MARSH BIRD MONITORING

Background

Secretive marsh birds (rails, bitterns, moorhens, and gallinules) include both game and nongame species. These birds are sought by hunters and birders alike, and some (black and yellow rails and American and least bitterns) are U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) species of management concern because they are thought to be rare or declining. Many units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, as well as other wildlife conservation areas, provide important habitat for these species, and the birds have undoubtedly benefited from wetland restoration activities undertaken through programs like the Service's Partners for Wildlife and North American Waterfowl Management Plan activities. However, little is known about the abundance, population trends, or management needs of these species.

Secretive marsh birds are difficult to detect and inhabit areas that are often not readily accessible. Therefore, they are poorly surveyed by the Breeding Bird Survey and other existing monitoring programs. A number of efforts have been made to standardize marsh bird surveys using taped playback response. Notable among these is the work by Melvin and Gibbs (1993. J. Wildl. Manage. 57: 27-34), the Long Point Bird Observatory's (LPBO) Marsh Monitoring Program, and the USGS/Biological Resource Division's (BRD) Listserver discussion group on marsh bird monitoring. The Service's Office of Migratory Bird Management (MBMO), through its Webless Migratory Game Bird Research Program, is currently funding a number of studies across the country that are aimed at developing marsh bird monitoring techniques and determining the relationship between indices derived from call-response surveys and other measures of abundance. Finally, a number of national wildlife refuges have monitored marsh birds using a variety of approaches with a wide range of scientific rigor.

There are several factors that limit the utility of data obtained from current marsh bird monitoring efforts. First, protocols are not standardized, making it difficult to compare results from different surveys. Second, a statistically-based sampling framework for conducting these surveys has not been developed. A variety of sampling schemes is needed because monitoring is desired at several levels: (1) large-scale monitoring to determine a species' rangewide status and to set hunting regulations on a flyway basis, (2) local monitoring on refuges and similar areas to determine presence, habitat associations, and responses to management, and (3) nonrandom monitoring of special sites like the Great Lakes Areas of Concern that are the focus of the LPBO Marsh Monitoring Program. Finally, it is not known what the relationship is between indices obtained in call-response surveys and actual population levels of the target species.
Dear Colleague,

Marshbird Monitoring Workshop (April 1998) Abstracts

Marshbird Monitoring Workshop Participants

Marshbird Monitoring Final Report

Steering Committee

David Dolton, david_dolton@mail.fws.us
Sam Droege, FROG@usgs.gov
Marshall Howe, marshall_howe@usgs.gov
Steve Lewis, steve_j_lewis@mail.fws.gov
Scott Melvin, Scott.Melvin@state.ma.us
Dan Petit, daniel_petit@mail.fws.gov [Facilitator]
Chris Ribic, caribic@facstaff.wisc.edu

Participants

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Bob Adamcik (Division of Refuges) (bob_adamcik@mail.fws.gov) Brad Andres (brad_andres@mail.fws.gov) Ray Aycock (601-965-4903 (voice); 601-965-4010 (FAX)) John Bruggink (john_bruggink@mail.fws.gov) Robert Blohm (robert_blohm@mail.fws.gov) Jennifer Casey (603-482-3415 (voice); 603-483-3308 (FAX)) Hal Laskowski (Hal_Laskowski@mail.fws.gov) Jim Mattsson (Region 3) (jim_mattsson@mail.fws.gov) Graham Smith graham_smith@mail.fws.gov) Kelli Stone (Region 6) (kelli_stone@mail.fws.gov) John Trapp (john_trapp@mail.fws.gov)

USGS/Biological Resources Division
Stanley Anderson (anderson@uwyo.edu) Jon Bart (jbart@eagle.idbsu.edu) Courtney Conway (conway@selway.umt.edu) Kevin Downs downsk@uwyo.edu) Michael Haramis (Micahel_Haramis@usgs.gov) Douglas Johnson (Douglas_H_Johnson@usgs.gov) Eileen Kirsch Eileen_Kirsch@usgs.gov) David Klute (dsk5@psu.edu) Soch Lor (skl11@cornell.edu) Bruce Peterjohn (Bruce_Peterjohn@usgs.gov) John Sauer (John_R_Sauer@usgs.gov) Jennifer Skoloda (jskoloda@students.wisc.edu)

States/International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
David Brinker (dbrinker@dnr.state.md.us) - Maryland Department of Natural Resources Scott Melvin (smelvin@state.ma.us) - Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife. Mark Shieldcastle (419-898-0960 (voice); 419-898-4017 (FAX)) - Ohio Division of Wildlife Glenn Therres (gtherres@dnr.state.md.us)- Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Canada
Michael Cadman (Mike.Cadman@ec.gc.ca) - Canadian Wildlife Service Erica Dunn (Erica.Dunn@ec.gc.ca) - Canadian Wildlife Service Charles Francis (cfrancis@bsc-eoc.org) - Bird Studies Canada Jon McCracken (519-586-3532 (FAX)) - Long Point Bird Observatory Russ Weeber rweeber@bsc-eoc.org) - Bird Studies Canada

Others
Paul Adamus (adamusp@ucs.orst.edu) - Oregon State University William Eddleman (573-651-2364 (voice); 573-651-2223 (FAX)) - Southeast Missouri State Univ. James Gibbs (jpgibbs@syr.edu) - State University of New York. Douglas Helmers (573-876-0900 (voice); 573-876-0914 (FAX)) - USDA/NRCS William Hohman (whohman@iastate.edu) - USDA/NRCS Greg Kearns (301-952-9754 (FAX)) - Patuxent River Park Michael Monahan (mmonahan@du.edu) - University of Denver Charles Paine (CRPaine@aol.com) - Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation Fritz Reid (freid@ducks.org) - Ducks Unlimited Stephanie Schmidt (schmidts@manomet.org) - Manomet Center for Conservation Studies David Shuford (dshuford@prbo.org) - PRBO, Stinson Beach, CA Doug Slack (d_slack@tamu.edu) - Texas A&M Cecilia Walther (cwalthe@tiger.lsu.edu) - Louisiana State Univ.

Bird Monitoring
Inventory and Monitoring
Office of Migrtory Bird Management
Kidick-Kidick

Where the gaunt bittern stalks among the reeds
And flaps his wings, and stretches back his neck,
And hoots to see the moon; across the meads
-Oscar Wilde: Humanitad