Songbird Monitoring

 

NPS Photo / Alex VanDerStuyf

 

Why Monitor Passerines

• Passerines, also called songbirds, account for over half of the world’s bird species.

• Passerines live in various habitats and respond quickly to changes in environment and climate.

• Passerines are a “vital sign” of ecosystem health. Passerine population, migration, and nesting behavior provide insight on the overall wellness of Denali’s natural resources.

Research in the Park

Since the early 1990s, park scientists have worked with the Central Alaska Monitoring Network to collect data on songbirds in Denali. In combination with other park research, passerine monitoring is used to examine the effect of vegetation, weather, and climate change. The Denali team monitors passerines at least three times a year.

 

Peer-reviewed Publications

Hoekman ST and Lindberg MS. Point Transect Sampling for Monitoring Passerine Birds in Denali National Park and Preserve. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/CAKN/NRTR—2012/589. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado

Schmidt JH and Others. 2013. Accounting for incomplete detection: What are we estimating and how might it affect long-term passerine monitoring programs? Biological Conservation. 160:130–139

Mcintyre CL and Others. 2015. Monitoring passerine birds in the Central Alaska Monitoring Network. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/CAKN/NRDS—2015/964. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado