Copyright by Robby Scott Fergus 2008 The Dissertation Committee for Robby Scott Fergus certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Urban Bird Conservation Committee: Robin W. Doughty, Supervisor Ian Manners Richard Richardson Steven Hoelscher Barbara Parmenter URBAN BIRD CONSERVATION by Robby Scott Fergus, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin December, 2008 Dedication To Denise and the kids Acknowledgements Walking across the campus of Brigham Young University, I spotted a moth on the sidewalk near the main library. As I got closer, I saw that the moth was really a Black- chinned Hummingbird injured in a collision with a large plate glass windows. The bird was still breathing, though it barely stirred as I picked it up from the ground. I cupped it in my hands and walked over to sit down in the shade of a large tree. I was struck by the senselessness of a tiny bird falling victim to our built environment. After a few minutes, the bird opened its eyes. Ten minutes later it was able to perch on my index finger. After half an hour it was actively looking around. It gave me a final look, then zoomed up to perch in the top of the tree. The bird was gone, but it seemed to have left me with a message, and perhaps a calling. At once fragile and resilient, this little being had stirred within me a desire to help birds thrive in a world increasingly dominated by buildings, pavement, billboards, and the material trappings of our everyday life. Driving around Provo for the next few days, all I could think about was how the city must look to birds. While some birds thrived in the city, such as the California Quail nesting on campus, Sage Sparrows and others only persisted away from town. Was this the way it had to be? Might it be v possible to create urban landscapes harboring additional native birds amidst the trappings of late 20th Century humans? The question continued to nag at me. Visions of attending law school slipped away as I started spending more and more time looking for birds along Utah’s Wasatch Front. Soon my quest to better understand the life history of birds and their abilities to adapt to urbanization led me from Utah to exurban forest cabins in Montana, the industrial cities of the East Coast, and suburban communities from Coastal Washington to Central Texas and Long Island, New York. Finally, my searching led me to study zoology at the University of Texas—Arlington, and then to start graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin, where my bird conservation dreams led me to undertake coursework in geography, zoology, architecture, and community and regional planning. While a graduate student, I became engaged in local and regional bird conservation efforts, including work with the Travis Audubon Society, Audubon Texas, the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory, and a host of other individuals and organizations working to create a better world for people and their winged neighbors. Literally thousands of individuals have helped me in my studies and travels. In thanking those who have played the greatest part in aiding my quest, I can only apologize to those who, while unmentioned here, also played a part in helping me along the way. My academic interest in the natural world began with a fourth grade unit on reptiles and amphibians, taught by Ron Stearns. Despite my early desires to become a herpetologist, I became focused on birds after Ron Keil introduced me to birdwatching during middle school. vi During the mid 1980s, Portland Audubon and the Oregon birding community encouraged my youthful interest in birds and helped lay the foundations for my continuing bird studies. Special thanks to Lynn Herring for taking me on my first Audubon field trips to Sauvie Island. My initial schooling as a birder came from tagging along with the likes of Harry Nehls, Jeff Gilligan, Owen Schmidt, David Irons, the late Mark Koninendyke, and fellow Class of ‘86 birding buddies David Bailey and Jim Johnson. On one birding trip, wind whistling through the wings of three of the last nine wild California Condors inspired bird conservation dreams that lay mostly dormant until rekindled by the whirring wings of an injured hummingbird. Thanks to John Gatchet for driving three teenage birders from Portland to Southern California, just to see those birds. Thanks to my parents, Gary and Marilyn Fergus, for allowing me to go on that journey, and many others. May AC-9 (Igor), one of the birds we saw, and the very last wild condor taken into the captive breeding program two years later, continue to inspire bird conservation efforts for years to come. At Brigham Young University, John E. Clark and David C. Knowlton schooled me in social science theory and research, and have continued to inspire me over the years. Dick Hutto, Christine Paige, Dan Casey, Barry Paulson, and Don Godtel provided my first official training in ornithological fieldwork over the course of two summers in Montana. Far from the alpine meadows and lodgepole pines of the Rocky Mountains, my initial training