Central Valley Winter Raptor Survey Zach Smith & Ed Pandolfino

Transcription

1 Central Valley Winter Raptor Survey Zach Smith & Ed Pandolfino

2 Acknowledgements San Joaquin Audubon Sierra Foothills Audubon Sacramento Audubon Yolo Audubon Altacal Audubon Stanislaus Audubon US Fish & Wildlife Service California Rice Commission

3 Route Volunteers Steve Abbott, Roger Adamson, Dan Brown, Ken Burton, Walt Carnahan, Chuck Carroll, Helene Cavoir, Debbie Daley, Bruce & Kathy Deuel, Julie Dinsdale, J. Frank, Alan England, Tim Fitzer, B. Getty, Jim Groesser, Ed Harper, Ken Hashagen, Lois Hoy, Scott & Liam Huber, Sami LaRocca, John Lewis, E. Long, Len Mackenzie, Joe Medley, Frances Oliver, Harold & Sue Reeve, Phil Robertson, Jeff Seay, Mike Skram, Dan Stewart, Steve & Priscilla Summers, Craig Swolgaard, Dave Wagner, Heath Wakelee, Bruce Webb, Gary Woods, Lowell Young, and Bob & Carol Yutzy.

4 Photography Credits Daniel Lee Brown Walt Carnahan Jack Ferrante Ed Harper Peter LaTourrette Robert Lin Diane Pizzo Tom Roach Phil Robertson Zach Smith Larry White

5 Study Area Tom Roach This geomorphic province more than any other has been altered by activities of humans. - from A Natural History of California

6 Why Winter Raptor Monitoring in CV? High raptor abundance/diversity

7 Highest Winter Raptor Abundance CA Central Valley 300 TX/LA Coastal Plain 250 All Other Ave/Count Circle Ave/100 pty hrs

8 High Winter Raptor Species Richness Species/Circle Range CA Central Valley TX/LA Coastal Plain

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13 Why Winter Raptor Monitoring in CV? High raptor abundance/diversity Little data on habitat use

14 Why Winter Raptor Monitoring in CV? High raptor abundance/diversity Little data on habitat use Increasing urbanization

15 Why Winter Raptor Monitoring in CV? High raptor abundance/diversity Little data on habitat use Increasing urbanization Conversion of grasslands to intense ag

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18 Species of Conservation Concern - Northern Harrier (CA BSSC; FWS BCC most regions) - White-tailed Kite (CA fully-protected, historical declines) - Ferruginous Hawk (FWS BCC throughout breeding range) - Golden Eagle (FWS BCC most regions) - Prairie Falcon (FWS BCC in CA and throughout range) - American Kestrel (significant, widespread declines) - Loggerhead Shrike (CA BSSC; FWS BCC throughout range)

19 Study Objectives Assess species richness, diversity, abundance and habitat associations of open-country raptors in the Central Valley during winter Establish simple survey protocol for future monitoring efforts (Repeatability) Create dataset useful for future land management decisions affecting critical wildlife habitat in CV

20 Shasta Butte N Butte S Dunnigan Hills Woodland Davis Jepson Delta Los Banos Tehama Yuba Beale AFB Lincoln Folsom Linden Survey Routes Oakdale Le Grand Madera Kings

21 Golden Eagle Larry White

22 Quantification of Habitat - Assessed every half-mile - Two blocks per point, one on either side of road - One block = 500 meters x 800 meters - Assign dominant habitat type for each block - 12 categories - GPS coordinates taken for each point

23 Sample Route (Kings)

24 Sample Route with habitat (Lincoln)

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27 Survey Protocol Driving routes through open country 1x per month, December - February (distance range: km) Surveys run mid-morning through early afternoon ( ) Raptors observed (Area Search, NOT Point Count methodology) within 500 m of survey road, mileage recorded to nearest tenth of mile for each bird, recorded species, age, sex, morph, behavior Distance categories from survey road: bird observed along survey road (perched only) bird observed away from survey road

28 Habitats Surveyed 40% 35% % Total Survey 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

29 Habitats Surveyed vs. All CV 40% 35% 30% % Total Survey % Total CV 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

30 Number of Surveys 180 Total Survey Hours 1541 Total Area Surveyed 112,720 ha Total Birds Observed Average Density (birds/1000 ha) 20 ± 2 Average Species Richness (range) 9.6 ± 0.2 (5-16)

31 Habitat Associations

32 Grassland Specialists

33 Ferruginous Hawk

34 Ferruginous Hawk

35 0.04 Ferruginous Hawk (tot obs = 630) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other

36 Rough-legged Hawk

37 0.015 Rough-legged Hawk (tot obs = 143) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other

38 Prairie Falcon

39 0.012 Prairie Falcon (tot obs = 232) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other

40 Golden Eagle

41 Wetland Specialists

42 Northern Harrier

43 0.15 Northern Harrier (tot obs = 1396) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other -0.05

44 Northern Harrier Jack Ferrante

45 Northern Harrier Jack Ferrante

46 0.08 White-tailed Kite (tot obs = 468) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other -0.02

