Bird Community Monitoring at Pipestone National Monument

Bobolink perched on a prairie plant at Pipestone National Monument.

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Map of the Prairie Potholes Bird Conservation Region.

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Birds are an important part of the world we live in. Birds eat pests, disperse seeds, pollinate plants, feed us, and provide us with recreational activities. Park interpretive programs often feature birds because of the enjoyment they provide. Birds are also great indicators of environmental change. Birds serve as the "canary in the coal mine" so to speak for an ecosystem. Unfortunately many birds like the Northern Bobwhite are declining in numbers.

Scientists measure changes in bird numbers and habitat to determine the health of bird communities. They survey birds in the park during the breeding season. They also survey habitat structure and composition during this time. Together, the data helps researchers to determine responses of birds to their habitat. Regional surveys are also studied to determine local vs. regional trends.

Table of Birds Recorded during Survey

Bird species recorded during breeding bird surveys at Pipestone NM, Minnesota in 2009 through 2017. The American Ornithologists’ Union Code (AOU code) and residency status of each species is given. Bolded species names are those species considered of regional concern for the Prairie Potholes Bird Conservation Region (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2008).

Common name	Species name	AOU code	Residency1
American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	AMCR	R
American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	AMGO	R
American Restart	Setophaga ruticilla	AMRE	SR
American Robin	Turdus migratorius	AMRO	R
Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula	BAOR	SR
Bank Swallow	Riparia riparia	BANS	SR
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	BARS	SR
Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	BEKI	SR
Black and White Warbler	Mniotilta varia	BAWW	SR
Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	BCCH	R
Blackpoll Warbler	Setophaga striata	BLPW	M
Black Tern	Chlidonias niger	BLTE	SR
Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	BLJA	R
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Polioptila caerulea	BGGN	SR
Blue Grosbeak	Passerina caerulea	BLGR	SR
Blue-headed Vireo	Vireo solitarius	BHVI	M
Blue-winged Teal	Anas discors	BWTE	SR
Bobolink	Dolichonyx oryzivorus	BOBO	SR
Brewer’s Blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	BRBL	O
Brown Thrasher	Toxostoma rufum	BRTH	SR
Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	BHCO	SR
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	CAGO	SR
Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	CEDW	R
Cerulean Warbler	Setophaga cerulea	CERW	M
Chimney Swift	Chaetura pelagica	CHSW	SR
Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	CHSP	SR
Clay-colored Sparrow	Spizella pallida	CCSP	SR
Common Grackle	Quiscula quiscula	COGR	SR
Common Nighthawk	Chordeiles minor	CONI	SR
Common Yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas	COYE	SR
Cooper’s Hawk	Accipiter cooperii	COHA	R
Dickcissel	Spiza americana	DICK	SR
Double-crested Cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus	DCCO	SR
Downy Woodpecker	Picoides pubescens	DOWO	R
Eastern Kingbird	Tyrannus tryannus	EAKI	SR
Eastern Meadowlark	Sturnella magna	EAME	O
Eastern Phoebe	Sayornis phoebe	EAPH	SR
Eastern Towhee	Pipilo erythrophthalmus	EATO	SR
European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	EUST	R
Field Sparrow	Spizella pusilla	FISP	SR
Grasshopper Sparrow	Ammodramus savannarum	GRSP	SR
Gray Catbird	Dumetella carolinensis	GRCA	SR
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	GBHE	SR
Great Crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus crinitus	GCFL	SR
Green Heron	Butorides virescens	GRHE	SR
Hairy Woodpecker	Picoides villosus	HAWO	R
Henslow’s Sparrow	Ammodramus henslowii	HESP	SR
Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	HOLA	R
House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	HOFI	R
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	HOSP	SR
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon	HOWR	SR
Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	KILL	SR
Lapland Longspur*	Calcarius lapponicus	LALO	WR
Least Bittern	Ixobrychus exilis	LEBI	SR
Least Flycatcher	Empidonax minimus	LEFL	SR
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	MALL	R
Marsh Wren	Cistothorus palustris	MAWR	SR
Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	MODO	R
Nashville Warbler	Leiothlypis ruficapilla	NAWA	M
Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	YSFL	R
Northern Harrier	Circus cyaneus	NOHA	R
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis	NRWS	SR
Northern Shoveler	Anas clypeata	NSHO	SR
Orchard Oriole	Icterus spurius	OROR	SR
Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	RTHA	R
Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaitus phoeniceus	RWBL	SR
Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	RPHE	R
Rock Dove	Columba livia	RODO	R
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Archilochus colubris	RTHU	M
Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	SAVS	SR
Sedge Wren	Cistothorus platensis	SEWR	SR
Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	SOSP	R
Sora	Porzana carolina	SORA	SR
Swainson’s Hawk	Buteo swainsoni	SWHA	SR
Tennessee Warbler	Leiothlypis peregrina	TEWA	M
Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	TRES	SR
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	TUVU	SR
Upland Sandpiper	Bartramia longicauda	UPSA	SR
Vesper Sparrow	Pooecetes gramineus	VESP	SR
Warbling Vireo	Vireo gilvus	WAVI	SR
Western Kingbird	Tyrannus verticalis	WEKI	SR
Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta	WEME	SR
White-crowned Sparrow*	Zonotrichia leucophrys	WCSP	M
Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	WITU	R
Willow Flycatcher	Empidonax traillii	WIFL	SR
Wilson’s Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	WIWA	M
Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	WODU	SR
Yellow Warbler	Setophaga petechia	YWAR	SR
Yellow-breasted Chat	Icteria virens	YBCH	O
Yellow-headed Blackbird	Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus	YHBL	SR
Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	MYWA	SR
Yellow-throated Vireo	Vireo flavifrons	YTVI	SR

* Species recorded only while traveling between survey plots or at other times outside of 5-min survey periods.

¹ Residency status: SR = summer resident; R = year around resident; WR = winter resident; M = late season migrant; O = outside of normal range (Janssen et al. 2003).

Species names are valid and verified names taken from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System web site (ITIS 2017).

Trends in bird community richness at Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota from 2009 through 2017.

NPS

Scientists recorded 92 bird species in the park over the last 9 years. Eighty of the bird species are breeding species. Six of the bird species are of concern for the region. The Bobolink, Clay-colored Sparrow, and Common Grackle were common species. A total of 12 species were common enough to calculate trends in their numbers. Six of the species on the park had increasing numbers. The remaining species had stable populations. Within the region, four species had increasing numbers. One species had a declining population. The remaining species in the region had uncertain population trends. Most populations on the park are doing as well or better than the region. Unchanging species richness suggests habitat on the park has remained similar across years.

Comparison of bird population trends from Pipestone NM, Minnesota, (2009 through 2017) with those of the larger Prairie Potholes Bird Conservation Region (2005 through 2015). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.

NPS

Bird population changes may reflect habitat management activities. For that reason scientists track changes in bird populations and habitat over time. This improves the parks efforts to manage habitat for birds. Preserving habitat for birds preserves entire ecosystems for the benefit of all species.

View the Full Report.(pdf)

Visit the Pipestone National Monument Volunteer Bird Monitoring page.

Learn more about the Heartland Inventory & Monitoring Network.


Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols.