Revised May 21, 2016

STROLLING FOR CERULEANS & ASSOCIATED SPECIES

AVIAN LINE TRANSECT PROTOCOL (BORROWED & MODELED AFTER AVIAN LINE TRANSECT PROTOCOL – SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK)1

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE Cerulean Warblers are a species of continental concern and their numbers are declining throughout most of their range. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Cerulean Warblers have “undergone a large and statistically significant decrease over the last 40 years in North America” (-83% decline over 40 years, equating to a -35.8% decline per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007).2 According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the “Cerulean Warbler is one of the species of highest concern in the eastern United States because of a small total population size and significant declines throughout its range. This species is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists species most in danger of extinction without significant conservation action.”3

In Strolling for Ceruleans, citizen scientists and birders will use line transects to detect Cerulean Warblers (as well as species which often associate with Ceruleans) by visual (binoculars) and audible means, and record data on forms which will then be submitted to Marvelwood School and on eBird. This data will also be shared with the Department of Energy and Environment Protection (DEEP) and Audubon Connecticut. The goal is to try to record enough Cerulean Warblers to petition for portions of Kent to be given the status of a Global Important Bird Area.

Although Cerulean Warblers (CERW) are the main focus of these surveys, there are a variety of other high-priority species which are often associated with Cerulean Warblers

Artwork by Gabriella Martinez ‘16

Revised May 21, 2016

and their preferred habitat, for which we would like to have more information in Kent. If you feel comfortable identifying the following species: Worm-eating Warbler (WEWA), Wood Thrush (WOTH), Scarlet Tanager (SCTA), and Louisiana Waterthrush (LOWA), you may record them in addition to Cerulean Warblers when walking your line transects.

WHAT IS A LINE TRANSECT PROTOCOL? “Line transects are a fairly simple way to survey for bird populations. Unlike traditional point counts, where data are collected from a specific point on the landscape, line transects collect continuous data over the course of a ‘walking transect’. This data collection method is particularly useful for species that are not easily detected through point counts either because they are found locally, they are rare or uncommon, or they are clustered. Cerulean Warblers are often found in loose groups and they may or may not be present in what we deem to be ‘appropriate habitat’. For this reason, we can increase our chance of detecting them, when present, through use of a line transect.”1

Figure 1. Line Transect Visual

Check 50-100 column

Check 0 column

Check 25-50 column

WEWA Check 50-100 column

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WHO, WHEN AND HOW TO CONDUCT TRANSECTS

Survey Period: Between May 20th and June 30th

Time: between sunrise and 10 AM. (NOTE: START TIME FOR SURVEY SHOULD BE NO LATER THAN 7:00 AM TO ALLOW AMPLE TIME FOR SAMPLING). THE ONLY TWO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS TIME FRAME AND PROTOCOL WOULD BE:

1. BIRDERS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO JUST WANT TO EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND REPORT THEIR OBSERVATIONS OF CERULEANS AND/OR OTHER TARGET SPECIES WHEN OUT BIRDING; WITHOUT ENGAGING IN OTHER FORMS OF DATA COLLECTION, REGARDLESS OF THE TIME OF DAY.

2. APPALACHIAN TRAIL HIKERS WHO MIGHT JUST WANT TO LISTEN FOR AND

REPORT CERULEAN WARBLERS DETECTED WHILE HIKING THE TRAIL; WITHOUT ENGAGING IN OTHER FORMS OF DATA COLLECTION, REGARDLESS OF THE TIME OF DAY.

Who: Citizen Scientists of all ages who have completed training and/or are joining a survey group with skilled birders, and skilled birders who are comfortable with the protocol.

Weather: conduct surveys only in fair weather (i.e. “good visibility, little or no precipitation, light winds. Occasional light drizzle or a very brief shower may not affect bird activity but fog, steady drizzle, or prolonged rain should be avoided.”) (source:https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/participate/instructions.html#ACCEPTABLE) Survey Protocol: Please review Appendix A: Prior to “Strolling for Ceruleans”

Please review Appendix B: Bird & Tree Identification Resource Packet

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You should plan to arrive at your survey location at or near sunrise, or no later than 7:00 am, in order to maximize the amount of productive singing hours you can capture.

