town of kiawah island fall migration bird banding report 2009€¦ · town of kiawah island fall...

Town of Kiawah Island Fall Migration Bird Banding

2009 Report

Prepared by:

Aaron M. Given Assistant Wildlife Biologist

Town of Kiawah Island

http://www.kiawahisland.org/default.aspx



Town of Kiawah Island Fall Migration Bird Banding Report 2009


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Town of Kiawah Island completed its first fall season of bird banding in 2009. Two banding stations were operated: Captain Sam’s Banding Station and Cougar Island Banding Station. Both stations combined were operated for 22 days between 23 July and 24 November. A total of 832 birds of 52 species were banded. Migrant species such as the Gray Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-rumped Warbler were banded in relatively high numbers. The Northern Cardinal, a common resident species, was banded at an exceptionally high rate compared to other resident species. A few uncommon species were banded including Blue-winged Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Bicknell’s/Gray-cheeked Thrush. Of all birds banded, 81% of them were hatch-year birds. Three Painted Buntings previously banded with colored bands were captured. These birds were originally banded on Seabrook Island in July 2009 as part of the Painted Bunting Observer Team (PBOT) project. A Common Yellowthroat banded on Kiawah Island on 3 November was recovered dead the following day by a homeowner in Ormond Beach, Florida. Because this was the pilot season, several issues with the study design will be addressed before next season. The major change will be the discontinuation of the Cougar Island Banding Station to allow for increased efforts at the Captain Sam’s Banding Station.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to express gratitude to the Kiawah Conservancy for supporting our project by providing the funding to purchase mist nets, net poles, and other banding supplies and equipment. Additionally, we thank Kiawah Development Partners for allowing access to their property to band birds. We acknowledge the expertise of Chris Snook for helping us get our banding station up and running and devoting his time to assist us through fall migration. We would like to thank Carrie Manson, Will Oakley, and Dave Achey for volunteering their time to assist with our banding project. Front Photo: Painted Bunting (After second-year, Male)



TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 5

STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................................... 5

METHODS .............................................................................................................................................. 6

WEATHER................................................................................................................................................ 7

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (Captain Sam's Banding Station) .................................................................. 7

Banding ......................................................................................................................................... 7

Recaptures .................................................................................................................................... 9

Net Productivity .......................................................................................................................... 11

Paid and Volunteer Hours ........................................................................................................... 12

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (Cougar Island Banding Station) ................................................................. 13

Banding ........................................................................................................................................ 13

Recaptures .................................................................................................................................. 15

Net Productivity .......................................................................................................................... 15

Paid and Volunteer Hours ........................................................................................................... 16

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................ 17

APPENDIX 1 - Summary of Species Captured at the Captain Sam’s Banding Station ............................. 18

APPENDIX 2 - Summary of Species Captured at the Cougar Island Banding Station.............................. 20

APPENDIX 3 - Photographic Highlights .................................................................................................. 22



LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Location of the Captain Sam’s (CSBS) and Cougar Island (CIBS) Banding Stations ................... 6

Figure 2. Number of individuals banded per day during the 2009 fall season at CSBS ........................... 7

Figure 3. Number of species banded per day during the 2009 fall season at CSBS ................................. 8

Figure 4. Net locations at the CSBS ...................................................................................................... 11

Figure 5. Number of individuals banded per day during the 2009 fall season at CIBS .......................... 13

Figure 6. Number of species banded per day during the 2009 fall season at CIBS ............................... 13

Figure 7. Net locations at the CIBS ....................................................................................................... 16

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Top 10 species banded at CSBS ................................................................................................. 8

Table 2. Age and sex of the top 5 species banded at CSBS ..................................................................... 9

Table 3. Top 5 species recaptured at CSBS ............................................................................................. 9

Table 4. Minimum stop-over time of migrants banded at CSBS ........................................................... 10

Table 5. List of returns at CSBS............................................................................................................. 11

Table 6. Net usage and capture rate at the CSBS ................................................................................. 12

Table 7. Paid and volunteers hours spent at CSBS ............................................................................... 12

Table 8. Top 10 species banded at CIBS ............................................................................................... 14

Table 9. Age and sex of the top 5 species banded at CIBS .................................................................... 15

Table 10. Top 5 species recaptured at CIBS .......................................................................................... 15

Table 11. Net usage and capture rate at the CIBS ................................................................................ 16

Table 12. Paid and volunteer hours spent at CIBS ................................................................................ 17



INTRODUCTION In 2008, Town of Kiawah Island wildlife staff designed the Kiawah Island Bird Monitoring Program. The program encompasses several projects which highlight Kiawah Island’s birdlife. The projects include (1) summer point-counts of breeding songbirds, (2) call-playback surveys of breeding marsh birds, (3) nest monitoring of beach-nesting shorebirds, and (4) fall, winter, and spring bird banding. This report will only focus on the bird banding that occurred during the 2009 fall season. The fall of 2009 was the first season of a long-term bird banding project on Kiawah Island. Bird banding on a large scale has never been performed on Kiawah Island before and it will provide valuable data on the species diversity and composition on Kiawah Island. Bird banding is also a significant tool used to assess the health and demographics of bird populations. Important information such as productivity, survivorship, and movements of many species can be attained through a banding program. All banding data collected is submitted to the Bird Banding Laboratory administered by the United States Geological Survey. The goals of fall migration bird banding project on Kiawah Island are to:

Gather baseline information on resident and migratory birds using Kiawah Island.

Collect data to enable long-term monitoring (i.e. population tends) of birds on Kiawah Island.

Monitor fall migration to determine the importance of Kiawah Island as stop-over habitat.

Assess the effects of development on bird populations.

Provide data to better manage habitat and guide future development plans.

Contribute high quality data to the North American Bird Banding Program. STUDY AREA Two banding stations were operated; one at Captain Sam’s Spit and one at Cougar Island. Both stations are located within relatively large patches of undeveloped habitat; however, both are likely to be developed in the near future. Captain Sam’s Spit is a 45 acre strip of old vegetated dune ridges located at the west end of Kiawah Island (32°34’ 57”N, 80° 8’ 21”W). It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, the Kiawah River to the west and north, and the mainland of Kiawah Island to the east. Major habitat types include scrub-shrub and high marsh. The overstory is made up of scattered slash (Pinus elliottii) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and red bay (Persea borbonia). The dense midstory is dominated by wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), sea ox-eye (Borrichia frutescens), marsh elder (Iva frutescens), and briars (Smilax spp.). The understory is dominated by marshhay cordgrass (Spartina patens), sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia filipes), sea lavender (Limonium carolinianum), and dune sandbur (Cenchrus tribuloides). The Captain Sam’s Banding Station (CSBS) is centrally located and encompasses about 10 acres (Figure 1). Cougar Island is a 200 acre patch of unfragmented maritime forest located on the east of Kiawah Island (32°37’6”N, 80°0’54”W). It is bordered by salt marsh on the north and the south, a tidal creek to the east, and the mainland of Kiawah Island to the west. Dominate overstory plant species include loblolly pine, slash pine, cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto), Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum), and live oak (Quercus virginiana). The midstory is composed of wax myrtle, yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), beauty-



berry (Callicarpa americana), and red bay. The understory is sparse and contains very little herbaceous plants. The Cougar Island Banding Station (CIBS) is located within a 2.5 acre old field surrounded by maritime forest (Figure 1). The dominate plant species around the banding station include wax myrtle, dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), beauty-berry and a variety of grasses.

Figure 1. Map of Kiawah Island showing the locations of the 2 Banding Stations. METHODS Banding was conducted once per week (weather permitting) from September through November at both sites. In addition, two preliminary sessions were conducted on 23 July and 27 August at the CSBS. These sessions were used to practice banding techniques and workout any final details before the bulk of the birds began to move through the area. Mist nets (30 mm mesh) were used for all trapping. A standard mist net measures 12 meters long by 2.5 meters high and is made from black nylon material. Nets are stretched between two sections of ½ inch metal conduit and anchored in the ground by guy-lines attached to tent stakes. The conduit was painted brown to help conceal the poles. Nets were systematically placed in areas where significant bird activity was likely to occur. The standard setup for most of the season involved 8-9 nets. Some nets were installed in succession to create one long 24 meter net (a double net) while others were left as single nets. Some nets were not opened every session due to a lack of personnel and or excessive winds. Nets were opened 30 minutes before sunrise and closed approximately 5 hours later. On a few occasions, the nets had to be shut down early because of rain, excessive wind, or an overabundance of birds in the nets. Nets were checked for birds every 30-45 minutes. Captured birds were placed in cloth bags and transported back to the banding table. Birds were fitted with an aluminum leg band and their species, sex, and age were recorded. Morphological measurements including wing chord, fat score, and mass were also recorded. Pictures, if necessary, were taken and the birds were released.