in conservation policy work came as an intern in Washington, DC for the Endangered Species Coalition and the National Audubon Society. Many thanks to Nick Boutis, Roger Featherstone, Randy Snodgrass, Connie Mahan, and Eddie Flaherty for showing me the ropes, and convincing me to head back out into the field. vii Upon arriving in Texas, my bird conservation education continued with Dede Armentrout and Sandy (Skree) Mock in the old Southwestern Regional office of the National Audubon Society. Thanks also to those I first worked with through Texas Partners in Flight and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Ted Eubanks, Cecilia Riley, John Arvin, Madge Lindsey, and Cliff Shackleford. Many members of the Austin birding community helped establish the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory and encouraged my research over the years. Special thanks to Brush Freeman, Greg Lasley, Chuck Sexton, Russ Nelson, Stennie Meadors, John Kelly, Jack Sunder, Jeff Hanson, Stu Wilson, Richard Kaskan, Tim Fennell, Joel Simon, Byron Stone, Jeff Mundy, Gary Newgord, Eric Carpenter, Carol Edwards, John Gee, Victor Emanuel, Shawn Ashbaugh, Mark Lockwood, and Erik Huebner. I spent countless hours exploring the themes of this book at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Facility in Austin, Texas. Many thanks to the City of Austin Water Utility for allowing birders to remain on the scene at Hornsby Bend for almost 50 years. I have enjoyed my time associating with the staff and management of the facility, including Phil Tamez, Bill Sellstrom, David Barker, Orren West, Jody Slagle, and Rosie Chavez. I couldn’t possibly express enough gratitude for my friendship and the thousands of hours spent with Kevin Anderson. Much of what I learned about community-based conservation stems from our work together. My experiences with the Travis Audubon Society in Austin were a crucible for my research. Many thanks to the board of directors, volunteers, and chapter members who worked with me to try and make Central Texas better for birds and people: Bob and Jean Warneke, Al Green, Wayne Bartholomew, Dan Smith, Anne Donovan, John and viii Marcie Wilcox, Pat Dillon, Jane Tillman, Ethel Kutac, Lawrence Buford, Catfish Kelly, Jean Martin, Susan Schaffel, Shelia Hargis, Peg Wallace, Charles Stephens, Andy and Julia Balinsky, Tim Hissam, Jenny Rasmussen, Paul and Georgean Kyle, Roxy Rochat, Herb Smith, Bryan Hale, Wilma Anderson, Rosemary Wetherold, Jackie Davis, Robert Reeves, Isaac Sanchez, B.J. Dertien, Maggie Burnett, Kathy McCormack, Mark Bentley, Richard Manson, Nancy Decker, Chuck Simms, Chris and Shirley Doggett, Howie Richey, In addition to my colleagues at Travis Audubon, I learned a lot from working with other members of the Austin conservation community. It was a privilege to rub shoulders with dedicated individuals in so many organizations. Special thanks to Susan Rieff, Jeff Barton, Fred Blood, Fred Butler, Debbie Hoffman, Barbara Johnson, Jim Walker, Elisabeth Welsh, Cyrus Reed, Parc Smith, Edie Muehlberger, Scott Harris, Preston Doughty, George Cofer, Ted Siff, Ed Theriot, Marya Fowler, René Barrera, Willy Conrad, Don Koehler, Kevin Connolly, Rose Farmer, Clark Hancock, Butch Smith, Cliff Ladd, Isaac Treviño, Sara Hilgers, Dorinda Pulliam, Damon Waitt, Numerous friends have given me support along the way as I’ve wandered the country and emotional landscapes of graduate work. My heartfelt thanks to Greg and Dale Brown, Courtney and Dana Johnson, Mike Smith, David and Audra Swenson, Eli and Audrey Hydrick, Kevin Dickson, Mike McCullough, Martha Perez, Don Huebner, KC Somdahl, Mike Schwitters, Ned Hill, Matt and Pia DeVries, Rick and Tami Cromar, Spaff Sumsion, Jeff Gordon, David Thiriot, Jim and Anne Jackson, and Darwin Zehr. During the course of researching and writing this dissertation, it was my privilege to work for four years in the Science Office of the National Audubon Society. Paul ix Green provided much needed support, and I’ve learned a lot from working with Tess Present, Peg Olsen, Kathy Dale, Tom Bancroft, John Cecil, Greg Butcher, Geoff LeBaron, Dan Niven, Scott Hecker, Stephen Kress, Connie Sanchez, Jim Sheehan, Don Ekstrom, Steve Saffier, Susan Ketterlinus, Carolee Caffrey, and Avery English-Elliot. Outside the Science Office, I’ve benefited from working with Nancy Severance, Chuck Remington, Bob Petty, Bob Perciasepe, Carol Capobianco, Lynn Tennefoss, Terry Austin, Judy Braus, Casey Tucker, Mary Ford, Chris Canfield, Karen Orenstein, Taldi Walter, Sean Saville, Erica Barton, Tim Schaeffer, Michael Burger, Bridget Butler, Don McIvor, Patrick Comins, Kim Connors, Les Corey, Claudia Eyzaguirre, Jacqui Sulek, Frank Gill, Michael Harris, Alethea Pratt, Phil Kavits, Shari Kolding, Kristin Lamberson, Julia Levin, Betsy Loyless, Sean Mahar, Brian Moore, Elaine O’Sullivan, Jimmy Paz, Suzanne Pelletier, Sally Conyne, David Seideman, Britt Slattery, Curtis Smalling, Ken Strom, Tice Supplee, Paul Travis, Ed Whitaker, Andy Wood, Keanna Leonard, Linda Kennedy, Brooke Langston, and Agie Yatsko.