Fill in the top of the data sheet with all relevant information and note the start time (when you actually begin walking the transect).

Walk slowly along the transect, stopping occasionally to look and listen for birds.

There is no set rule for how fast one should travel, but you should walk at least 1km (0.62 mi)/hour. Maps where cerulean have been detected will have a Cerulean Warbler symbol below the section header. However, many of the map sections have not been formally surveyed for birds so it is important to also “Stroll for Ceruleans” in as many of these areas as possible.

Mentally envision the trail as a line that extends through the center of a ‘strip’ of

habitat on either side of you (See Figure 1).

Further divide the habitat on each side of the line into distance ‘bins’ of 0-25 m, 25-50 m, 50-100m and >100 m (see Figure 1).

Whenever you see or hear a Cerulean Warbler (and/or associated species), record its

location in the appropriate distance bin (column). If multiple individuals of a species and/or more than one species type in a given area are detected, then please enter each bird species per row (see Appendix C: Sample Data Sheet).

Optional – If you have a “Recording App” on your phone, consider recording the cerulean warblers you hear. Likewise, if you hear a bird you are not certain about with respect to its identification, consider recording the song/call.

It is important to note that this distance is not how far the bird is away from you, but rather the perpendicular distance from the bird to the center-line of the trail, road or path you are on.

Note on your data sheet how the bird was detected. (A = Auditory, V = Visual, B = Both)

Gather latitude, longitude and elevation data. You have four options of identifying where bird species are detected:

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Option #1: If you have a GPS unit, please mark the location in the GPS and record the coordinates on the data sheet. You may also record elevation from the GPS. Option #2: If you have a smartphone, you might want to download the TrackKit app to record your coordinates/elevation (and even take photos!) (See Appendix A to learn how to download TrackKit and Appendix E to learn how to use TrackKit). Option #3: If you have a smartphone with a compass feature or app, please use this to record the coordinates. (See Appendix A for instructions on how to use the compass feature on an i-Phone.)

Option #4: If you have neither device, please estimate and mark point of observation on your map.

After recording this information, take a minute to survey the habitat around you and

record the VEGETATION and STRUCTURE components you see, using the habitat code sheet. PLEASE record the TWO MOST DOMINANT habitat components for each point where one of the key species is detected (see Appendix C).

Record BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATON using the behavioral code key (see Appendix C).

Continue strolling for Ceruleans and associated species, being careful not to double-

count individuals. At the completion of your survey route, note the end time at the top of the sheet.

Please submit a data sheet (preferably within 48 hours of your survey) even if you do

not observe any Ceruleans or associated species. Knowing what areas are not being used by Ceruleans furthers our understanding of this species, as well as associated species habitat preferences.

ALL DATA SHEETS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 5TH, 2016.

How to Submit your Data

You have four options to submit your data.

1. Drop off at Kent Land Trust Office (insert data sheets into mail slot in door).

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170 Kent Rd, Kent, CT 06757

2. Drop off at N.M. Watson Wild Bird Supply at Kent Green.

4 Landmark Lane, Kent Green Shopping Center

3. Scan or photograph data sheets and email copies to:

laurie.doss@marvelwood.org

4. Enter your observations into e-Bird and share your data with the group page. (see Appendix D)

User Name: KENTCT

References 1 National Park Service Avian Line Transect Protocol. http://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/upload/CERW_IBA_Line_Transect_Protocol.pdf. Downloaded on March 2016.

2 BirdLife International. 2012. Dendroica cerulea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T22721740A39855975. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22721740A39855975.en. Downloaded on 16 March 2016. 3. Hamel, P. B. 2000. Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea). In The Birds of North America, No. 557 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Revised May 21, 2016