Landbird Working Group

Leads:
TJ Zenzal, USGS: tzenzal@usgs.gov
Bill Vermillion, Gulf Coast Joint Venture: William_Vermillion@fws.gov

Landbird priorities

  1. For forest breeding/wintering birds it is important to understand how different management regimes impacts populations of priority bird species. Specifically, how to best balance forest services (e.g., timber/pulp production, game species management, etc.) with the needs of priority species. Additionally, what habitat composition/structure is optimal for our priority species and what management techniques (e.g., prescribed fire, select timber harvests, etc.) are able to achieve the ideal habitat.
  2. For grassland breeding/wintering birds it is important to understand how current grassland conservation programs (e.g., CRP) impact priority species. Additionally, understanding the wintering demography/ecology is a major priority for grassland species, especially in relation to habitat availability and management.
  3. For passage migrants it is important to understand where migrants use stopover habitat during spring and fall, how those habitats function (rest versus refuel), and how conservation efforts benefit/serve migrants. Additionally, a region-wide monitoring effort, akin to CBC and BBS, is needed to better understand and conserve transient individuals.

Resources

Landbird Guidelines https://gomamn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/chapter3-1.pdf

Landbird Priority species list

2016 Partners In Flight plan

Eastern Partners In Flight working group

Inland Bird Banding Association

Eastern Bird Banding Association

Birdnet

Landbird projects/programs in the Gulf region

Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Audubon Louisiana Coastal Stewardship Program
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Louisiana Bird Observatory
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Avian Research and Monitoring
MAPS: Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship
National Park Service Gulf Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network
North American Breeding Bird Survey
Prothonotary Warbler Working Group

Joint Ventures within the region

  1. Gulf Coast JV (https://www.gcjv.org/)
    1. Gulf Coast Joint Venture Landbird Conservation Plan Bird Conservation Regions 25 – 27
    2. Gulf Coast Joint Venture Landbird Conservation Plan Bird Conservation Region 37
    3. Northern Bobwhite Objectives for the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative
    4. Coastal Grassland Restoration Incentive Program Priority (C-GRIP) Species Programmatic Population Survey
  2. Lower Mississippi Valley JV (https://www.lmvjv.org/)
    1. Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Conservation Tool Suite
    2. Mississippi Alluvial Valley Forest-breeding Landbird Population Goals & Quantitative Habitat Objectives
  3. East Gulf Coastal Plain JV (https://egcpjv.org/)
    1. Eastern Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture Landbird Plan
  4. Atlantic Coast JV (https://acjv.org/)
    1. The South Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative Implementation Plan
    2. Peninsular Florida Bird Conservation Region Plan Bird Conservation Region 31

State action plans and priority species lists

  1. Texas
    1. Conservation Action Plan
    2. Federal and State Listed Species
    3. Species of greatest conservation need
  2. Louisiana
    1. Wildlife Action Plan
    2. Species of greatest conservation need
  3. Mississippi
    1. Wildlife Action Plan
  4. Alabama
    1. Wildlife Action Plan
  5. Florida
    1. Wildlife Action Plan
  6. USGS (https://www1.usgs.gov/csas/swap/)