure 1. Breeding ranges of the willow flycatcher subspecies. Adapted from Unit 1987 and Browning 1993.Technical Report NPS/NAUCPRS/NRTR-97/12 (Sogge 1997)

http://www.southwestbirders.com/SS_121501/vermilion%20flycatcher_006s.jpg

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Vermilion_Flycatcher_dtl.html#map

-13 subspecies recognized(USGS Patuxent)

-1 Extinct (B. of North Amer.)

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4710id.html

Range of Vermilion Flycatcher


San Pedro River, Arizonahttp://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Flycatchers.html

Methods

Standard survey protocol: -Permits-Training Workshops-Standard Techniques and Routine Surveys-Capturing, Banding, Observations-GIS/Remote Sensing

http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Photos/Flycatchers/VEFL4.jpg

Large Scale Regional Surveys

EPA Forest Health Monitoring Unit (FHM)

-Triangular Grid of 40-km^2 hexagons

-Spacing of 27.1 km between centers of the hexagons

-Observed species rather than the number of individuals

-Types of bird species observed in similar behaviors were also grouped together for some statistical analyses

(Canterbury 2000).


Results

-Presence of canopy nesters and shrubland assemblage groups increased with canopy cover, while habitat generalists and forest edge assemblages showed no consistent trend in regard to canopy cover-Numbers of granivores and bark-foraging insectivores had the greatest response to habitat disturbance levels

-The index derived was an attempt at a broad-based indicator of how much a population or community has been affected by disturbance (Canterbury 2000).

http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/

http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/photos/pyrrub24833.jpg

-Several papers have been written criticizing the use of the indicator species concept, because "individual species do not necessarily reflect trends in other co-occurring species," and can furthermore "respond independently to environmental variation" (Canterbury 2000)

Lower San Pedro Riverhttp://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/endspp/protocols/SWWF%202004.pdf

Discussion

The ultimate measure of habitat suitability is not simply whether or not a site isoccupied. Suitable habitats are those in which flycatcher reproductive success andsurvivorship results in a stable or growing population. Without long-term data showing which sites have stable or growing populations, we cannot determine which habitats are suitable or optimal for breeding southwestern willow flycatchers. (Sogge et al. 1997)


Acknowledgements

Thank you to Glenn Johnson for helping me to identify the important aspects of this topic, and also for his instruction in field techniques.

My deep gratitude goes to Dr. Charles von Riper, III for his support in directing me to relevant sources of information.

Literature Cited


http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/endspp/protocols/SWWF%202004.pdf





http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Flycatchers.html






http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/endspp/protocols/SWWF%202004.pdf





http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Flycatchers.html





Literature Cited

http://www.backfromthebrink.org/speciesimages/5/1_southwestern_willow_flycatcher.jpg&imgrefurl=


http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Vermilion_Flycatcher.html


Technical Report NPS/NAUCPRS/NRTR-97/12 (Sogge 1997)

Canterbury et al. 2000

Documents

mbr-pwrcgs/Infocenter/i4710id.html