Modeling detection probability to improve marsh bird surveys in southern Canada and the Great Lakes states

Tozer, Douglas C.; Drake, Kiel L.; Falconer, C. Myles

doi:10.5751/ace-00875-110203

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…For groups where the null model was ranked ΔAIC c ≤ 2, we selected no covariates. In addition to linear univariate effects of date, temperature, and daylight in the detection process, we also considered models with quadratic effects for these covariates (Tozer et al 2016, 2017). In the final step, we considered models representing all possible combinations of influential covariates and selected the model ranked highest (ΔAIC c = 0) as the best model for inference.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species‐Habitat Relationships and Priority Areas for Marsh‐Breeding Birds in Ontario

et al. 2020

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Populations of marsh-breeding birds have declined throughout the southern Laurentian Great Lakes basin. To advance conservation of these species, we used occupancy modeling, a regional prioritization scheme, and data from Birds Canada's Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program (2016)(2017)(2018) to describe species-habitat relationships and identify priority habitat areas for 7 obligate marsh-breeding bird species in southern Ontario, Canada: American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), common gallinule (Gallinula galeata), least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris), pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), sora (Porzana carolina), and Virginia rail (Rallus limicola). Given these species respond to land cover at widely varying spatial scales, we initially identified the most informative scale (buffer = 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1,600 m, 3,200 m, or 6,400 m) for marsh, urban, agricultural, and forest cover to increase model performance. We also considered climate variables, whether sample sites were along a Great Lakes coastline or inland, and covariates influencing detection. Occupancy was best explained by land cover at a wide range of spatial scales depending on the species. All species except Virginia rail responded positively to marsh cover; American bittern and Virginia rail responded negatively to urban cover; least bittern, pied-billed grebe, and Virginia rail responded negatively and sora responded positively to agricultural cover; and American bittern, common gallinule, marsh wren, and pied-billed grebe responded negatively and Virginia rail responded positively to forest cover. Only American bittern responded negatively to mean May-June temperature; only pied-billed grebe responded positively to start of growing season; and only Virginia rail had higher occupancy at inland marshes compared to coastal. We combined predictions from the best model for each of 5 species with reasonably good model fit (we excluded sora and Virginia rail) to identify priority habitat areas for marsh-breeding birds. Expansion of wetland conservation work from existing priority areas based on waterfowl to also include these new additional priority areas based on marsh-breeding birds will be an important step towards conservation of all birds, and will help slow or maybe even reverse declining population trends. Some restoration activities outside but adjacent to priority areas will also be important for rebuilding marshes for these species across this intensively farmed and developed region.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species‐Habitat Relationships and Priority Areas for Marsh‐Breeding Birds in Ontario

et al. 2020

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“…Many of these programs also record data regardless of whether certain species were detected or not, following protocols specifically designed to maximize detections of species of interest (Conway ). Such protocols include restrictions on the time of day and season, type of weather, and the amount of background noise that is acceptable during surveys (Tozer et al ). They also include requirements on the minimum number of visits per survey location, and the total duration of each survey, plus some use standardized call broadcasts to increase the probability of detection of especially elusive species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Koch et al ) to construct SDMs. These data spanned 1995–2015 and were collected under a slightly modified version of the Standardized North American Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocol (Tozer et al ), which included the use of standardized call broadcasts of sora, yellow rail, and Virginia rail during point counts to increase detection probability (Conway ). We collapsed the dataset so the response was the highest count at each point across all years.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using citizen science monitoring data in species distribution models to inform isotopic assignment of migratory connectivity in wetland birds

Fournier

Drake

Tozer

2017

Journal of Avian Biology

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Stable isotopes have been used to estimate migratory connectivity in many species. Estimates are often greatly improved when coupled with species distribution models (SDMs), which temper estimates in relation to occurrence. SDMs can be constructed using point locality data from a variety of sources including extensive monitoring data typically collected by citizen scientists. However, one potential issue with SDM is that these data often have sampling bias. To avoid this potential bias, we created SDMs based on marsh bird monitoring program data collected by citizen scientists and other participants following protocols specifically designed to maximize detections of species of interest at locations representative of larger areas of inference. We then used the SDMs to refine isotopic assignments of breeding areas of autumn‐migrating and wintering sora Porzana carolina, Virginia rail Rallus limicola, and yellow rail Coturnicops noveboracensis based on feathers collected from individuals caught at various locations in the United States from Minnesota south to Louisiana and South Carolina. Sora were assigned to an area that included much of the western U.S. and prairie Canada, covering parts of the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi waterfowl Flyways. Yellow rails were assigned to a broad area along Hudson and James Bay in northern Manitoba and Ontario, as well as smaller parts of Québec, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, including parts of the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways. Virginia rails were from several discrete areas, including parts of Colorado, New Mexico, the central valley of California, and southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the Pacific and Central Flyways. Our study demonstrates extensive data from organized citizen science monitoring programs are especially useful for improving isotopic assignments of migratory connectivity in birds, which can ultimately lead to better informed management decisions and conservation actions.

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“…Many of these programs also record data regardless of whether certain species were detected or not, following protocols specifically designed to maximize detections of species of interest (e.g., Conway 2011). Such protocols include restrictions on the time of day and season, type of weather, and the amount of background noise that is acceptable during surveys (e.g., Tozer et al 2016). They also include requirements on the minimum number of visits per survey location, and the total duration of each survey, plus some use standardized call broadcasts to increase the probability of detection of especially elusive species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We used count data from 7,146 100-m-radius plots surveyed largely by citizen scientists and other participants in Bird Studies Canada’s Great Lakes, Québec, and Prairie marsh monitoring programs (Bird Studies Canada 2017a; Tozer 2013, 2016) available through Nature Counts (Bird Studies Canada 2017b), and by observers in the North American Marsh Bird Monitoring Program at various National Wildlife Refuges available from the Midwest Avian Data Center (Figure 1; Koch et al 2010) to construct SDMs. These data spanned 1995-2015 and were collected under a slightly modified version of the Standardized North American Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocol (e.g., Tozer et al 2016), which included the use of standardized call broadcasts of Sora, Yellow Rail, and Virginia Rail during point counts to increase detection probability (Conway 2011). We collapsed the dataset so the response was the highest count at each point across all years.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using citizen science monitoring data in species distribution models to inform isotopic assignment of migratory connectivity in wetland birds

Fournier

Drake

Tozer

2017

Preprint

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11Stable isotopes have been used to estimate migratory connectivity in many species. Estimates are often 12 greatly improved when coupled with species distribution models (SDMs), which temper estimates in 13 relation to occurrence. SDMs can be constructed using from point locality data from a variety of sources 14 including extensive monitoring data typically collected by citizen scientists. However, one potential issue 15 with SDM is that these data oven have sampling bias. To avoid this potential bias, an approach using 16SDMs based on marsh bird monitoring program data collected by citizen scientists and other participants 17 following protocols specifically designed to maximize detections of species of interest at locations 18 representative of the species range. We then used the SDMs to refine isotopic assignments of breeding

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Modeling detection probability to improve marsh bird surveys in southern Canada and the Great Lakes states

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

Species‐Habitat Relationships and Priority Areas for Marsh‐Breeding Birds in Ontario

Species‐Habitat Relationships and Priority Areas for Marsh‐Breeding Birds in Ontario

Using citizen science monitoring data in species distribution models to inform isotopic assignment of migratory connectivity in wetland birds

Using citizen science monitoring data in species distribution models to inform isotopic assignment of migratory connectivity in wetland birds

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