Ecological Management Action Plans

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EM-15 Protection of Habitat for Migratory and Resident Birds

EVALUATION METHODS

• Maintain large, unbroken tracts of forest and scrub communities.
• Maintain and enhance barrier islands and beaches for use by migrants.
• Restrict access.
• Purchase important tracts.
• Educate the public about ecotourism potential of birds and birders.

N.B. The development of Monitoring Strategies for Neotropical Migrants and Shorebirds is being handled by a separate BTNEP contract. This monitoring strategy will not address the status of these groups specifically.

Habitat enhancement can benefit from implementation of Action Plans for Hydrologic Restoration (EM-1), Freshwater and Sediment Diversion (EM-2) and Preservation and Restoration of Barrier Islands (EM-5). Public education and landowner co-operation is critical for effectiveness of all components.

The following criteria will be used to determine if plan implementation steps were accomplished:

• BTMC acts to create partnership between user groups and GCBO.
• BTMC produces outreach literature concerning migratory and resident birds.
• CWPPRA sponsored barrier island projects include consideration of bird habitat.
• LNC completes Breeding Bird Atlas and MAPS.
• GCBO develops long term monitoring strategy for breeding birds.
• LNC and USFWS develop priority list of critical stopover habitat in chenier and coastal woodlands.
• GCBO, LNC, USFWS and NRCS enter into voluntary agreements with landowners to protect and enhance critical stopover, nesting and wintering habitat.
• CWPPRA projects are implemented with design modifications to incorporate needs of birds.
• Green space maintenance programs of LDOTD, utility companies and local government agencies are modified to reduce short mowing cycles in favor of alternative strategies more favorable to nesting Neotropical Migrants.
• Use volunteers to educate public about migratory bird habitat and ecotourism.
• Regulatory agencies request modifications to reduce fragmentation of existing forests.
• LDCRT and LDWF develop ecotourism package.
• Nesting colonies of colonial seabirds and wading birds are posted annually.

For monitoring purposes, efforts will focus on the following groups of birds: Neotropical Migrants (developed under separate contract), Shorebirds (developed under separate contract), colonial nesting birds, wading birds and migratory waterfowl. The following criteria will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan in protecting bird habitat. Specific criteria may vary depending upon the characteristics of individual projects.

• Maintenance or increase in the number of colonies of colonial nesting birds and wading birds.
• Maintenance or increase in the number of species present in colonies of colonial nesting birds and wading birds.
• Maintenance or increase in the number of individuals per species in colonies of colonial nesting birds and wading birds
• Maintenance or increase in the size of winter waterfowl habitat.
• Maintenance or increase in the population of any Threatened and Endangered species present within BTES (i.e., Brown Pelican and Bald Eagle).

Plan Implementation - The activities of the BTMC as outlined in the above criteria will be monitored by an independent Third Party. The measurable parameters are those outlined in the effectiveness criteria.

Project Effectiveness - The parameters to be measured to assess the criteria for effectiveness are:

• The number of colonies of colonial nesting birds.
• The number of colonies of wading birds.
• The number of species present in these colonies.
• The size of waterfowl populations.
• The population of Threatened and Endangered species present in BTES.
• The area of habitat for wintering waterfowl.

Plan Implementation - The monitor will:

• Attend relevant meetings of BTMC to document its actions.
• Attend relevant meetings of CWPPRA Task Force and Technical Committee to monitor their actions.
• Review relevant CWPPRA project descriptions to ensure bird habitat is considered in project design.
• Contact GCBO, LNC, USFWS, NRCS, LDOTD regarding the development of voluntary agreements with landowners, prioritization of habitat and modification of greenspace management.
• Review ecotourism package developed by LDCRT and LDWF.
• Contact LDNR and USACOE regarding the issuance of permits and fragmentation of forest resources.
• Visit road accessible nesting colonies of seabirds to inspect postings.

Colonies of Colonial Nesting Birds - LDWF currently conducts surveys of colonial nesting birds (Martin and Lester, 1990). Either LDWF procedures or those described here should be followed. Lane (1994) suggests the use of methods described by Slack et al. (1992) whereby surveys are conducted annually during a two-week period beginning in the last week of May as this corresponds to the incubation period of most colonial nesting birds. Surveys should be conducted from the ground using 2-4 people viewing the colony on foot or from a boat. The species composition of the birds in the colony is recorded along with an estimate of the size of the colony.

Colonies of Wading Birds - LDWF currently conducts surveys of wading birds (Martin and Lester, 1990). Either LDWF procedures or those described here should be followed. Loesch et al. (1994) indicate that the development of population survey methods is required before assessments can be made of wading bird utilization of wetland habitat. Similar methods employed for colonial nesting birds should be adopted for the CCMP. Aerial surveys may also be employed in remote areas. This may employ a stratified random sampling design (Dubovsky et al., 1988) if colonies are thought to be clustered.

Area of Waterfowl Habitat - As considerable effort is devoted to habitat mapping and monitoring in other Ecological Management Action Plans, this issue is not addressed directly here. Lane (1994) provides guidance on monitoring protocols for the assessment of colonial nesting waterbird habitat.

Threatened and Endangered Species - The population of Brown Pelicans will be assessed using the procedures for colonial nesting birds, described above. Aerial surveys and ground inspections will be used to assess the population of Bald Eagles, following the procedures of LDWF.

Plan Implementation - There are no relevant sampling design issues or statistical analyses for the evaluation of plan implementation.

Project Effectiveness - Slack et al. (1992) discuss the use of statistical techniques to describe the relationship between counts and years while accounting for as much unwanted variation as possible. Class variables were treated as blocks (e.g., transects) in their design and although individual regression lines were developed for each class, ‘average’ regression lines for all classes can be presented. Slack et al. (1992) describe the identification and removal of significant interaction terms from the models. An example of how these data may be applied to aerial transect data allows for the assumption of constant effort per transect among years (negating the need to include measure of effort in the statistical model), transects can be treated as blocks, and the number of individuals per year can be used as the response variable. The critical level of significance for all tests should be p=0.05.

Plan Implementation - The cost estimate is based upon attendance at approximately 6 meetings per year, contacting agencies, review of documents, and appropriate reporting. The level of effort is estimated at 120 person-hours and costs including salary, fringe benefits, overhead and associated expenses are approximately $6,000.

Project Effectiveness - It is estimated that ground surveys of colonial nesting birds would require at least two teams of two trained observers each and would take approximately two weeks per year. Estimated costs for this effort including salary, fringe benefits, boat costs and reporting are $25,000 per year. Aerial waterfowl surveys are assumed to consist of transects approximately 5 km apart, flown at approximately 100 km/hr and would be completed within 4 flying days. Estimated annual costs including two trained personnel, flight time and reporting are $15-18,000.

Monitoring of plan implementation will be undertaken by an independent Third Party who will prepare semi-annual reports describing actions of the relevant agencies in relation to bird habitat issues. Evaluation of monitoring reports concerning project effectiveness will be conducted by qualified individuals representing organizations independent of any agencies or institutions funding the project implementation (such as the NBS). Semi-annual reports will be prepared. The monitoring reports will be submitted not less than 15 days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting of the BTMC and the parties responsible for monitoring will appear at the meeting to discuss the report. Monitoring reports concerning project effectiveness will also be provided to the agencies or institutions involved in project implementation, co-operating landowners, utility companies, etc.

The Quality Assurance Plan involves the following components:

• Clear identification of effectiveness criteria (as outlined above).
• Use of qualified and experienced personnel to collect and report data (to be determined and assessed annually by BTMC).
• Review of monitoring data and reports by BTMC (as outlined above).
• Reporting of significant problems identified during the monitoring period to the BTMC before the next report is due.
• Maintaining a semi-annual schedule for reporting on implementing agency activities (as outlined above).

The Quality Assurance Plan involves the following components:

Project Description - (as provided in Action Plan).

Project Organization and Responsibility - (to be prepared by monitor in association with relevant implementing agency).

Data Quality Objectives - For the measurable parameters recommended in this monitoring strategy, the main constraint on data quality is observer training and performance. It is recommended that anyone participating in bird surveys participate in taxonomic identification workshops before surveys.

Sampling Procedures - The data collection methods are as described above. The sampling design for aerial transects will be determined for each bird group by a committee composed of BTMC representatives, the lead implementor, and the monitor.

Data Review, Validation and Verification - Data will be entered into a DIMS compatible database and statistical analysis will follow procedures agreed to by the BTMC, lead implementor and the monitor.

Problem Identification - Any significant problems identified during the monitoring period, either with monitoring procedures or project effectiveness, will be reported to the BTMC and lead implementor before the next regularly scheduled report is due.

Reporting - Semi-annual reports will be prepared. The monitoring reports will be submitted not less than 15 days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting of the BTMC and the parties responsible for monitoring will appear at the meeting to discuss the report. Monitoring reports will also be provided to the agencies or institutions involved in project implementation, co-operating landowners, utility companies, etc.

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