Non Game Bird Management Plan for Neithercut Woodland By Brad
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NON GAME BIRD MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR NEITHERCUT WOODLAND BY BRAD SMITH, HEATHER SHAW, AND JOANNA ROGERS NOVEMBER 22, 2007 BIRDS OF CONCERN Pileated Wood Pecker Wood Thrush Red Shouldered Hawk INTRODUCTION Neithercut is a 252 acre preserve in Clare Co. MI. (Centrally located in Northern lower) Owned by Central Michigan University, overseen by the Biology Dept. Major habitats of interest Niethercut include: Deciduous (northern and lowland hardwoods) Coniferous (Pines, Aspen, Mixed) Herbaceous openland, shrubland Low-lying and aquatic bed wetlands. Location of Niethercut Within Township Implications for Habitat Management Red Shouldered Hawk, Pileated woodpecker, and Wood thrush have decreased due to habitat fragmentation It is imperative that an old growth hardwoods (more specifically beech-maple) forests are established and maintained in Niethercut for these species. It is crucial that habitat fragmentation is limited within the property. The purpose of this management plan is to reduce fragmentation, preserve potential old growth hardwood forests, and monitor success, immigration, and emmigration of populations of the Pileated Woodpecker, Wood Thrush, and Red Shouldered Hawk. Species Life History and Implications for Management Pileated Wood Pecker The Pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is the largest North American wood pecker. It inhabits the eastern U.S., west coast of the U.S. and much of Canada where old growth forests exist. www.pbase.com/douroc2/backyardpt2 Pileated Woodpecker Range Pileated Wood Pecker Inhabit both deciduous and coniferous old growth forests Require old growth forests with a dense canopy, numerous snags, and a semiopen forest floor that contains decaying wood. http://www.mass.gov/envir/forest/ images/multiLayerForest.jpg Pileated Wood Pecker main.nc.us/graham/hiking/joycekil.html A humid environment aids in the decomposition process and is beneficial for Pileated woodpeckers. Areas along streams and lakes are particularly important because they provide natural corridors from one piece of suitable habitat to another. Pileated Wood Pecker Pileated woodpeckers nest in cavities excavated in snags roughly 14 meters above the ground. They lay an average of 34 eggs in late March or early April. The eggs are incubated by both sexes for 15-19 days and the young are then cared for by both parents until early fall. http://www.nashvillezoo.org/piciformes/images/piliated_wp.jpg Pileated Wood Pecker www.vianegativa.us/.../ Pileated woodpeckers are non-migratory and will remain within their territory throughout the year. The average territory of a Pileated woodpecker is 120 ha (Brown 1985) Pileated Wood Pecker www.fcps.edu/.../ecolog y/carpenter_ant.htm www.junglephotos.com /.../millipede.shtml www.fcps.edu/.../easter n_hercules_beetle.htm Feed on small invertebrates found within woody debris. Invertebrates are www.collierarbor.com/ aaSpring04.php obtained from decomposing fallen trees and from standing snags. The Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) www.fsc.edu Breeding Distribution BBS- Patuxent Life History *BBS species of concern: Major threat to unsuccessful pop. Related to ↑forest fragmentation, increased edge effects Breeding habitat Mesic hardwood or mixed harwood forests, dense forest understory (saps, shrubs, low exposed branches) Edge Sensitive Species The Joys of the Breeding Season Onset of Nesting Adaptations to ↑ nest parasitism include: -multiple broods (2-3) -rapid renesting after failure Eku.edu Known edge effects related to patchy forest area ↑ nest predation ↑ nest parasitism Highest in Midwest with a 42% parasitism rate Hoover and Brittingham, 1993 Source-Sink Dynamics If repro. Success falls below replacement levels where too few young survive to replace adult mortality, highly fragmented areas may be considered sink population zones Trine, 1998 Large, unfrag. Tracts of forestland may produce a surplus of offspring (dispersal and maintenance of sink pop.) RED SHOULDERED HAWK myfwc.com/bba/RSHA.htm identify.whatbird.com/obj/40/_/Red-shouldered RED SHOULDERED HAWK The Red Shouldered Hawk is currently found in low numbers throughout the eastern United Stated and southern portions of Canada. Red Shouldered Hawks typically begin migrating south in late fall, and return with the melting of snow They prefer to nest in the understory of mature beechmaple woodlands beginning in late March, with young typically fledging in June. (Brewer et al 1991) commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Red_Shoulder... RED SHOULDERED HAWK Red Shouldered Hawks were considered common in Michigan until the 1950’s, when their population declined suddenly (Brewer et al 1991). Habitat loss is the most likely reason for this decline (Brewer et al 1991). They nest in mature hardwoods made up of beech and maple trees, and hunt in swampy, marshy areas, or along streams and temporary forest ponds. www.fs.fed.us/.../BoykinSprings/index.shtml RED SHOULDERED HAWK Habitat fragmentation has pressured the Red Shouldered Hawk to use unsuitable habitat, such as fields and meadows, instead of the lowland marshes that have historically been their hunting ground. www.leeparks.org/images/si xmile/disk2/pages/R... museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/frogs/green.htm RED SHOULDERED HAWK This has caused a dietary change from small aquatic vertebrates such as frogs, snakes, and minnows, to small mammals such as field mice and voles. www.majestyofbirds.com /redshoulderedhawkpho to RED SHOULDERED HAWK This displacement is hurting the Red Shouldered Hawk because it is not as adapted to hunt in these environments and is being out competed by other raptors that are better suited (Kielb et al). www.virtualbirder.com/.../Gallery.dat&BAND= mid www.jmg-galleries.com/.../ www.majestyofbirds.com/cooper'shawkphoto flyin... www.virtualbirder.com/.../Gallery.dat&BAND= mid RED SHOULDERED HAWK Ripgut Brome, Foxtail Barley, (Bromus rubens) and Slender Oat (Avena barbata) are non native grasses that have been shown to have lethal effects on Red Shouldered Hawks (McCrary and Bloom 1984). weeds.ippc.orst.edu/pnw/weeds?weeds/id/Ripg... www.stingersplace.com/photolistsp.html tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/bromrube.htm RED SHOULDERED HAWK Ripgut Brome, Foxtail Barley, Foxtail Brome and Slender Oat grains have been recorded to become wedged in the eyes of red shouldered hawks, causing blindness, which eventually leads to the death of the bird. This is indirectly a human caused death because these grasses are nonnative, human introduced species. RED SHOULDERED HAWK Water sources are very important to the Red Shouldered Hawks because it provides feeding habitat (Bednardz, J., and Dinsmore, J., 1981) ( Morris, M, and Lemon, R. 1983) Marshlands, temporary woodland flooding, and ponds should be preserved to provide a suitable habitat for the primary prey species- such as frogs, snakes, salamanders, and minnows. www.in.gov/.../outdoorin/maxinkuckee squtch.quiet-like-a-panther.org/images/ These hawks nest in mature hardwoods made up of Beech and Maple holdenarb.org/Research/r esearchfocus.htmwww.dnr .cornell.edu/.../sfda/index .htm MANAGMENT APPLICATIONS Pileated Woodpecker www.ancientforest.org/algonquin.htm MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE PILEATED WOODPECKER Optimum habitat includes snags that are 18-26 inches dbh (diameter breast height) and between 39 and 69 feet tall at a density of .24 snags per acre (Conner 1979). This optimum habitat will be the main management goal in the Niethercut Woodland. MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE PILEATED WOODPECKER The ultimate management goal is to establish a known resident breeding pair that is capable of successfully reproducing. The best way to do this is to manage the habitat in such a way that it becomes optimum habitat for Pileated woodpeckers. www.cst.cmich.edu/friends-ofneithercut-woodland.html MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE WOOD THRUSH USFWS Application of Habitat Management and Population Evaluation in Neithercut Purpose: Maintain a sustainable Wood Thrush population by increasing nesting success and fledgling survival and by maintaining and protecting critical breeding habitat through the following goals: (breeding site focus) Habitat Management 1. Limit forest fragmentation ,in turn reduce edge effect in order to lower Cowbird brood parasitism and nest predation of Wood Thrush while maintaining large contiguous and connected tracts of forestland ncnr.org Implementation 2. Control the amount of Cowbirds present in Neithercut near edge areas USDA APHIS Population Monitoring and Evalutation 3. Develop a long-term population monitoring program to determine if mgmt. practices are maintaining source, reducing sink document singing males, breeding productivity, nests present, and successful offspring Arocha.org MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=wildlifenorth... In order to determine how best to manage Niethercut, a survey must first be taken to determine their presence and/or abundance. A survey will be done using the alarm calls of red shouldered hawks and/or great horned owls in order to attract resident Red shouldered hawks. Once hawks are attracted, their abundance (or absence) can be determined. MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK If a pair of Red Shouldered Hawks is found in or near Neithercut, a management plan monitoring their reproductive success for the next ten years would