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Least Bell's Vireo Breeds in Restored Riparian at San Joaquin River

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Least Bell's Vireo Breeds in Restored Riparian at San Joaquin River Least Bell’s Vireo Breeds in Restored Riparian at San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge 2005 Final Report Submitted to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex June 2006 Submitted by: Julian K. Wood, Christine A. Howell, Geoffrey R. Geupel [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] PRBO Conservation Science 3820 Cypress Dr. Petaluma, CA 94954 (707) 781-2555 www.prbo.org PRBO Contribution # 1511 Introduction The historic nesting of Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) on a restoration plot on the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) represents a monumental success for CalFed, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and its partners in their efforts to restore riparian habitat to benefit wildlife. The Least Bell’s Vireo has not bred in the Central Valley for over 50 years and is rarely detected during the breeding season. The distance to the nearest known source population, along the Santa Clara River, is over 400 km. In order to establish a breeding population in the Valley, Franzreb (1990) proposed various reintroduction methods and considered natural dispersion highly unlikely. A single detection of a Least Bell’s Vireo anywhere in the Valley during the breeding season is a significant sighting but a nesting pair is unprecedented and was wholly unexpected. On 10 June a male Least Bell’s Vireo was detected singing during a point count survey of the H8-9 restoration site. Soon after, a pair was found feeding two dependent young (Table 1.) indicating they nested in the immediate vicinity. On 28 June, the pair’s presumed second nest attempt was located in the same area in a three-year old arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepsis) cultivated by River Partners as part of the restoration of Hagemann’s Field (Figure 1). The nest was concealed by a dense stand of mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) also cultivated by River Partners. The second nesting attempt was successful and produced four young bringing the total number of young fledged from the Refuge pair to at least six. Background The Least Bell's Vireo is one of four subspecies of Bell's Vireo recognized by the American Ornithologist's Union (AOU 1957). It is the western-most subspecies, breeding entirely within California and northern Baja California. Historically, the Least Bell's Vireo was a common to locally abundant species in lowland riparian habitat, ranging from coastal southern California through the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys as far north as Red Bluff, Tehama County (Goldman 1908, Linton 1908, Grinnell and Miller 1944). A decline in Least Bell’s Vireos was noticed by the early 1930’s (Grinnell and Miller 1944). The last confirmed breeding records for the Valley are from 1919 from Merced and Stanislaus Counties, (MVZ 1919 and WFVZ 1919). Although nesting likely continued after this date, records of Least Bell’s Vireo were uncommon by the 1960s. State sponsored surveys in the 1970s failed to detect a single Least Bell’s Vireo in northern California, leading to the conclusion that “no other California passerine has declined so dramatically in historic times” (Goldwasser et al. 1980). The loss of approximately 90% of riparian habitat and increased parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) resulted in its extirpation from the Valley and dramatic declines elsewhere in the state. By 1986, the population had declined to an estimated 300 pairs, with the majority occurring in San Diego County (Kus 2002). The Least Bell's Vireo was listed as a state endangered species in 1980 and as a federally endangered species in 1986. PRBO surveys throughout the Valley in the 1990s and 2000s failed to detect Bell’s Vireo during the breeding season. 2 Figure 1. Map of planting schematic used by River Partners with PRBO point count locations and Least Bell’s Vireo nest. Map by River Partners. PRBO Point count location LBVI nest Riparian Restoration The two successful broods of the Central Valley pair may be attributed to the quality of the riparian restoration at the Refuge. Three years ago, as part of a CalFed-funded restoration project initiated by USFWS, River Partners developed the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge restoration design, the largest riparian restoration effort ever undertaken in California. Using recommendations from the California Partners in Flight Riparian Bird Conservation Plan (RHJV 2004) which included recommendations from PRBO, the planting design included native riparian vegetation such as mugwort, California wild rose (Rosa californica), arroyo willow, and Valley oak (Quercus lobata); plant species known to benefit riparian-associated birds. The restoration design also integrated the Riparian Plan recommendation to promote a dense, shrubby understory, an important component in the breeding habitat of Least Bell’s Vireo. Moreover, River Partners planted vegetation in a mosaic-design with shrub patches interspersed with trees under the assumption that plantings that are concentrated into clumps will more quickly create productive patches of habitat for nesting birds than plantings uniformly spaced over a large area (RHJV 2004). 