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Avian Restoration in the Prairie-Oak Ecosystem: a Reintroduction Case Study of Western Bluebirds to San Juan Island, Washington Author(S) :Gary L

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Avian Restoration in the Prairie-Oak Ecosystem: a Reintroduction Case Study of Western Bluebirds to San Juan Island, Washington Author(S) :Gary L Avian Restoration in the Prairie-Oak Ecosystem: A Reintroduction Case Study of Western Bluebirds to San Juan Island, Washington Author(s) :Gary L. Slater and Bob Altman Source: Northwest Science, 85(2):223-232. 2011. Published By: Northwest Scientific Association DOI: 10.3955/046.085.0211 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3955/046.085.0211 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Gary L. Slater1, Ecostudies Institute, P.O. Box 703, Mount Vernon, Washington 98273 Bob Altman, American Bird Conservancy, 311 NE Mistletoe, Corvallis, Oregon 97330 Avian Restoration in the Prairie-Oak Ecosystem: A Reintroduction Case Study of Western Bluebirds to San Juan Island, Washington Abstract Avian reintroductions are an important conservation tool, but landbird reintroductions are substantially underrepresented com- pared to other avian taxa, which hinders progress in improving the value and efficacy of landbird reintroductions. We document an ongoing reintroduction of Western bluebirds (Sialis mexicana) to their historic range in the prairie-oak ecosystem on San Juan Island, Washington. Further, we assess the success of preliminary reintroductions and discuss the feasibility of further landbird reintroductions in this threatened ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest. We released 80 adults and 26 juveniles from 2007 to 2010 using a variety of soft-release techniques, and we collected demographic data on the reintroduced population. The program achieved preliminary criteria of success: individuals were safely translocated to the release site, and released individuals established breeding territories; both translocated individuals and their offspring reproduced successfully; and the reintroduced population grew each year. Results reinforced the use of large aviaries and two to three week holding periods for reintroductions of the genus Sialia, and also showed, for the first time, that the reintroduction of a migratory landbird can be effective. Besides contributing to bird conservation, the reintroduction generated tangible accomplishments towards conservation of prairie-oak habitats through education and habitat protection. Reintroductions of Western bluebirds to former parts of their range and of slender-billed white-breasted nuthatch to south Puget Sound should be considered practical options for future avian conservation efforts in the prairie-oak ecosystem. Introduction landbird reintroduction as a conservation tool at local Reintroductions are an important conservation tool and landscape scales. For example, we are unaware for restoring extirpated bird species to former areas of of any case studies that detail the translocation of a their historic range (Scott and Carpenter 1987, Griffith migratory landbird species, and therefore conservation et al. 1989). Most reintroductions seek to enhance the practitioners or funding agencies may be reluctant to long-term survival of a species, restore native bio- initiate such a project without examples that such a diversity, increase conservation awareness, or some strategy would be effective. combination of these goals, through the establishment In this paper, we address the lack of case studies on of a viable, self-sustaining population (IUCN 1995). landbird reintroductions by reporting on an ongoing ef- Conservation practitioners turn to reintroductions fort to reintroduce Western bluebirds (Sialis mexicana) when the factors that led to the species’ extirpation in the prairie-oak ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest. have been eliminated or reduced, yet natural recolo- Many landbird species, including the Western bluebird, nization fails, presumably because of a species’ poor have been negatively affected by the loss, fragmenta- dispersal ability or the presence of a physical barrier tion, and degradation of prairie-oak habitats following (e.g., urban development). The number of documented Euro-American settlement (Chappell et al. 2001, Altman reintroductions has increased substantially since the 2011). In addition to the bluebird, the slender-billed 1990s, resulting in a better understanding of the factors white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis aculeata), associated with successful reintroductions (Seddon Lewis’s woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis), and streaked et al. 2007). However, landbird reintroductions have horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata) have exhib- been substantially underrepresented, with raptor and ited range contractions and local extirpations (Altman game bird reintroductions proportionally more com- 2011). Over the last decade, habitat management and mon (Seddon et al. 2005). The lack of case studies restoration projects and increased statutory and regula- hinders progress in improving the value and efficacy of tory protection (WDFW 2005) have increased the extent and quality of prairie-oak habitats in many places, but 1Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: none of the above listed species have returned to por- [email protected] tions of their former range. Northwest Science, Vol. 85, No. 2, 2011 223 © 2011 by the Northwest Scientific Association. All rights reserved. The renewed interest and success of ongoing habitat Study Area restoration and conservation efforts led us to consider San Juan Island is the second-largest of the San Juan the timeliness of reintroducing Western bluebirds to San Islands with a land area of 142.6 km² and is located Juan Island, a site where they were formerly considered 30 km off the northwest Washington coast in Puget common but have been extirpated since 1964 (Lewis Sound (48° 32` N, 123° 05` W; Figure 1). The San and Sharpe 1987). Without assistance the likelihood Juan Islands receive less rainfall than elsewhere in of bluebirds reestablishing a population on San Juan western Washington due to their position in the rain Island appeared low. The long distance (165 km) and shadow of mountains on the Olympic peninsula and large area of unsuitable habitat (i.e., urban Seattle and Vancouver Island; mean annual precipitation is 51 cm Puget Sound) between San Juan Island and the closest (Western Regional Climate Center 2010). The terrain source population in south Puget Sound apparently varies from rocky, undulating hills reaching 329 m in hindered dispersal, as there was no evidence of success- ful colonization in the three decades since the species elevation to narrow lowland valleys to rocky shorelines was extirpated. However, a pre-project assessment and beaches. Vegetation communities are diverse, indicated that sufficient habitat was available in north varying with slope, aspect, and elevation. Most upland Puget Sound, centered on San Juan Island, to support forests are dominated by a single coniferous species, a bluebird population. In addition, local conservation Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), with scattered organizations (e.g., San Juan Preservation Trust, San Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and Western Juan County Audubon Society) promoted the protection redcedar (Thuja plicata), but oak (Quercus garryana) and restoration of the prairie-oak ecosystem, ensuring and grassland communities occur on most southwest- that habitat would be available in the future, and en- facing slopes (e.g., American Camp, Mt. Young). couraged the placement of nest boxes in appropriate Agriculture and residential developments dominate habitat. Nest boxes played a critical role in the recovery most of the lowland valleys. Historically, these areas of Western bluebird populations in the Willamette Valley were characterized by open oak and prairie habitats in Oregon (e.g., Keyser et al. 2004) and in south Puget intermixed with wetlands; scattered oaks still remain, Sound (Jim Lynch, Department of Defense, personal especially on rocky outcrops and valley ridges. San communication). The recent successful establishment Juan Valley was the largest lowland area (~ 500 ha), of a non-migratory population of Eastern bluebirds and prior to settlement was called “Oak Prairie” due in Florida through reintroduction offered transferable to the groves of oaks that covered it (Custer 1859). We methodologies suitable for a reintroduction of Western focused pre-release management efforts (nest boxes, bluebirds (Slater 2001, Lloyd et al. 2009). Thus, given landowner contacts) in lowland areas with remnant a reasonably high likelihood of success and given the patches of oaks because historic records indicate that difficulty that bluebirds had in reestablishing a popula- is where bluebirds occurred (Miller et al. 1935, Bakus tion, we initiated reintroductions of Western bluebirds 1965, Lewis and Sharpe 1987). During the study, we to San Juan Island in 2007.
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