REV10501

• Permit No: C1981071
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Date: 4/6/1987
• Doc Name: Final Report Bird-Vegetation Associations
• Type & Sequence: PR1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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warblers, MacGillivray's warblers, westerr. tanagers, dark-eyed
juncos, and brown-headed cowbirds) were observed on aspen and
mountain shrub habitats but were absent from reclaimed sites;
whereas sapsuckers, woodpeckers, western wood-pewees, tree
swallows, hermit thrushes, and yellow-rumped warblers were found
only on aspen habitats. Although total bird density was greater
on aspen than interior aspen habitats, only western wood-pewees,
house wrens, and downy woodpeckers were more numerous on aspen
habitats.
Total bird density on aspen habitats was high in 1985 and is
compared in Table 5 with densities found in 1986. Downy
woodpeckers, yellow-rumped warblers, western tanagers, and
Cassin's finches were more numerous in 1985 than in 1986.
Although considerable differences occurred in species such as
house wrens and warbling vireos, the difference was not
significant (P=0.05).
Bird densities on the two reclaimed sites were very similar
between years, and only white-crowned sparrows (a very law
density bird) indicated a difference between years (Table 6).
Bird densities on aspen and reclaimed sites for 1985-86 are
compared in Table 7. Fourteen bird species were more abundant on
aspen, whereas four were more abundant on reclaimed sites. Birds
of seven guilds were more abundant on aspen, while ground
nesters-ground feeders were similar on both habitats.
The number of aspen trees/acre was moderately correlated with
the number of serviceberry (r=0.60) and chokeberry (r=0.57)
trees. Several species of birds had correlation coefficients
(r>0.50) with all three habitat variables (table 8). This
probably indicates the importance of multi-layer canopies in bird
communities. Gambel oak was negatively correlated with aspen
(r=-0.30). Six species of birds had correlation coefficients
(r>0.50) with the number of oak trees/acre and probably reflect a
preference for oak habitats. Only three species of birds
indicated a preference for high forage production; vesper sparrow
(r=0.76), song sparrow (r=0.57), and western meadowlark (r=0.56).
CONCLUSION
There was mottle difference~in bird species densities on
reclaimed and aspen si es in 1985 and 1986, and the results of
this study should provide information relating to bird
composition changes if the aspen on Little Middle Creek is
removed. Data are presented on bird densities on reclaimed,
aspen, and mountain shrub habitats.
If the aspen is removed and reclamation is similar to the
reclaimed sites, habitat for several birds would-be affected.
The tree pads within the reclaimed sites provided some habitat
for several woodland birds (American kestrel, northern flicker,
American crow, house wren, mountain bluebird, and American