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Gildlife <br />Uildlife consists of species associated with the mountain shrub and <br />pi:nyon/juniper vegetation zones. The south escarpment of the North Fork of <br />ttie Gunnison River, below 6800 feet elevation, is considered elk winter <br />range. No critical winter range or winter concentration areas, for deer or <br />el.k, are located on the application area. Critical winter range for elk <br />does exists to the north (USFS maps). <br />Golden eagles use this area as hunting habitat during summer. No nest <br />sites are known co be present at this time. BLM inventories conducted from <br />1978 to 1980 and monitoring flights through 1985, did not locate any nest <br />or roost sites. USFS records do not indicate the presence of any nest <br />sites. However, the potential does exists for some nesting to occur in the <br />future. <br />Black bear use the area particularly in the spring, when green-up <br />first occurs, and in the fall when foods with high carbohydrate <br />co~ncencrations, primarily berries and acorns, are available. <br />A number of other small birds, small mammals, reptiles, and raptors <br />are dependent on the mountain shrub and pinion-juniper habitat types on the <br />review area. Blue grouse have been documented on the area, but no specific <br />portions of the area have been identified as highly important for this <br />species. <br />Eighty-six species of neocrooical birds are known to breed or migrate <br />rewlarly through some par: of Colorado. Recent studies in Colorado <br />conclude that 418 of neotropical migrant bird species are declining in <br />nunioers. Riparian communities followed by Gambel oak communities support <br />the highest number of breeding birds. <br />Riparian areas along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and up the <br />smaller side canyons of this area, such as Box Canyon and Sylvester Gulch, <br />are extremely important for the following bird species of high federal <br />interest: <br />Band-tailed pigeon Levis' woodpecker Flammulated owl <br />Black swift Prairie falcon Williamson's sapsucker <br />Cooper's hawk Uescern bluebird Great blue heron <br />Golden eagle Peregrine falcon Northern Goshawk <br />Loggerhead Shrike Three-coed Aoodpecker <br />These bird species depend heavily on the riparian vegetation, <br />particularly stands of cottonwoods, aspens, and larger Gambel oaks for <br />food, cover, and nesting habitat. Such stands of riparian vegetation <br />pro-Jide islands in the surrounding stands of mountain shrub and <br />pinion-juniper habitat and are very important co these species. <br />The north 'ork of the Gunnison River is habitat for the following <br />species of fish: <br />Rainbow trout <br />Brown trout <br />Bluehead sucker <br />C~ speckled dace <br />CO mottled sculpin ~ • <br />I]escern white sucker ,. <br />13 <br />