be implemented. If no Red Shouldered Hawks are found to occupy Neithercut or the immediately surrounding property, a reintroduction process will take place. Once the reintroduction has been accomplished, the reproductive status of the newly introduced pair would be monitored for the next ten years. MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK It is the goal of this management plan to have one pair of Red Shouldered Hawks successfully fledge offspring at least 50% of the time over a 10 year period (5 out of 10 years). This success rate would be beneficial to the overall population in Michigan, as it would increase the number of individuals of this species over the course of the breeding pair’s lifetime. www.birdsasart.com/bn215.htm RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PILEATED WOODPECKER All existing snags are left as they are, and additional larger snags are to be created. Additional snags will be created through the www.sarpysam.com/archives/2226-Snag.html process of girdling. Locations of Snags RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WOOD THRUSH Maintain Large Tracts of Forestland Coordinate efforts with surrounding private landowners and CMU through habitat enhancement programs Inform on impacts of land use practices on wildlife habitats Main focuses :reducing agricultural inholdings along Elm Creek and other streams in the areas forested regions- conversion of that land back to natural forest. In highly fragmented areas, suggestions may include the planting of large standing trees between fragments to enhance connectivity between landscapes and allow movement of the avian species of concern among suitable habitat patches Avoid implication of corridors-eco traps www.prairienursery.com/store/index.php?main_p... RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK. Ripgut Brome, Foxtail Barley, Foxtail Brome and Slender Oat, should be removed and be replaced with native warm weather grasses such as Little Blue Stem This will be accomplished through volunteer efforts provided by CMU students and Audubon Society members. calphotos.berkeley.edu/.../plant_com_486.html RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK. www.snakesa ndfrogs.com/s cra/notes/not es0305.htm www.petuniversity.co m/.../feeding.htm www.firstnature.com/fis hes/phoxinus_ phoxinus.htm Marshlands, temporarily flooded woodland habitats, and ponds should be preserved in order to provide a suitable habitat for primary prey species such as frogs, snakes, salamanders, and minnows. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK. www.gpnc.org/hawkrs.htm Based on a study conducted by Bednarz and Dinsmore, it is recommended to maintain at least 100 acres of prime nesting habitat and at least 60 acres of prime foraging habitat. This can easily be done within the 252 acre confines of Niethercut. Niethercut Woodland RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK. It is recommended that isolated patches are replaced with Sugar Maple saplings. In time, this will create a continuous habitat for these three species in Neithercut. Sugar Maple planting will be done through volunteer effort with the help of people who need to log community service hours for various groups or organizations. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK. If no resident Red Shouldered Hawks are found at Neithercut it is proposed to reintroduce a juvenile male and female to the site. Juveniles would be chosen instead of adults because adults usually have already established a permanent territory that they will return to regardless of the release site. EVALUATION Effective monitoring and evaluation of this management plan is crucial. Without proper monitoring, evaluation, and improvements over time, this plan will not be a success. EVALUATION OF THE PILEATED WOODPECKER. Allow habitat to develop into the woodpecker’s optimum habitat and then monitor every 5 years to make sure the habitat, more specifically the snags, are at the predetermined optimum quality and quantity. If not enough snags are present that meet the criteria, more will be created when the habitat is reevaluated every 5 years. EVALUATION OF THE PILEATED WOODPECKER. The woodpecker population will be evaluated using call and drumming censuses during the mating season each year (Late March-Early April). Calling and drumming occurs with the greatest frequency in the early morning and late afternoon (Hoyt 1941) and is the best time to have CMU faculty trained observers in the field listening for them. EVALUATION OF THE PILEATED WOODPECKER. This management plan will be considered a success if one breeding pair of Pileated woodpeckers are located in Niethercut 8 out of 10 years. Regardless of perceived success or failure, this plan must be strictly followed for the first 10 years in order to give the plan a