Thank You to Chapter Leaders setting standards for site assessment and ground-truthing practices, improving 2017 FIELD SEASON and Volunteers this collaborative project and enabling SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRD SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT volunteers from all chapters. Amanda A community science partnership of Audubon Washington, Thank you to our Chapter ArcGIS online is following in her mom’s footsteps by the National Audubon Society, Audubon chapters, and the site assessment experts and to all those studying natural resources at Wenatchee Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife scouting the back roads, climbing fences, Valley College, and developing an and documenting access routes to remote undergraduate special studies class about sites. Your efforts are instrumental to the the survey—the first of its kind! Western Meadowlark. success of our spring survey volunteers! Photo: Roger van Gelder By the Numbers: 2017 Field Special Thanks to Dave Showalter, What to Expect in 2018 Season Science Stats landscape and conservation photographer, who flew out from Denver Phase I of the Songbird Survey was SITES SURVEYED 57 and photographed volunteers surveying conducted on public lands. However, 59% in Douglas County where we found all of Washington’s remaining sagebrush SURVEYS COMPLETED three focal species—Sagebrush Sparrow, steppe is under private ownership. Phase 171 Sage Thrasher, and Brewer’s Sparrow. II incorporates surveys on private lands and private leases, which are critical VOLUNTEER HOURS 2,821 to achieve the geographic coverage Volunteer Spotlight necessary to model species occupancy in the Columbia Plateau. In order to reach VOLUNTEERS 105 Mother and daughter, Marilyn and our goal of completing the survey by Amanda Sherling, share a passion for 2020, we are ramping up our volunteer SURVEY SITES WITH FOCAL birds. Since retiring to Wenatchee, training and chapter coordination efforts STUDY SPECIES Marilyn has joined North Central so that we can continue our 2018 surveys OBSERVED OUT Washington Audubon Society and has on public land sites, while beginning 116 (2014–2017) OF taken a deep dive into birding. Just two surveys on private lands enrolled in 203 years into her training, her enhanced WDFW hunting access programs. ArcGIS and GPS mapping skills are FEDERAL SPECIAL Margy Taylor and Dave Showalter STATUS SPECIES OBSERVED (2014-2017) 23 Message from the Program Director surveyed sites along the Snake River Columbia Plateau. Are there different near the Idaho and Oregon state lines, grazing practices that improve habitat As we close the books on our fourth because they care that even the remotest conditions for sagebrush steppe birds? year of the Sagebrush Songbird Survey, sites get surveyed. Add the long distances, These are the questions we can explore I am once again awed and inspired averaging 80 miles each way over rural with the agricultural community and land by the devotion, deep natural history “roads,” a late wet winter and spring, managers once we identify where our knowledge and exceptional birding skills and you have soggy going. But go the focal birds are breeding. Meanwhile we demonstrated by Audubon community survey volunteers did. Collectively, they continue to survey with the cooperation science volunteers. We are working as completed three surveys at 57 sites for a of ranchers who care deeply about individuals and collectively in multi- total of 171 surveys, driving over 30,000 stewarding healthy sagebrush habitat and chapter teams to document avian species rural miles and hiking over 60 miles in wildlife. in order to benefit the birds and the the pursuit of our sagebrush steppe birds. sagebrush landscape of the Columbia Near the completion of Phase I of our Plateau. Many of our sites this year were on survey on public lands, we’re looking Washington Department of Natural ahead to Phase II, which will increasingly Our volunteers are stepping up their Resources leases, public land managed for focus on private lands. Our goal is to cooperative efforts across Audubon multi-purpose uses including livestock complete the project by 2020—please chapter lines. Adventurous volunteers grazing. Grazing is not considered the join us! C Easterson and A Constance. Photo: Kathy Criddle from as far as the Okanogan (read primary threat to sagebrush habitat in Canada border!) and Puget Sound the west but it is ubiquitous across the SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRD SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT 2017 FIELD SEASON birds are constrained on the landscape by their need for high quality sage habitat, which is in increasingly short supply. The Science Behind the Survey and Wildlife Agencies Crucial Habitat What makes our survey unique? To keep birds like these on the land, Assessment Tool, and having better we need to work strategically to ensure The Sagebrush Songbird Survey engages models will result in more bird-friendly • We work with the entire suite of public the long-term health of Washington’s local communities in protecting land management and planning across and tribal landowners in the Columbia eastern rangelands. For