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- Title
Mountain Plovers in Oklahoma: distribution, abundance, and habitat use.
- Authors
McConnell, Scott; O'Connell, Timothy J.; Leslie Jr., David M.; Shackford, John S.
- Abstract
Mountain Plover ( Charadrius montanus) populations are inefficiently sampled by Breeding Bird Surveys. As a result, targeted sampling of select populations of this species (with an estimated global population of 11,000–14,000 birds) can be valuable. Our objectives were to determine the breeding distribution and estimate the size of the Mountain Plover population in Oklahoma. We conducted a randomized point count survey in an area where Mountain Plovers were previously known to breed and conducted additional surveys over a larger area to better delimit the distribution. We used a removal model to estimate detection probability for raw counts obtained from 1104 point counts in 2004 and 2005, and derived a state-level population estimate using the detection-adjusted counts. Mountain Plovers used flat, bare, cultivated fields for nesting, and their distribution was closely tied to the presence of clay loam soils. We estimated that at least 68–91 Mountain Plovers bred in Oklahoma in 2004–2005. The low breeding density we observed may be due to the location of our study area near the southeastern edge of the breeding range of these plovers, the low-quality habitat provided by cultivated landscapes, or a combination of factors. Because the number of birds is small, the status of the Oklahoma population is not likely to have a large effect on the global population. However, additional information is needed to help determine if cultivated landscapes represented population sources or sinks.
- Subjects
OKLAHOMA; PLOVERS; CHARADRIIDAE; SHORE birds; HABITATS; ANTHROPOGENIC effects on nature
- Publication
Journal of Field Ornithology, 2009, Vol 80, Issue 1, p27
- ISSN
0273-8570
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1557-9263.2009.00202.x