chance to work as designed. Monitor Breeding Poulation, Success A long-term population monitoring program for the wood thrush is needed to determine if management practices are effective in increasing/developing source populations and in maintaining a stable population in the area. The determination of a populations breeding productivity will provide useful information on factors that may affect recruitment, determination of why breeding success may be low, and determination as to why population numbers may be low, if at all Point counts of singing males, nest counts and class., Constant effort mist netting for pop dynamics EVALUATION OF THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK The goal for Red Shouldered Hawks is to manage the habitat so that a pair of Red Shouldered Hawks can nest and successfully fledge young at least 50% of the time for ten years. EVALUATION OF THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK Nesting Red shouldered Hawks will be located using Red Shouldered Hawk and Great Horned Owl calls played once every 50 acres. The direction that the hawk came from should be recorded because it will aid in the discovery of a nesting location EVALUATION OF THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK If one chick is observed to fledge successfully, the results will be recorded as a success for that year. After the fifth year of the project, an evaluation will take place. EVALUATION OF THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK If Red Shouldered Hawks are found to nest successfully 50% of the time during a 10 year span, the project will be considered a success. If Red Shouldered Hawks are not found to nest successfully 50% of the time for the 10 year duration, the project will be reevaluated and a new management plan should be considered. TIME-LINE December 2007 -Complete grant proposals for Central Michigan University Biology Dept., Michigan Audubon Society, Partners in Flight, and The Nature Conservancy. TIME-LINE Spring 2008-First calling and drumming survey will take place. -Wildlife society members will select trees to be girdled based on this plan. -Selected trees will be girdled by volunteer (most likely from the wildlife society or bird watching groups) in order to begin the formation process of snags. -Identify if there is a breeding pair of Red Shouldered Hawks present in the Neithercut woodland. If a breeding pair is found, find the nest and begin monitoring the success rate. -Plant 10% of the Sugar Maples in the clearings. -If Red Shouldered Hawks are not present, immediately start a reintroduction program. -Document important habitat areas based on vegetation composition -Begin monitoring breeding population of wood thrushes via singing male surveys and begin nest counts and evaluation -Begin Constant Effort mist-netting -Following the breeding season, monitor and document clutch size and fledgling survival -Begin to inquire on private land owners regarding habitat enhancement program -Continue monitoring and evaluation efforts annually until 2013 TIME-LINE Spring 2009-- 2011 -Calling and drumming surveys will take place during the spring breeding season. -Identify where the breeding pair of Red Shouldered Hawks is presently nesting at. If a breeding pair is found, then monitoring the success rate. Plant and additional 10% of the Sugar Maples in the clearings. TIME-LINE Spring 2012 -Calling and drumming survey will take place during the spring breeding season.. -Habitat will be evaluated for the correct size and density of snags. -Evaluate management plan and begin to log concerns. -Identify where the breeding pair of Red Shouldered Hawks is presently nesting at. If a breeding pair is found, monitor the success rate. -Plant an additional 10% of the Sugar Maples in the clearings. TIME-LINE Spring 2013-Spring 2017 -Calling and drumming surveys will take place during the spring breeding season. -Identify where the breeding pair of Red Shouldered Hawks is presently nesting at. If a breeding pair is found, monitor the success rate. -Plant an additional 10% of the Sugar Maples in the clearings. TIME-LINE Spring 2018 -Calling and drumming surveys will take place during the spring breeding season. -Identify where the breeding pair of Red Shouldered Hawks is presently nesting at. If a breeding pair is found, monitor the success rate. -Plant an additional 10% of the Sugar Maples in the clearings. -Plan will be reevaluated and steps will be taken as described above to tweak or reconstruct the plan. BUDGET Item Voice recorder Cost $75.00 8 - 12 meter mist nets $60.00 each X 8 = $480.00 10 bags Avinet Color Bands $2.30 for 10 bands X 10 bags = $23.00 Ohaus Electronic Digital Scale 10 cotton holding bags $105.25 $3.95 each X 10 = $39.50 Leg gauge $25.25 Wing Rule $21.50 Mitutoyo Steel Caliper $134.50 BUDGET Banding