starters, we sagebrush songbirds by deploying Washington State. In addition, our data Plateau, creating a common body of need to preserve the land that’s already trained volunteers to survey for is incorporated into the Washington field data that can be compared across protected. By fighting to keep the sagebrush birds in potential habitat areas Department of Fish and Wildlife Priority land ownership types and management Hanford Reach National Monument across the Columbia Plateau. When Habitats and Species database, a legally- regimens. intact this summer, Audubon advocates first envisioned, the sagebrush songbird recognized source for best available • We collect landscape-scale bird data showed that they are prepared to do project focused on filling an information science in our state. that will help identify limiting factors just that, adding to the nearly 3 million gap in our understanding of how birds in species occurrence across sagebrush comments sent to the Department of the were responding to the relentless loss, How does it all work? habitat conditions, and improve Interior during the review period. The fragmentation and degradation of conservation effectiveness by supplying Hanford Reach Monument and Hanford sagebrush habitat. Using ArcGIS online to identify and more refined models of species Nuclear Reservation contain some of the assess potential sagebrush steppe distribution in remaining sagebrush best remaining sagebrush habitat in the From this, the Sagebrush Songbird habitat areas in the Columbia Plateau, areas. state—which is why Audubon continues Survey was born, a landscape-level sites are selected and ground-truthed • We work directly with private to advocate for long-term protection and effort to document the presence of by adventurous volunteers. Once landowners and lease holders, engaging management of these public lands. Sage Thrasher. sagebrush obligate and other shrub a site is established, it’s surveyed them through invitations to participate Photo: Mia McPherson steppe species across a range of habitats. by volunteers on a monthly basis in the surveys and by sharing survey We also need to safeguard public and The data collected in this survey will during the spring breeding season to results. private lands from the effects of our improve species distribution models document the presence or absence of changing climate and prepare for the for sagebrush birds. These models are sagebrush songbird species. Our data increased drought and wildfires that Top 10 Species Observed in 2017 Surveys used in a variety of land planning tools, undergo quality control and results are Keeping Birds on the Land science says are coming. By working like the Western Association of Fish entered into eBird—the world’s largest collaboratively with government agencies, • Western Meadowlark • Mourning Dove biodiversity database. After that, we The Sagebrush Songbird Survey is part ranchers that use rangelands for grazing, • Horned Lark • Ring-necked Pheasant summarize the year’s results and then it’s of Audubon’s initiative to conserve the and the surrounding communities, we • Vesper Sparrow • Grasshopper Sparrow “Just because a map says there is a road on to the next field season and the next sagebrush ecosystem in the Columbia are taking preemptive steps to improve • Red-winged Blackbird • Sagebrush Sparrow* round of sites! Plateau. Focal species like the Brewer’s wildfire response and raise awareness • Common Raven does not necessarily mean there is one!” Sparrows and other sagebrush-loving around climatic threats before it’s too late. • Brewer’s Sparrow* * focal study species Adventurous Survey Volunteer Ann Brinly Public Land Survey Site Locations Location of 2014–2017 Survey Sites with Focal Study Species Observed Number of Survey Sites where Focal Species Have Been Observed (2014-2017) 100 80 60 40 20 0 Photo: Joel Rogers Brewers Sage Sagebrush Sparrow Thrasher Sparrow SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRD SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT 2017 FIELD SEASON birds are constrained on the landscape by their need for high quality sage habitat, which is in increasingly short supply. The Science Behind the Survey and Wildlife Agencies Crucial Habitat What makes our survey unique? To keep birds like these on the land, Assessment Tool, and having better we need to work strategically to ensure The Sagebrush Songbird Survey engages models will result in more bird-friendly • We work with the entire suite of public the long-term health of Washington’s local communities in protecting land management and planning across and tribal landowners in the Columbia eastern rangelands. For starters, we sagebrush songbirds by deploying Washington State. In addition, our data Plateau, creating a common body of need to preserve the land that’s already trained volunteers to survey for is incorporated into the Washington field data that can be compared across protected. By fighting to keep the sagebrush birds in potential habitat areas Department of Fish and Wildlife Priority land ownership types and management Hanford Reach National Monument across the Columbia Plateau. When Habitats and Species database, a legally- regimens.