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48 Bald Eagle

49 Bald Eagle (tot obs = 276) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other -0.02

50 Habitat Generalists

51 Red-tailed Hawk Phil Robertson

52 Red-tailed Hawk

53 0.4 Red-tailed Hawk (tot obs = 7950) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other

54 American Kestrel

55 0.20 American Kestrel (tot obs = 3622) Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other

56 Loggerhead Shrike

57 0.05 Loggerhead Shrike Difference between habitat denstiy and overall ave. density Grsld Row Rice Orch Urb Pstr Sav Alf Wtld Oth For Vine other

58 Impacts of Grazing of Grassland Raptors

59 0.10 Grazed Grassland 0.08 Ungrazed Grassland WTKI NOHA FEHA RLHA PRFA LOSH

60 0.10 Grazed Grassland 0.08 Ungrazed Grassland WTKI NOHA FEHA RLHA PRFA LOSH

61 Summary of Habitat Associations

62 TUVU WTKI NOHA BAEA Accipiters RSHA RTHA FEHA RLHA GOEA AMKE MERL PEFA PRFA LOSH Grassland Row Crop Rice Orchard Urbanized Irr. Pasture Savannah Alfalfa Wetland Other Forage Vineyard Other

63 TUVU WTKI NOHA BAEA Accipiters RSHA RTHA FEHA RLHA GOEA AMKE MERL PEFA PRFA LOSH Grassland Row Crop Rice Orchard Urbanized Irr. Pasture Savannah Alfalfa Wetland Other Forage Vineyard Other

64 TUVU WTKI NOHA BAEA Accipiters RSHA RTHA FEHA RLHA GOEA AMKE MERL PEFA PRFA LOSH Grassland Row Crop Rice Orchard Urbanized Irr. Pasture Savannah Alfalfa Wetland Other Forage Vineyard Other

65 TUVU WTKI NOHA BAEA Accipiters RSHA RTHA FEHA RLHA GOEA AMKE MERL PEFA PRFA LOSH Grassland Row Crop Rice Orchard Urbanized Irr. Pasture Savannah Alfalfa Wetland Other Forage Vineyard Other

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68 Birders should eat more beef...

69 and drink less wine.

70 Buy a VERY large dog...

71 Grslnd Density of Grslnd Specialists by Route Linden Oakdale LeGrand Beale Shasta Jepson Folsom DunHls Kings LsBanos Lincoln Madera ButteS Tehama TOTAL PRFA GOEA RLHA FEHA Birds/1000 ha

72 Shasta Butte N &S Woodland & Dunnigan Hills Davis & Jepson Delta Los Banos Tehama Yuba Beale AFB Lincoln Folsom Linden Oakdale Le Grand High Value Grasslands? Madera Kings

73 ne SJQ Vly all other FEHA RLHA GOEA PRFA

74 ne SJQ Vly all other RTHA

75 Fun Stuff...

76 45% 40% 35% Perch Preferences of Buteos Pole Tree Fence Ground 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% RTHA FEHA RLHA

77 45% 40% 35% Perch Preferences of Buteos Pole Tree Fence Ground 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% RTHA FEHA RLHA

78 Battle of the Sexes!

79 Battle of the Sexes!

80 Battle of the Sexes! Honey, you CAN T be serious...

81 5 Female Density 4 Male Density AMKE Density (#/1000 ha)

82 5 Female Density 4 Male Density AMKE Density (#/1000 ha)

83 5 Female Density 4 Male Density AMKE Density (#/1000 ha)

84 Hypotheses for AMKE Distribution by Sex

85 Hypotheses for AMKE Distribution by Sex Everybody s Happy

86 Hypotheses for AMKE Distribution by Sex Everybody s Happy (Koplin 1973, Stinson et al. 1981, and Meyer and Balgooyen 1987 )

87 Hypotheses for AMKE Distribution by Sex Everybody s Happy (Koplin 1973, Stinson et al. 1981, and Meyer and Balgooyen 1987 ) Girls Rule

88 Hypotheses for AMKE Distribution by Sex Everybody s Happy (Koplin 1973, Stinson et al. 1981, and Meyer and Balgooyen 1987 ) Girls Rule (Mills 1976, Ardia and Bildstein 1997, 2001, and Ardia 2002 )

89 Hypotheses for AMKE Distribution by Sex Everybody s Happy (Koplin 1973, Stinson et al. 1981, and Meyer and Balgooyen 1987 ) Girls Rule (Mills 1976, Ardia and Bildstein 1997, 2001, and Ardia 2002 ) First come, First Served

90 Hypotheses for AMKE Distribution by Sex Everybody s Happy (Koplin 1973, Stinson et al. 1981, and Meyer and Balgooyen 1987 ) Girls Rule (Mills 1976, Ardia and Bildstein 1997, 2001, and Ardia 2002 ) First come, First Served (Smallwood 1988)

91 Summary Certain habitats important to wintering raptors in the CV Wetland, Grassland, Pasture, Alfalfa, Rice Some habitats largely avoided Urban, Row Crop, Orchard, Vineyard Grassland species NEED grassland and need it grazed Grasslands of the northeast corner of the San Joaquin Valley seem to be particularly rich. Combine with other datasets to try to understand why

92 I m outta here...