| | Accession Number | 5005097 |
| | Title | Painted Bunting Status in the Southeastern Atlantic Coastal United States |
| | Project Description | Background and Justification Painted Bunting research on two Atlantic coastal islands (Sapelo |
| | Island, 1996-2000 and St. Catherines Island, 1998-1999) provided new information, which indicates |
| | that under proper management, barrier islands can provide source or optimum breeding habitat for |
| | the bunting. However, most of Painted Bunting's breeding habitat is found on the coastal |
| | mainland where major landscape changes have taken place during the last 30-40 years. Loss of |
| | habitat or habitat deterioration on the mainland may have caused losses of more than 50% of the |
| | bunting's population since 1966 (Breeding Bird Survey, BBS). Nesting areas of the Painted |
| | Bunting in thecoastal states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are scattered |
| | and reports are limited on the densities and status of Painted Bunting (limited to breeding atlas |
| | information and other local information). Information Needs to be Addressed. Available data on |
| | Painted Bunting breeding habitat, range, and relative densities is scattered and limited (BBS, |
| | atlases, state surveys). A cooperative research effort is needed to provide information for recovery |
| | of the bird's population in the southeastern Atlantic coastal states. Before that research begins, |
| | however, a data base on the Painted Bunting is needed to provide information (preferably on GIS) |
| | on the breeding status, densities, ranges, and threats to the species in areas thought to be ideal |
| | for breeding habitat. Objectives: My primary objective is to gather all available data for Painted |
| | Buntings for the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and put it in a |
| | Geographical Information System. In addition, our secondary objective will be to collect Painted |
| | Bunting breeding density data using point counts (possibly double observer for detectability and |
| | density), playback absence/presence data set), and breeding habitat conditions (threats) in these |
| | states in a GIS format, also. Boat, vehicle (road), and walking surveys will be used. Public land |
| | will be emphasized, but private land or wetlands adjacent to developed areas will also be surveyed |
| | as much as possible. |
| | Keywords | gis, migratory bird, painted bunting, point counts, southeastern united states, status, |
| | Principal | Joseph M Meyers, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: joe_meyers@usgs.gov; |
| | Investigators |
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