3 Table 1. Timeline of significant events for Least Bell’s Vireo in 2005. 10 June Male and female discovered feeding 2 dependent young by Linette Lina and Julian Wood, PRBO biologists 11 June Eric Hopsen, Refuge Manager, visits Vireo site with Linette Lina 14 June Kenneth Griggs, Refuge Biologist, Julian Wood, Linette Lina, confirm sighting, John Trochet, Ornithologist, takes acoustic recording 15 June Special Use permit issued to PRBO to take photographs of pair and juveniles. Two rolls slide film taken by Po-Hon Liu, PRBO intern and delivered to USFWS. 25 June Federal permit obtained by PRBO to monitor Vireos 28 June Nest found on hatch day in arroyo willow with 2 eggs and 2 young 1 July Nest checked. 4 young observed (nestling age=4 days) 5 July Nest checked. 4 young observed (nestling age=7 days) 9 July Nest empty. 2 young fed by male. Female and other 2 young not seen but presumed fledged 13 July Male Vireo captured using playbacks and mist net and banded with USFWS band by Barbara Kus, USGS with assistance from Linette Lina, and Julian Wood Presumably absent in the Central Valley for the past 50 years, Least Bell’s Vireo numbers have increased tenfold in southern California due to the tremendous efforts of a broad partnership of local, state and federal agencies involving habitat protection and restoration, and Brown-headed Cowbird control. In 1998, the population size was estimated at 2,000 pairs (L. Hays, USFWS, pers. comm.). Nesting Least Bell’s Vireos have re-colonized the Santa Clara River (Ventura County) to the north, where 67 pairs nested in 1998 (J. Greaves, pers. comm.), and the Mojave River (San Bernardino County) to the northeast (Kus and Beck 1998). Prior to 2005, the northernmost reported sighting of a mated pair was near Gilroy, Santa Clara County in 1997 although no nest was confirmed (M. Rogers, pers. comm.). 4 Site Fidelity Data collected for color-banded birds indicate that site fidelity is high among adults, with many birds not only returning to the same territory, but placing nests in the same shrub used the previous year (Salata 1983, Kus unpubl. data). This high site fidelity, in concert with the recent population increases and large scale restoration efforts, provides hope for Least Bell’s Vireo re-colonization of the Refuge and in time perhaps its historic breeding range throughout the Central Valley. Re-establishment of San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley populations is part of the draft recovery plan to de-list the Least Bell’s Vireo (USFWS 1998). The recent documentation of Least Bell’s Vireos breeding at the Refuge underscores the role that habitat restoration can play in conserving biodiversity. Even highly disturbed ecosystems hold the potential for healthy habitat to recover and for many dependent species to return. Habitat requirements The Least Bell’s Vireo is a riparian obligate during the breeding season and is often associated with early successional riparian habitat that is structurally diverse (Kus 1998). The Least Bell’s Vireo will inhabit different riparian vegetation types (e.g., cottonwood- willow and oak woodland) and different vegetation age classes but are most often associated with a dense understory layer (0.6-3.0 m) (Goldwasser et al. 1980, Franzreb 1989). Least Bell’s Vireos respond favorably to restoration efforts, particularly when restoration sites are located adjacent to established riparian habitat. Restored riparian in the coastal lowlands of southern California has the habitat structure to support breeding Least Bell’s Vireos within 3-5 years following restoration (Kus 1998; Kus and Beck 1998). Least Bell’s Vireo habitat requirements are compatible with habitat at restored Refuge sites with its cottonwood-willow dominated riparian vegetation and densely planted shrub and understory layer (Table 2). This densely planted vegetation provides cover for nesting (Table 3 and Figure 4). Table 2. Lest Bell’s Vireo nest and nest substrate description. Concealment recorded as % of nest concealed by vegetation at one meter distance from nest Substrate Substrate Nest height Substrate Primary concealment Secondary concealment dbh (cm) height (cm) (cm) Salix lasiolepsis Artemisia douglasiana Salix lasiolepsis 4 450 84 Table 3. Least Bell’s Vireo nest concealment recorded as % of nest concealed by vegetation at one meter distance from nest (from above, below and from each cardinal direction) % of nest concealed Above Below North South East West 40 0 0 30 0 90 5 Figure 2. Least Bell’s Vireo nest in Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepsis) with four 7-day old nestlings. Photo by Linette Lina/PRBO Identification The Least Bell’s Vireo is one of four subspecies of Bell’s Vireo and is characterized by dull grayish plumage.
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