Bird-habitat relationships in subalpine riparian shrublands of the Central Rocky Mountains

Abstract

Breeding birds were counted in 1982, 1983, and 1984 using the spot-map method on seven 8.1-ha plots In the Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming. At elevations of 2,280 to 3,000 m, riparian habitats were structurally simple, dominated by one or more bush willow species. Subalpine riparian avifaunas were depauperate with only four abundant species - song sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, Lincoln's sparrow, and Wilson's warbler. Habitat requirements overlapped among these species but differed significantly from randomly-sampled habitat in the same areas. Results indicated that species preferred densely-foliated ground and shrub layers, and higher effective vegetation height. Factors complicating efforts to characterize bird-habitat relationships are discussed.

Parent Publication

• Management of subalpine forests: Building on 50 years of research

Citation

Finch, Deborah M. 1987. Bird-habitat relationships in subalpine riparian shrublands of the Central Rocky Mountains. In: Troendle, Charles A.; Kaufmann, Merrill R.; Hamre, R. H.; Winokur, Robert P., tech. coords. Management of subalpine forests: Building on 50 years of research. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-149. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. p. 167-172.