WEATHER Weather can have a great influence on migrating birds, especially during the fall. Birds time their migration with the passage of cold fronts taking advantage of the favorable winds that occur behind the front. There were several cold fronts that passed through Kiawah Island during the 2009 fall season. Most of them were weak and occurred in October. September was exceptionally dry with only 0.48” of precipitation recorded (normal for the month of September is 5.98”). October and November were wetter but still slightly below normal. Wind speed was fairly consistent averaging about 6 mph (range: 0 – 21mph). Wind direction during the month of September originated from the north and east but remained fairly consistent from the north during October and November. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (Captain Sam’s Banding Station) Banding Fourteen banding session were conducted between 23 July and 24 November. Nets were open for a total of 63 hours resulting in 500.0 net-hours (a “net-hour” is a measure of effort and is equal to one standard mist net being operated for one hour). A total of 549 birds of 41 species were banded. Excluding recaptures, a capture rate of 102.6 birds per 100 net-hours was achieved. On two occasions more than 90 birds were banded in a single day (Figure 2). The most successful day was 1 October when 103 birds were banded. The other occurred on 8 October when 97 birds were banded. The mean over 14 days of banding was 39.2 birds per day.

Figure 2. Number of individuals banded per day during the 2009 fall season at the Captain Sam’s banding station, with a running two-session average in black. Species richness among captured birds showed a peak that coincided with the peak in individuals banded (Figure 3.) There were two days when at least 15 species were banded in a single day (the same two days when over 90 birds were banded in a single day). The mean number of species banded (including recaptures) per day was 9.8.

28 16 43 36 9 104 97 60 17 73 19 14 20 13 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

23-J

ul-

09

27-A

ug-

09

10-S

ep-0

9

17-S

ep-0

9

24-S

ep-0

9

1-O

ct-0

9

8-O

ct-0

9

15-O

ct-0

9

22-O

ct-0

9

29-O

ct-0

9

5-N

ov-

09

13-N

ov-

09

18-N

ov-

09

24-N

ov-

09



Figure 3. Number of species banded per day during the 2009 fall season at the Cougar Island banding station, with a running two-session average in black. Gray Catbirds, Common Yellowthroats, and Yellow-rumped Warblers were by far the most numerous species making up 57% of the bandings for the entire fall season (Table 1). A majority (83%) of the Gray Catbirds moved through during a 2 week period from 1 – 15 October. Common Yellowthroats showed a brief spike in numbers during the 2nd week of September when 18 were banded, and then peaked during the 1st week of October when 65 were banded. Yellow-rumped Warblers showed up in force during the last week of October when 42 were banded. Their numbers dropped off during November but remained fairly steady throughout the month. Table 1. Top 10 species banded at the Captain Sam’s Banding Station during the 2009 fall season.

Species Rank # Banded

Gray Catbird 1 123 Common Yellowthroat 2 103 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 87 Northern Cardinal 4 41 Red-eyed Vireo 5 34 White-eyed Vireo 6 20 Prairie Warbler 7 15 Black-throated Blue Warbler 8 14 Carolina Wren 9 10 House Wren 9 10

Twelve species were banded only once: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Veery, Wood Thrush, Blue-winged Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, White-throated Sparrow, and Baltimore Oriole. For some of these species the fact that they were only banded once does not necessarily mean they are rare or uncommon. Larger species such as the Sharp-shinned Hawk and Mourning Dove have a tendency to bounce out of the net and free themselves. For other species such as the Wood Thrush and Veery, the habitat in which the nets are placed may not be ideal for capturing them. As expected, hatch-year individuals represented the majority, accounting for 80.5% of banded birds, while only 16% were after-hatch-year, and 3.5% were of unknown age (Table 2). The skewed ratio of adult to young birds can be explained by the fact that during fall migration, there are many more young

