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The Bird and The Stream: What do Riparian Areas Mean to Birds?. Birds are cool. Do you know what part-time Montana avian resident has the longest migration route?
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The Bird and The Stream:What do Riparian Areas Mean to Birds?
Birds are cool... • Do you know what part-time Montana avian resident has the longest migration route? • The Wandering Albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird in the world at 11 FEET! Can you guess what bird has the longest wingspan in Montana? • The Brown-headed Cowbird: A Real Avian “Rustler”
Bird ID – a 5 step process Habitat Bird shape Field marks (not just color!) Behavior Songs & calls
Bird ID – a 5 step process Habitat- different birds live in different places Shape & posture of the bird Plumage and color- using field marks you can ID a bird in a flash! Behavior- how is the bird foraging? Songs and calls- many birds literally sing out their names!
Definitions of “Riparian” and “Habitat” • Riparian:Describes the area next to a stream, river, creek or other small body of water • Habitat:The physical location or type of environment in which a plant or animal lives. A home.
What percent of Montana’s landscape is riparian? TWO PERCENT (2%) • What percent of Montana’s bird species breed in riparian areas? SIXTY PERCENT (60%)
Warning: Riparian Birds Declining • Great Blue Herons down 81% • Blue-winged Teal down 72% • Killdeer down 80% • Belted King Fisher down 88% What should this tell us???
Threats to Montana’s Riparian Areas • Residential Development • Urban Pollution • Extractive Industries (Mining, logging, etc.) • Infrastructure development/improvements • Global Climate Change
What caused the major damages to the Upper Clark Fork basin?
Heavy Metals and Arsenic • Highly Acidic Soils (Acid Rock or Mine Drainage) • Constant toxic threats to the environment • Low insect/fish populations • Severely limited/damaged plant communities
Bird Banding at Grant-Kohrs Ranch:Looking at Birds in a Damaged Riparian Habitat
Bird ID – a 5 step process Habitat- different birds live in different places Shape & posture of the bird Plumage and color- using field marks you can ID a bird in a flash! Behavior- how is the bird foraging? Songs and calls- many birds literally sing out their names!
Identifying birds by shape Fowl Raptors Waterfowl & marsh birds
Identifying birds by shape Passerines or songbirds Non-passerine landbirds And bird shapes are just the beginning! You can also look at the bird’s posture, bill type, feet, etc...
Bird ID – a 5 step process Habitat- different birds live in different places Shape & posture of the bird Plumage and color- using field marks you can ID a bird in a flash! Behavior- how is the bird foraging? Songs and calls- many birds literally sing out their names!
Learning the field marks... • Names of field marks are precise • However-- multiple names for the same part do exist...
Bird ID – a 5 step process Habitat- different birds live in different places Shape & posture of the bird Plumage and color- using field marks you can ID a bird in a flash! Behavior- how is the bird foraging? Songs and calls- many birds literally sing out their names!
Bird ID – a 5 step process Habitat- different birds live in different places Shape & posture of the bird Plumage and color- using field marks you can ID a bird in a flash! Behavior- how is the bird foraging? Songs and calls - many birds literally sing out their names!
Least Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher
AmericanGoldfinch Says “potato chip” really fast
Quiz time! Open your eyes and your ears as we try to match birds to their calls…
Willow Flycatcher American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Yellow Warbler
Song Sparrow Birdsong 1 Birdsong 4 Birdsong 2 Birdsong 3
American Robin Red-Naped Sapsucker Brown-Headed Cowbird American Goldfinch
Birdsong 1 Birdsong 2 Birdsong 3 Cedar Waxwing Birdsong 4
Black-Capped Chickadee Red-Naped Sapsucker Brown-Headed Cowbird Common Yellowthroat
American Goldfinch Birdsong 1 Birdsong 2 Birdsong 3 Birdsong 4