Integrated Regional Wetland Monitoring Pilot Project Bird Team Data Report Authors Nadav Nur1, Ph.D., PRBO Conservation Science, Principal Investigator ([email protected]) Mark Herzog1, Ph.D., PRBO Conservation Science, Co-Principal Investigator Leonard Liu1, PRBO Conservation Science John Kelly2, Ph.D., Audubon Canyon Ranch Jules Evens, Avocet Research Associates Diana Stralberg1, PRBO Conservation Science Nils Warnock1, Ph.D., PRBO Conservation Science 1PRBO Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA 94954 2Cypress Grove Research Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, P. O. Box 808, Marshall, CA 94940 3Avocet Research Associates, P.O. Box 839, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 December 31, 2006 IRWM Bird Team Data Report 1.0 Introduction........................................................................................................1 1.1 Simple Conceptual model for Birds...................................................................................... 1 1.2 Specific Questions Addressed by IRWM Bird Team........................................................... 2 2.0 Scope of Work ....................................................................................................2 2.1 Collaborative Integration, Reporting, and Planning ............................................................ 3 2.2 Assess Patterns of Species Richness, Distribution, and Abundance of Migrating and Wintering Waterbirds, resident Passerines, and Other Bird Species of Interest......................... 3 2.3 Assessment of Predation of and by Birds during Winter and the Breeding Season............. 4 2.4 Distribution, and Abundance of Breeding Clapper Rails .................................................... 4 2.5 Distribution and Abundance of Breeding Black Rails.......................................................... 5 2.6 Assessment of Reproductive Success of Marsh Nesting Birds ............................................ 5 2.7 Abundance and nesting success of Herons and Egrets ......................................................... 6 2.8. Integration and Data Transfer between the Bird Team and Other Teams .......................... 6 3.0 Data Collection and Quality Assurance...........................................................7 3.1 Point Count Surveys ............................................................................................................. 7 3.1.1 Point count station placement...................................................................................... 7 3.1.2 Timing .......................................................................................................................... 7 3.1.3 Data collection............................................................................................................. 7 3.1.4 Weather conditions ..................................................................................................... 8 3.1.5 Quality assurance ........................................................................................................ 8 3.2 Point Count Vegetation Surveys........................................................................................... 8 3.2.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 8 3.2.2 Sampling frequency...................................................................................................... 8 3.2.3 Data collection............................................................................................................. 8 3.2.4 Quality assurance ...................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Territory Mapping............................................................................................................... 11 3.3.1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 11 3.3.2 Data collection...........................................................................................................11 3.3.3 Quality assurance ...................................................................................................... 11 3.4 Nest Searching and Monitoring .......................................................................................... 14 3.4.1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 14 3.4.2 Precautions ................................................................................................................ 14 3.4.3 Data collection...........................................................................................................14 3.4.4 Quality assurance ...................................................................................................... 15 3.5 Area Survey ........................................................................................................................ 16 3.5.1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 16 3.5.2 Data collection...........................................................................................................16 3.5.3 Quality assurance ...................................................................................................... 17 3.6 Line Transect ...................................................................................................................... 17 3.6.1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 17 3.6.2 Data collection...........................................................................................................17 3.6.3 Quality assurance ...................................................................................................... 18 3.7 Heron and Egret breeding studies....................................................................................... 18 3.7.1 Data collection...........................................................................................................18 3.7.2 Quality assurance ...................................................................................................... 20 - BIRD i - IRWM Bird Team Data Report 4.0 Results and Observations................................................................................20 4.1 Abundance and diversity of landbirds and waterbirds in tidal marsh throughout the year 20 4.2 Breeding season abundance of Black Rails and Clapper Rails........................................... 22 4.3 Territorial density and nesting success of tidal marsh birds............................................... 22 4.4 Heron and egrets breeding in and near historic tidal marsh in San Francisco Estuary....... 23 5.0 References .........................................................................................................24 6.0 Tables ................................................................................................................26 7.0 Figures...............................................................................................................41 8.0 Appendix...........................................................................................................84 - BIRD ii - IRWM Bird Team Data Report 1.0 Introduction The Integrated Regional Wetland Monitoring Pilot Project (IRWM) seeks to address the fundamental resource management question, how does tidal marsh restoration affect ecological processes at different scales? IRWM is a collaborative project amongst more than 20 Principal Investigators representing many disciplines and many institutions. The project has focused on identifying patterns of spatial variation and temporal variation, and their interaction, with the ultimate goal of elucidating ecological processes operating in tidal marsh ecosystems. The Bird Team has applied these objectives to the study of birds and their ecosystems, in the context of tidal marsh ecosystems of the San Francisco Estuary, by working collaboratively with other IRWM teams. The bird team has studied heterogeneity at different geographic scales: (1) the largest scale is an entire landscape, composed of numerous marshes interspersed among non-marsh habitat; this could be an entire region (e.g., San Pablo Bay) (2) the next scale is at the level of the marsh; and includes comparisons among IRWM marsh sites (3) the next smaller scale is within a marsh, i.e., sub-areas within a marsh (“sub-sites”), including areas corresponding to channels, adjacent mud flat, marsh plain, levees, ponds and pannes. (4) the finest scale is that of the individual bird territory or home-range, which may be as small as 50 m across. Heterogeneity at one scale may not lead to similar patterns of heterogeneity at a second scale. The complementary principle to heterogeneity is that of integration. Thus, we can ask, Over what spatial scales do birds integrate diversity in resources and over what temporal scales? 1.1 Simple Conceptual model for Birds Physical processes (hydrology and geomorphology) principally determine vegetation. Plant establishment and productivity lead to the development of a resource base for other organisms (including food for herbivorous, omnivorous and carnivorous birds). Furthermore, plant growth creates habitat structure for birds. Thus the main causal pathway is: (Hydrology + Geomorphology) -> Vegetation ->