5 8 14 14 5 17 15 12 8 14 4 3 5 6 02468

1012141618

23

-Ju

l-0

9

27-A

ug-

09

10-S

ep-0

9

17-S

ep-0

9

24-S

ep-0

9

1-O

ct-0

9

8-O

ct-0

9

15-O

ct-0

9

22-O

ct-0

9

29-O

ct-0

9

5-N

ov-

09

13-N

ov-

09

18-N

ov-

09

24-N

ov-

09



individuals in the population as a result of the recent breeding season. Another factor that may bias the high capture rate toward young individuals is the hypothesis that inexperienced birds not familiar with the most efficient migration route will follow the coastline rather than migrating over the ocean or more inland. Nevertheless, these data may provide some insight into nesting success from one year to another. For many species, sex cannot be reliable determined outside of the breeding season. This explains why 76% of banded birds could not be identified as either male or female. Some species, such as Common Yellowthroats and American Redstarts, exhibit skewed sex ratios where unknown birds are strongly biased toward females. A minority of hatch-year males lack sexually distinct plumage, but their existence prevents the certain identification of any females. Table 2. Age and Sex of the top 5 species banded, and all species combined during the 2009 fall season at the Captain Sam’s Banding Station.

Species HYa (% of total)

AHYb

(% of total)

Unknown Age

(% of total)

Male (% of total)

Female (% of total)

Unknown Sex

(% of total)

Gray Catbird 114 (93) 9 (7) - - - 123 (100) Common Yellowthroat 83 (80.5) 19 (18.5) 1 (1) 53 (51) 3 (3) 47 (46) Yellow-rumped Warbler

78 (90) 9 (10) - 16 (18) 6 (7) 65 (75)

Northern Cardinal 27 (66) 11 (27) 3 (7) 16 (39) 7 (17) 18 (44) Red-eyed Vireo 32 (94) 2 (6) - - - 34 (100) All Species 442 (80.5) 88 (16)c 19 (3.5) 106 (19) 29 (5) 414 (76) a HY = Hatch Year (bird born during the same calendar year) b AHY = After Hatch Year (adult, bird born at least one calendar year before)

c Includes one SY = Second Year (bird known to be born the previous calendar year)

Recaptures There were 85 recaptures of 13 species during the 2009 fall season. Recaptures are divided into local residents captured repeatedly, and migrant birds captured two or more times during their stopover. Not surprisingly, resident birds were recaptured more frequently than migrants and made up 55% of all recaptures. Among the residents, Northern Cardinals were the most frequently recaptured, while Gray Catbirds were the most commonly recaptured migrant (Table 3). Table 3. Top 5 species recaptured at the Captain Sam’s banding station during the 2009 fall season. In some cases, the same individual was captured multiple times.

Species Rank # recaptures Status

Northern Cardinal 1 29 Resident Gray Catbird 2 17 Migrant Carolina Wren 3 9 Resident Carolina Chickadee 4 8 Resident Common Yellowthroat 5 3 Migrant Red-eyed Vireo 5 3 Migrant



Recaptures are divided into 4 categories: repeats, returns, “foreign” recaptures, and recoveries. Repeats are individuals that were recaptured during the same season in which they were banded. It also includes previously banded individuals captured repeatedly during the same season. Returns are individuals that were recaptured at least one season following banding. “Foreign” recaptures are individuals that are captured and released in a different location (10-minute block) than the location (10-minute block) in which they were banded. Recoveries are any encounter with a dead bird that is banded. There were 82 repeats during the 2009 fall season. The majority of migrants recorded as repeats were recaptured on the same day they were originally banded. However, some individuals remained at the CSBS for a longer period of time, over 3 weeks in some cases (Table 4). Gray Catbirds and Yellow-rumped Warblers had the longest stopover period. Both of these species winter at CSBS, therefore it is possible that some of the individuals banded during the fall will stay during the winter at CSBS. Table 4. List of migrants recaptured with first and last dates of capture, followed by minimum stopover time. Same-day recaptures (birds recaptured on the same day they were originally banded) were excluded.

