| Patuxent Science Meeting 2006 Poster Abstract |
| |
Assessing Patterns of Nocturnal Bird Migration in the Appalachian Region |
| | Dawson DK, Jones T (FWS), Mabey S (NCSU), Mizrahi D (NJ AS) |
| | Concerns have arisen about the potential impacts of wind power development in the |
| | Appalachians on migrating birds and bats, creating a critical need for information on their |
| | distribution and flight characteristics as they pass through the region. We are studying the |
| | spatiotemporal distribution and flight patterns of birds and bats that migrate nocturnally. |
| | Weather surveillance radar (NEXRAD) data are being analyzed to provide a broad view of spring |
| | and fall migration through the Appalachians, and to assess the response of migrants to |
| | mountain ridges or other prominent landforms. We also are conducting acoustic monitoring at |
| | sites scattered through the central Appalachians, recording the flight calls made by migrating |
| | birds to index their abundance and species composition at different locations. The acoustic |
| | monitoring is supplemented with portable radar sampling at three sites, to provide additional |
| | data on migrant passage rates, as well as their flight altitudes and directions. These data will be |
| | used to model the effects of topography, weather, and other variables on migrant abundance |
| | Friday, September 22, 2006 |