Pliers $21.00 Chainsaw $199.99 P. woodpecker call and drumming tape $20 Labor $1500/year Gas $150 Reintroduction supplemental feeding $100 Reintroduction donation to Rehab organization $100 Great horned owl/Red shouldered hawk tape $20 Tape player/speakers $30 Sapling Sugar Maples $100/per year Organizational staff salary $250/year TOTAL COST $20,200.99. This figure includes an initial cost of $3,550.99 for the first year and an additional $1,850 each of the 9 years after that. BUDGET The funding for this project will come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, the Chippewa Nature Center, Mt. Pleasant Audubon Society, and the Nature Conservancy. Grants will be written to each of these funding sources in hopes of receiving money for the project. LITERATURE CITED Brad Smith’s Sources BROWN, E. R. 1985. Management of wildlife and fish habitats in forests of western Oregon and Washington. U.S.D.A. Forest Service, No. R6-(F and WL)-192-1985. pp. 332. BULL, E. L. 1987. Ecology of the pileated woodpecker in northeastern Oregon. Journal of Wildlife Management 51: 472-481. BULL, E.L. AND JACKSON, J.A. 1995. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)- The Birds of North America, No. 148. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC. 24 pp. CONNER, R. N. 1979. Seasonal changes in woodpecker foraging methods: strategies for winter survival. The role of insectivorous birds in forest ecosystems. Academy Press, New York, New York. pp 95105. HOYT, J. S. 1941. Through he year with the pileated woodpecker. Audubon Mag. 43:525-8. McCLELLAND, B.R. 1979. The pileated woodpecker in forests of the northern Rocky Mountains. The role of insectivorous birds in forest ecosystems. Academic Press, New York, New York. pp 283-299. LITERATURE CITED Heather Shaw’s Sources BERTIN, R.I. 1977. Breeding Habitats of the Wood Thrush and Veery. The Condor 79:303 311TRINE, C.L. 1998. Wood Thrush Population Sinks and Implications for the Scale of Regional Conservation Strategies. Conservation Biology 12(3):576-585. BRITTINGHAM, M.C. and TEMPLE, S.A. 1983. Have Cowbirds Caused Forest Songbirds to Decline? BioScience 33(1): 31-35. HOLMES, R.T. and ROBINSON, S.K. 1988. Spatial Patterns, Foraging Tactics, and Diets of Ground-Foraging Birds in a Northern Hardwoods Forest. The Wilson Bulletin 100(3): 377-394. HOOVER, J.P.; and BRITTINGHAM, M.C. 1993. Regional variation in Cowbird Parasitism of Wood Thrushes. The Wilson Bulletin 105: 228-238. JAMES, F.C; JOHNSTON, R.F; WAMER, N.O; NIEMI, G.J; BOECKLEN, W.J. 1984. The Grinnellian Niche of the Wood Thrush. The American Naturalist 124(1): 17-42. RAPLH ET AL. 1993. The Handbook of Field Methods for Moniroting Landbirds. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-144. RIVERA, J.H.; RAPPOLE, J.H.; McSHEA, W.J.; HAAS, C.A. 1998. Wood Thrush Postfledging Movements and Habitat Use in Northern Virignia. Condor 100(1): 69-78. TEMPLE, S.A. and CARY, J.R. 1988. Modeling Dynamics of Habitat-Interior Bird Populations in Fragmented Landscapes. Conservation Biology 2:340-347. TRINE, C.L. In Press. Effects of Multiple Parasitism on Cowbird and Wood Thrush Nesting Success. In T.L. Cook, S.K. Robinson, S.I. Rothstein, S.G. Sealy, and J.N.M. Smith, editors. The Ecology and Management of Cowbirds. University of Texas Press, Austin. URBAN, D.L. and SHUGART, H.H. The 1986. Avian Demography in Mosaic Landscapes: Modeling Paradigm and Preliminary Results. Pages 273-279 in J. Verner, M.L. Morrison, and C.J Ralph, editors. Wildlife 2000: Modeling Habitat Relationships of Terrestrial vertebrates. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. LITERATURE CITED Joanna Roger’s Resources: BEDNARZ, J.C. AND DINSMORE, J.J. 1981 Status, Habitat use and Management of Red Shouldered Hawks in Iowa. Journal of Wildlife Management 45(1) 236-241. BLOOM, P.H. 1995. Red Shouldered hawk home range and habitat use in Southern California. Journal of Wildlife Management 57(2): 258-265. BREWER, R., McPEEK, G. AND ADAMS R. 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press. Field Guide to the Birds of North America. 2nd ed. 1996. Published by the National Geographic Society. KIELB, M., SWALES, J. AND WOLINSKII, R. 1992. The Birds of Washtenaw County Michigan. The University of Michigan Press. McCRARY, M.D. 1984. Lethal Effects of introduced grasses on Red Shouldered Hawks. Journal of Wildlife Management 48(3): 1005-1008. McLEOD, M.A. 1991. Red shouldered hawk broadcast surveys: factors affecting detection of responses and population trends Journal of Wildlife Management 62(4) 1385- 1396. MORRIS, M. AND LEMON, R. 1983. Characteristics of Vegetation and Topography Near Red Shouldered Hawk Nests in Southwestern Quebec. Journal of Wildlife Management 47(1): 138-145. Pettingill, O., A Guide to Bird Finding East of the Mississippi, Oxford University Press 1977.
