Tyrannid Flycatchers As Indicators Of Habitat Quality Vermilion

Tyrannid Flycatchers As Indicators Of Habitat Quality Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) http: //www. birds. cornell. edu/All. About. Birds/Bird. Guide/Vermilion_Flycatcher. html Nathan 06 May 2008 http: //www. mbr-pwrc. usgs. gov/Infocenter/i 4710 id. html

http: //www. backfromthebrink. org/speciesimages/5/1_southwester n_willow_flycatcher. jpg&imgrefurl= http: //identify. whatbird. com/img/4/1069/image. aspx Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) http: //www. backfromthebrink. org/speciesimages/5/2_southwester n_willow_flycatcher. jpg&imgrefurl

(Sogge et al. 1997)

Sogge 1997

Figure 1. Breeding ranges of the willow flycatcher subspecies. Adapted from Unit 1987 and Browning 1993. Technical Report NPS/NAUCPRS/NRTR-97/12 (Sogge 1997)

http: //www. southwestbirders. com/SS_121501/vermilion%20 flycatcher_006 s. jpg

-13 subspecies recognized (USGS Patuxent) -1 Extinct (B. of North Amer. ) http: //www. birds. cornell. edu/All. About. Birds/Bird. Guide/Vermilion_Flycatcher_dtl. html#map

Range of Vermilion Flycatcher http: //www. mbr-pwrc. usgs. gov/id/framlst/i 4710 id. html

Methods Standard survey protocol: -Permits -Training Workshops -Standard Techniques and Routine Surveys -Capturing, Banding, Observations -GIS/Remote Sensing San Pedro River, Arizona http: //www. schmoker. org/Bird. Pics/Flycatchers. html http: //identify. whatbird. com/img/4/1180/image. aspx

Large Scale Regional Surveys EPA Forest Health Monitoring Unit (FHM) -Triangular Grid of 40 -km^2 hexagons -Spacing of 27. 1 km between centers of the hexagons -Observed species rather than the number of individuals -Types of bird species observed in similar behaviors were also grouped together for some statistical analyses http: //www. schmoker. org/Bird. Pics/Photos/Flycatchers/VEFL 4. jpg (Canterbury 2000).

Results -Presence of canopy nesters and shrubland assemblage groups increased with canopy cover, while habitat generalists and forest edge assemblages showed no consistent trend in regard to canopy cover -Numbers of granivores and bark-foraging insectivores had the greatest response to habitat disturbance levels -The index derived was an attempt at a broad-based indicator of how much a population or community has been affected by disturbance (Canterbury 2000). http: //www. schmoker. org/Bird. Pics/Photos/Flycatchers/VEFL 12. jpg

http: //www. arthurgrosset. com/sabirds/photos/pyrrub 24833. jpg -Several papers have been written criticizing the use of the indicator species concept, because "individual species do not necessarily reflect trends in other co-occurring species, " and can furthermore "respond independently to environmental variation" (Canterbury 2000)

Discussion The ultimate measure of habitat suitability is not simply whether or not a site is occupied. Suitable habitats are those in which flycatcher reproductive success and survivorship results in a stable or growing population. Without long-term data showing which sites have stable or growing populations, we cannot determine which habitats are suitable or optimal for breeding southwestern willow flycatchers. (Sogge et al. 1997) Lower San Pedro River http: //www. fws. gov/mountain-prairie/endspp/protocols/SWWF%202004. pdf

Acknowledgements Thank you to Glenn Johnson for helping me to identify the important aspects of this topic, and also for his instruction in field techniques. My deep gratitude goes to Dr. Charles von Riper, III for his support in directing me to relevant sources of information. http: //www. mbr-pwrc. usgs. gov/Infocenter/i 4710 id. html

Literature Cited http: //www. mbr-pwrc. usgs. gov/Infocenter/i 4710 id. html http: //www. fws. gov/mountain-prairie/endspp/protocols/SWWF%202004. pdf http: //www. arthurgrosset. com/sabirds/photos/pyrrub 24833. jpg http: //www. schmoker. org/Bird. Pics/Photos/Flycatchers/VEFL 12. jpg http: //www. schmoker. org/Bird. Pics/Photos/Flycatchers/VEFL 4. jpg http: //identify. whatbird. com/img/4/1180/image. aspx http: //www. schmoker. org/Bird. Pics/Flycatchers. html http: //www. mbr-pwrc. usgs. gov/id/framlst/i 4710 id. html http: //www. birds. cornell. edu/All. About. Birds/Bird. Guide/Vermilion_Flycatcher_dtl. html#map http: //www. southwestbirders. com/SS_121501/vermilion%20 flycatcher_006 s. jpg http: //www. backfromthebrink. org/speciesimages/5/2_southwestern_willow_flycatcher. jpg&imgrefurl

Literature Cited http: //www. backfromthebrink. org/speciesimages/5/1_southwestern_willow_flycatcher. jpg&imgrefurl = http: //identify. whatbird. com/img/4/1069/image. aspx http: //www. birds. cornell. edu/All. About. Birds/Bird. Guide/Vermilion_Flycatcher. html http: //www. mbr-pwrc. usgs. gov/Infocenter/i 4710 id. html Technical Report NPS/NAUCPRS/NRTR-97/12 (Sogge 1997) Canterbury et al. 2000