The NPS Northern Great Plains Network (NGPN) is developing a long-term ecological monitoring program for selected attributes (“Vital Signs”) in 13 NPS units of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and eastern Wyoming. Currently, the NGPN is assessing potential monitoring objectives for land birds as initial steps in developing a monitoring protocol that will provide parks with information needed to protect and manage areas and resources under NPS jurisdiction. The NGPN and Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory are undertaking a joint program of monitoring protocol research, based upon RMBO’s extensive and unique bird monitoring expertise. Occupancy Dyanmics Many statistically rigorous bird-monitoring protocols focus on estimating bird density using distance-sampling techniques or combined approaches (e.g., distance + removal modeling). A drawback of these approaches is that at least 60 detections are needed to model the detection probability: distance curve, which can be extremely difficult for uncommon species even when visits are pooled among years. For less common species, monitoring occupancy dynamics may allow more insight. This approach can also be used for assessing community dynamics (e.g., changes in species richness). Therefore, beginning in 2008, RMBO began a research program in Wind Cave National Park to determine the ..... Automated Recording Units The NGPN is investigating the use of Automated Recording Units (ARUs), developed and provided by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, to supplement traditional on-the-ground bird surveys. ARU’s are audio recorders programmed to automatically record all sounds on a scheduled basis. This technology has the potential to address questions that on-the-ground human surveys can not easily address, such as trade-offs of each survey method, the effect of on-the-ground observers in disturbing or attracting species, the optimal seasonal window for surveys, and changes in species occupancy during the breeding season. In 2008, NGPN, in conjunction with RMBO, deployed ARUs to examine these questions and determine the ability of ARU’s to accurately detect bird songs. Experienced RMBO staff, who can reliably identify birds and measure detection distances, conducted on-the-ground point counts simultanously with operation of the ARU’s. Comparing the audio recordings with the simultanously-recorded human data will test the usefulness of ARU’s as a research tool.		(http://www.northernplains.org/ourwork/ doingitright/methanephotos)