Bird community monitoring at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas: Status report 2008–2021

Abstract

Breeding bird surveys were initiated on Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas in 2008 to assess temporal changes in the species composition and abundance of birds on the park. These data also improve our understanding of relationships between breeding birds and their habitat and the effects of management actions, such as invasive plant species control and tree thinning, on bird populations. Birds were sampled using point counts with 99 variable circular plots located on a systematic grid of 400 x 400-m cells (originating from a random start point). All birds seen or heard on a plot during a 5-minute sampling period were recorded. We surveyed for breeding birds in eight of the last 14 years on as many of the 99 variable circular plots as possible each year, resulting in 592 cumulative plot visits. Surveys have yielded records for 111 different species of birds. Ninety-three of the species recorded are classified as permanent or summer residents to the area, 11 as winter residents to the area, six as transients in the area, and one as a migrant through the area. Nine breeding species recorded are considered species of conservation concern for the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region, the bird conservation region Pea Ridge National Military Park is located within. Of the 93 breeding species recorded, 4 species occurred in grassland and 11 in woodland habitats in numbers large enough to calculate annual abundances with some degree of confidence. However, only the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), Eastern Wood-pewee (Contopus virens), Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus), and Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) in woodland habitats demonstrated any trends (moderate to strong increases) in abundance. Trends in abundance were classified as uncertain for the rest of the species in both grassland and woodland habitats, which means that no significant increases or decreases occurred, but it is not certain that trends were < 5% per year. Comparisons of population trends on the park with regional trends for the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region suggest that the bird community at Pea Ridge National Military Park is faring similarly to or slightly better than that of the region as a whole. Stable diversity, richness, and evenness values suggest that the park’s habitat has remained consistent in its ability to meet the requirements of many of the park’s breeding bird species. Any increase or decline in species richness could reflect habitat management practices but could also reflect the influences of larger-scale factors such as weather or climatic conditions on vegetation. Therefore, continued monitoring of birds and their habitats on Pea Ridge National Military Park as management and climatic conditions change is essential for park management. - -