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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Area Manager <br />DRAFT <br /> <br />33 <br /> <br />Rangewide Trend. When the flycatcher was listed as endangered in 1995, approximately 350 <br />territories were known to exist (Sogge et al. 2001). As of the 2001 breeding season, the <br />minimum known number of flycatchers was 986 territories. These numbers do not include <br />flycatchers suspected to occur on some Tribal and private lands. Though much suitable habitat <br />remains to be surveyed, the rate of discovery of new nesting pairs has recently leveled off (Sogge <br />et al. 2001). An estimated additional 200 to 300 nesting pairs may remain undiscovered, <br />yielding an estimated total population of I ,200 to 1,300 pairs/territories. In 2002, the total <br />number of territories was 1,153, although this number contains a few sites where territories do <br />not currently exist (Sogge et al. 2003). <br /> <br />Unitt (1987) estimated that the total flycatcher population may be 500 to 1000 pairs; thus, nearly <br />a decade of intense survey efforts have found little more than slightly above the upper end of <br />Unitt's estimate. The surveys of the I 990s have been valuable in developing a rangewide <br />population estimate, but cannot identify a rangewide trend over that period. However, some <br />local trends may be evident, as discussed below. <br /> <br />New Mexico Distribution and Abundance. Unitt (1987) considered New Mexico as the <br />state with the greatest number of E. t. extimus remaining. After reviewing the historic status of <br />the flycatcher and its riparian habitat in New Mexico, Hubbard (1987) concluded, "[it] is <br />virtually inescapable that a decrease has occurred in the population of breeding flycatchers in <br />New Mexico over historic time. This is based on the fact that wooded sloughs and similar <br />habitats have been widely eliminated along streams in New Mexico, largely as a result of the <br />activities of rnan in the area." Unitt (1987), Hubbard (1987), and more recent survey efforts have <br />documented very smaIl numbers and/or extirpation in New Mexico on the San Juan River (San <br />Juan County), near Zuni (McKinley County), Blue Water Creek (Cibola County), and Rio <br />Grande (Dona Ana County and Socorro County). Surveys and monitoring from 1993-1995 <br />documented approximately 173 to 214 flycatcher territories in 8 drainages. Parker (1997) <br />documented 138 territories along the Gila River in Grant County in 1996 and 174 territories in <br />1997. Parker asserted that the results of four consecutive years of population surveys conducted <br />along the Gila River (64 pairs in 1994, 107 pairs in 1995, 138 pairs in 1996, 174 pairs in 1997) <br />show an expansion in this population. However, Skaggs (1996) saw no evidence of population <br />trends because differences in survey objectives, methods, area, and levels of effort made <br />comparisons inappropriate. Net increases may be due to an increased level of survey effort. <br />Even though conclusions about population trend cannot be made without repeated and <br />methodologically consistent surveys over a span of 5 to 10 years, the various surveys clearly <br />indicate the area has been and remains a significant regional stronghold for the species (Skaggs <br />1996). <br /> <br />In New Mexico, flycatchers have been observed in the Rio Grande, Chama, Canadian, Zuni, San <br />Francisco, San Juan and Gila River drainages. Flycatchers were reported at Elephant Butte State <br />Park in the I 970s; the majority nesting in salt cedar, although the exact location of the sightings <br />was not reported (Hundertmark 1978, Hubbard 1987). Available habitat and overall numbers of <br />flycatchers have declined Statewide. In recent years, breeding pairs have been found within the <br />Middle Rio Grande Project action area from Elephant Butte Reservoir upstream to the vicinity of <br />