Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Science Projects


Click on any of the links below to learn more about past and present Bird Conservancy research and monitoring projects.
 

Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR)

The IMBCR program is a partnership among 30+ agencies and organizations committed to providing robust population estimates for breeding  landbirds across the Intermountain West, Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. Monitoring is an essential component of wildlife management and conservation science, and the collaboration across partners allows us to survey a greater spatial and temporal extent than individual efforts. The information is then used to identify declining populations, target management and conservation efforts, provide regional context for local populations, and inform impact analyses for project-level planning.


 

Habitat-based Bird Monitoring (MCB)

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory implemented Monitoring Colorado’s Birds (MCB) in 1998 in conjunction with its funding partners: the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The program was structured to obtain count-based data for all breeding landbird species in the state on a randomized and habitat-stratified basis. From 1999 to 2007, we implemented the protocol in a total of 13 habitats throughout the state.


 

Monitoring the Birds of the Chihuahuan Desert Network

More than 270 parks managed by the National Park Service (NPS) are organized into a system of 32 eco-regional networks linked by similar geographic and natural resource characteristics. In 2009 RMBO and the National Park Service initiated Monitoring Birds of the National Park Service, Chihuahuan Desert Network. The CHDN includes seven national parks and monuments in Texas and New Mexico. 


 

Monitoring the Birds of the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN)

More than 270 parks managed by the National Park Service (NPS) are organized into a system of 32 eco-regional networks linked by similar geographic and natural resource characteristics.  In 2005 Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the National Park Service initiated Monitoring Birds of the National Park Service Northern Colorado Plateau Network, which includes 11 national parks and monuments in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. This program focuses on three habitats - low-elevation riparian, pinyon-juniper and sage shrubland.


 

Monitoring the Birds of the Northern Great Plains Network

More than 270 parks managed by the National Park Service (NPS) are organized into a system of 32 eco-regional networks linked by similar geographic and natural resource characteristics. In 2009 Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the National Park Service initiated Monitoring Birds of the National Park Service, Northern Great Plains Network (NGPN). The NGPN includes 13 national parks and monuments in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and eastern Wyoming.


 

Monitoring the Birds of the Southern Plains Network (SOPN)

More than 270 parks managed by the National Park Service (NPS) are organized into a system of 32 eco-regional networks linked by similar geographic and natural resource characteristics. The Southern Plains Network (SOPN) encompasses 11 park units



 

Monitoring the Birds of the Sonoran Desert Network (SODN)

More than 270 parks managed by the National Park Service (NPS) are organized into a system of 32 eco-regional networks linked by similar geographic and natural resource characteristics. In 2009 Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the National Park Service implemented Monitoring Birds of the National Park Service, Sonoran Desert Network (SODN), which includes 10 National Parks and monuments in Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.


 

Estimating Northern Goshawk Occupancy

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory began collaborating with the USFS’s Rocky Mountain Region in 2006 to implement large-scale monitoring of Northern Goshawks in most of the forests of South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. Using geospatial software, a grid was laid down on the designated forests consisting of approximately 600 hectares (about 2.3 square miles) containing suitable habitat for goshawks.


 


Estimating Flammulated Owl Occupancy

A nocturnal forest-dweller with dark eyes and a deep voice, the Flammulated Owl is very small, weighing less than 2 oz. It gets its name from its flame-colored scapular feathers. It is the only owl to breed in Colorado and migrate to warmer climes in the winter, and it is strictly insectivorous, preying on moths, beetles and other nocturnal insects.


 

Mountain Plover Nest Success Monitoring Program

The Mountain Plover is an upland shorebird that breeds across the xeric tablelands of the western Great Plains and is a species of conservation concern throughout its range because of apparent range-side population declines.



 
2012 Rocky Mountain Observatory