Document Type

Article

Publication Title

The Condor

Publisher

University of California Press on behalf of the Cooper Ornithological Society

Publication Date

8-2006

Volume

108

Disciplines

Life Sciences

Abstract

Declines in avian populations highlight a need for rigorous, broad-scale monitoring pro-grams to document trends in avian populations that occur in low densities across expansive landscapes. Accounting for the spatial variation and variation in detection probability inherent to monitoring programs is thought to be effort-intensive and time-consuming. We determined the feasibility of the analytical method developed by Royle and Nichols (2003), which uses presence-absence (detection-non-detection) field data, to estimate abundance of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) per sampling unit in agricultural fields, grassland, and prairie dog habitat in eastern Colorado. Field methods were easy to implement and results suggest that the analytical method provides valuable insight into population patterning among habitats. Mountain Plover abundance was highest in prairie dog habitat, slightly lower in agricultural fields, and substantially lower in grassland. These results provided valuable insight to focus future research into Mountain Plover ecology and conservation.

Keywords

abundance, Charadrius montanus, detection probability, estimation, monitoring, Mountain Plover

Rights

© 2006 The Cooper Ornithological Society

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