Bird Community Monitoring at Homestead National Historical Park

Eastern Phoebe on a metal sculpture at Homestead National Historical Park.

NPS-Photo

Homestead National Historical Park is located within the Central Mixed-grass Prairie Bird Conservation Region.

NPS

Birds are an important part of the world we live in. Birds eat pests, disperse seeds, pollinate plants, feed us, and provide us with recreational activities. Park interpretive programs often feature birds because of the enjoyment they provide. Birds are also great indicators of environmental change. Birds serve as the "canary in the coal mine" so to speak for an ecosystem. Unfortunately, many birds like the Northern Bobwhite are declining in numbers.

Scientists measure changes in bird numbers and habitat to determine the health of bird communities. They survey birds in the park during the breeding season. They also survey habitat structure and composition during this time. Together, the data helps researchers to determine responses of birds to their habitat. Regional surveys are also studied to determine local vs. regional trends.

Table of Birds Recorded during Survey

Bird species recorded during breeding bird surveys at Homestead National Monument of America from 2009 through 2017. The American Ornithologists’ Union code (AOU code) and residency status of each species is given. Species names are valid and verified names taken from the Integrated Taxonomic Information system website (ITIS 2017).

Common name	Species name		AOU code	Residency¹
American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos		AMCR	R
American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis		AMGO	R
American Redstart	Setophaga ruticilla		AMRE	SR
American Robin	Turdus migratorius		AMRO	R
American Woodcock²	Scolopax minor		AMWO	SR
Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula		BAOR	SR
Bank Swallow	Riparia riparia		BANS	SR
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica		BARS	SR
Barred Owl	Strix varia		BDOW	R
Bell's Vireo³	Vireo bellii		BEVI	SR
Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon		BEKI	R
Blackburnian Warbler²	Setophaga fusca		BLBW	M
Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus		BCCH	R
Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata		BLJA	R
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Polioptila caerulea		BGGN	SR
Blue-headed Vireo	Vireo solitarius		BHVI	M
Brown Creeper	Certhia americana		BRCR	R
Brown Thrasher	Toxostoma rufum		BRTH	R
Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater		BHCO	R
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis		CAGO	R
Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus		CARW	R
Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum		CEDW	R
Chestnut-sided Warbler	Setophaga pensylvanica		CSWA	M
Chimney Swift	Chaetura pelagica		CHSW	SR
Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina		CHSP	SR
Clay-colored Sparrow	Spizella pallida		CCSP	M
Cliff Swallow	Petrochelidon pyrrhonota		CLSW	SR
Common Grackle	Quiscalus quiscula		COGR	R
Common Yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas		COYE	SR
Cooper's Hawk	Accipiter cooperii		COHA	R
Dickcissel	Spiza americana		DICK	SR
Downy Woodpecker	Picoides pubescens		DOWO	R
Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis		EABL	R
Eastern Kingbird	Tyrannus tyrannus		EAKI	SR
Eastern Meadowlark	Sturnella magna		EAME	R
Eastern Phoebe	Sayornis phoebe		EAPH	SR
Eastern Towhee	Pipilo erythrophthalmus		EATO	R
Eastern Wood-pewee	Contopus virens		EAWP	SR
European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris		EUST	R
Field Sparrow	Spizella pusilla		FISP	R
Grasshopper Sparrow	Ammodramus savannarum		GRSP	SR
Gray Catbird	Dumetella carolinensis		GRCA	SR
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias		GBHE	SR
Great Crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus crinitus		GCFL	SR
Hairy Woodpecker	Picoides villosus		HAWO	R
Hermit Thrush²	Catharus guttatus		HETH	M
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus		HOSP	R
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon		HOWR	SR
Indigo Bunting	Passerina cyanea		INBU	SR
Killdeer²	Charadrius vociferus		KILL	SR
Lark Sparrow	Chondestes grammacus		LASP	SR
Least Flycatcher	Empidonax minimus		LEFL	M
Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura		MODO	R
Northern Bobwhite	Colinus virginianus		NOBO	R
Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalus		NOCA	R
Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus		YSFL	R
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis		NRWS	SR
Northern Shoveler²	Anas clypeata		NSHO	SR
Orchard Oriole	Icterus spurius		OROR	SR
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus		RBWO	R
Red-eyed Vireo	Vireo olivaceus		REVI	SR
Red-headed Woodpecker³	Melanerpes erythocephalus		RHWO	R
Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis		RTHA	R
Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus		RWBL	R
Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus		RPHE	R
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus		RBGR	SR
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Archilochus colubris		RTHU	SR
Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis		SAVS	SR
Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia		SOSP	R
Spotted Rowhee	Pipilo maculatus		SPTO	R
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra		SUTA	SR
Swainson’s Thrush	Catharus ustulatus		SWTH	M
Tennessee Warbler²	Leiothlypis peregrina		TEWA	M
Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor		ETTI	R
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura		TUVU	SR
Warbling Vireo	Vireo gilvus		WAVI	SR
White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis		WBNU	R
White-winged Dove	Zenaida asiatica		WWDO	T
Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo		WITU	R
Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla		WIWA	M
Wood Duck	Aix sponsa		WODU	SR
Worm-eating Warbler	Helmitheros vermivorum		WEWA	M
Yellow Warbler	Setophaga petechia		YWAR	SR
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius		YBSA	WR
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Coccyzus americanus		YBCU	SR
Yellow-throated Vireo	Vireo flavifrons		YTVI	SR

¹ Residency: M = migrant through the area; R = year around resident;
SR = summer resident (According to Jackson et al. [1996]).

² Species recorded only while traveling between survey plots or at other times outside of 5-min survey periods.

³ Species considered of regional concern for the Central Mixed Grass Prairie Bird Conservation Region (USFWS 2008; also in bold).

Trends in bird community richness on Homestead National Historical Park, Nebraska, from 2009 through 2017, excluding 2007.

NPS

Scientists recorded 86 bird species in the park over the last 9 years. Seventy-four of the bird species are breeding species. Two of the bird species are of concern for the region. The American Goldfinch, Dickcissel, House Wren, and Red-winged Blackbird were common species. Thirteen species were common enough to calculate trends in their numbers for comparison with regional trends. American Goldfinch and Brown-headed Cowbird numbers declined. Populations of the other species remained unchanged. Within the region the populations of Northern Bobwhite and Red-winged Blackbird were in decline. Red-bellied Woodpecker numbers increased. Populations of the other species remained unchanged. Overall, populations on the park are doing as well as populations in the region. Unchanging species richness suggests habitat on the park has remained similar across years.

Comparison of bird population trends from Homestead NMA, Nebraska, (2009 through 2017, excluding 2007) with those of the larger Central Mixed Grass Prairie Bird Conservation Region (2005 through 2015) from the Breeding Bird Surveys. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.

NPS

Bird population changes may reflect habitat management activities. For that reason scientists track changes in bird populations and habitat over time. This improves the parks efforts to manage habitat for birds. Preserving habitat for birds preserves entire ecosystems for the benefit of all species.

View the Full Report. (PDF)

Visit the Homestead National Historical Park Volunteer Bird Monitoring page.

Learn more about the Heartland Inventory & Monitoring Network.


Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols.