Bird Inventories of Big Hole National Battlefield, Nez Perce National Historical Park, and Whitman Mission National Historic Site 2005
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Bird Inventories of Big Hole National Battlefield, Nez Perce National Historical Park, and Whitman Mission National Historic Site 2005 Upper Columbia Basin Network Natural Resource Report NPS/UCBN/NRR—2009/125 ON THE COVER View of the horse pasture at Big Hole National Battlefield Photo courtesy of NPS Upper Columbia Basin Network Bird Inventories of Big Hole National Battlefield, Nez Perce National Historical Park, and Whitman Mission National Historic Site 2005 Upper Columbia Basin Network Natural Resource Report NPS/UCBN/NRR—2009/125 Rita Dixon Idaho Conservation Data Center Idaho Department of Fish and Game 600 S. Walnut Ave, P.O. Box 25 Boise, ID 83707 Lisa K. Garrett National Park Service, Upper Columbia Basin Network University of Idaho, Department of Fish and Wildlife Moscow, ID 83844-1136 August 2009 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. This report is available from the Upper Columbia Basin Network website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/units/UCBN) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM). Please cite this publication as: Dixon, R., and L. K. Garrett. 2009. Bird inventories of Big Hole National Battlefield, Nez Perce National Historic Park, and Whitman Mission National Historical Site 2005. Natural Resource Report NPS/UCBN/NRR—2009/125. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 100155, August 2009 ii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables............................................................................................................................................. ix Executive Summary....................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................... xiii Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 Study Areas......................................................................................................................................3 Buffalo Eddy........................................................................................................................3 Spalding ...............................................................................................................................3 Heart of the Monster ............................................................................................................3 Lolo Trail and Lolo Pass/Mussellshell Meadow .................................................................3 White Bird Battlefield..........................................................................................................3 Old Chief Joseph Gravesite .................................................................................................4 Bear Paw Battlefield ............................................................................................................4 Big Hole National Battlefield ..............................................................................................4 Whitman Mission National Historic Site.............................................................................4 Methods............................................................................................................................................5 Sampling Strategy, Sampling Frame and Sample Selection................................................5 Point Counts.........................................................................................................................5 Area Searches.......................................................................................................................6 Tape Playbacks ....................................................................................................................6 Breeding Status ....................................................................................................................6 Habitat Assessment..............................................................................................................7 Data Analysis and Evaluation..............................................................................................8 iii Contents (continued) Page Results............................................................................................................................................11 Point Counts and Area Searches........................................................................................11 Tape Playbacks ..................................................................................................................11 Habitat Assessment............................................................................................................11 Special Status Species........................................................................................................11 Discussion......................................................................................................................................17 Buffalo Eddy......................................................................................................................17 Spalding .............................................................................................................................17 Heart of the Monster ..........................................................................................................18 Lolo Trail and Lolo Pass/Mussellshell Meadow ...............................................................18 White Bird Battlefield........................................................................................................19 Old Chief Joseph Gravesite ...............................................................................................19 Bear Paw Battlefield ..........................................................................................................20 Big Hole National Battlefield ............................................................................................20 Whitman Mission National Historic Site...........................................................................21 Management Recommendations....................................................................................................23 Buffalo Eddy......................................................................................................................23 Spalding .............................................................................................................................23 Heart of the Monster ..........................................................................................................24 Lolo Trail and Lolo Pass/Mussellshell Meadow ...............................................................24 White Bird Battlefield........................................................................................................24 Old Chief Joseph Gravesite ...............................................................................................24 Bear Paw Battlefield ..........................................................................................................25 iv Contents (continued) Page Big Hole National Battlefield ............................................................................................25 Conclusions....................................................................................................................................27