Streamside Bird Monitoring in Bluestone National Scenic River

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) - the most abundant bird species at Bluestone National Scenic River point count stations. Photo © Bill Thompson.

A new report from the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network summarizes the first 10 years (2009 to 2019) of monitoring the streamside bird community at Bluestone National Scenic River. During that time period 12 observers conducted 348 point count surveys detecting 2,307 individual birds at 16 point count stations within the park.

Bluestone National Scenic River contains a rich and diverse streamside bird community with a total of 60 species detected; 47 of which were target species and presumed to be breeding in the park during summer months. The vast majority were forest-associated species dominated by forest-interior species whose life-histories depend on large tracts of mature, unfragmented, deciduous forest.

Twenty species overall and four of the five most abundant species were of conservation importance in the Appalachian Mountains bird conservation region (Figure 1). It is notable that the most abundant species at the park were also the top conservation priorities regionally, highlighting the significance of Bluestone National Scenic River and the surrounding forested landscape to avian conservation.

Trends in abundance over the period of monitoring were assessed for the 47 species in the target population. Of those species, 38 (81%) appear to be stable or increasing and 9 (19%) appear to be declining during the period of monitoring.

Twenty most abundant streamside bird species at Bluestone National Scenic River point count stations from 2009–2019. Bars represent the unadjusted mean birds per point (+1SD) across all years of monitoring. *Species of regional conservation importance.

Bluestone National Scenic River was one of several parks in the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network where most species exhibited stable or increasing population trends including many species of regional conservation importance; this was one of the more significant findings of the monitoring program to date and an encouraging sign in the face of recent overwhelming evidence of dramatic declines in bird populations.

This report provides the first information regarding long-term population trends of breeding birds in Bluestone National Scenic River. Continued monitoring will provide new insights and future analyses will explore specific factors linked to population trends. As anthropogenic land use and climate change continue to reshape the Appalachian landscape, park managers will need this information to best allocate effort that aligns with regional conservation planning and other park priorities.

Report Citation:

Marshall, M. R. 2021. Streamside bird monitoring in the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network: Bluestone National Scenic River 2009–2019. Natural Resource Report NPS/ERMN/NRR—2021/2323. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2288128.

For more information, contact the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network Program Manager, Matt Marshall.