Species First and Last Date of Capture Minimum stopover time

Gray Catbird 10/08 - 11/05 28 days Gray Catbird 10/15 - 11/05 21 days Yellow-rumped Warbler 11/05 - 11/24 19 days Gray Catbird 10/01 - 10/15 14 days Gray Catbird 10/01 - 10/15 14 days Yellow-rumped Warbler 11/05 - 11/18 13 days Yellow-rumped Warbler 11/13 - 11/24 11 days Gray Catbird 10/15 - 10/22 7 days Gray Catbird 10/15 - 10/22 7 days Painted Bunting 09/10 - 09/17 7 days Painted Bunting 09/10 - 09/17 7 days Red-eyed Vireo 10/01 - 10/08 7 days White-eyed Vireo 10/01 - 10/08 7 days Ruby-crowned Kinglet 11/18 - 11/24 6 days

Because this was the first banding season, there were no returns. Banded birds are infrequently encountered away from the location where they were originally banded. Any reports of “foreign” recaptures are extremely significant. There were 3 “foreign” recaptures during the 2009 fall season (Table 5). All three were Painted Buntings that were originally banded at the same location on Seabrook Island, South Carolina on 7 July 2009. The distance between the original banding location on Seabrook Island and CSBS is only 0.75 miles. The birds were marked with a unique combination of colored bands as part of the Painted Bunting Observer Team (PBOT) project. PBOT marks Painted Buntings with colored bands so they can be easily identified and reported while the birds are feeding at bird feeders in people’s yards.



Table 5. List of “foreign” recaptures during the 2009 fall season. Entries are sorted by elapsed time.

Band Number

Species Age/Sex Original Banding

Date Fall Recapture

Date Time Elapsed

2391-63063 Painted Bunting AHY-M 7 Jul 2009* 1 Oct 2009 2 months, 25 days 2391-63059 Painted Bunting AHY-M 7 Jul 2009* 10 Sep 2009 2 months, 4 days 2391-63064 Painted Bunting SY-M 7 Jul 2009* 10 Sep 2009 2 months, 4 days

* Indicates that these birds were originally banded on Seabrook Island by PBOT Recoveries of passerines are very important and extremely rare. One such recovery occurred from the CSBS during the fall 2009 season. A Common Yellowthroat banded on 3 November 2009 was found dead the following day by a homeowner in Ormond Beach, Florida on 4 November 2009; a straight-line distance of approximately 230 miles. The cause of death was unknown. Net Productivity Eight nets were deployed in 5 locations using a combination of 3 double-nets and 2 single-nets (Figure 4). Nets were placed in scrub/shrub habitat within old vegetated dunes and high marsh. Habitat diversity at the CSBS is fairly low, however the area is dominated by low growing shrubs and trees which is ideal for mist-netting birds.

Figure 4. Location of mist-nets at the Captain Sam’s Banding Station during the 2009 fall season. The overall capture rate for the 2009 fall season was 102.2 new birds per 100 net-hours and an additional 15.9 birds per 100 net-hours were recaptures (Table 6). Interestingly, nets # 2 and # 3 had the highest capture rate despite both being single-nets. Net # 2 was placed in the transitional zone between high marsh and scrub/shrub dunes while net # 3 was place within a scrub/shrub dune. Net # 2



was orientated nearly perpendicular to the dune line while net # 3 was positioned parallel to it. The double-nets of # 13 and # 17 had much lower capture rates compared with the single-nets. Net #1 (also a double-net) was also lower than the single-nets, however, most of the birds were captured in only one section of the net. The double-nets did not seem to increase the capture rate, consequently, double-nets will be eliminated and more single-nets will be used in the 2010 fall season. Table 6. Net usage and capture rate during the 2009 fall season for the Captain Sam’s Banding Station.

Net # Net-Hours New

Captures Recaptures

Total Birds

Birds per 100 net-hours

New Total

1* 126 137 31 168 108.7 133.3 2 63 91 20 111 144.4 176.2 3 61 100 9 109 163.9 178.7

13* 126 89 9 98 70.6 77.8 17* 126 104 13 117 82.5 92.9

Unknown 35 28 3 31 - - Total 537 549 85 634 102.2 118.1

* Indicates a double-net Paid and Volunteer Hours For a banding station to run efficiently, adequate personnel are required. A banding station needs properly trained people to remove birds from the mist nets, correctly age and sex individuals, and safely apply the band to the bird’s leg. Untrained personnel are also valuable as they can record data, take photos, organize banding supplies, and assist in setting up and taking down nets. A total of 185.5 hours were logged by two paid employees and three volunteers at the CSBS during the 2009 fall season (Table 7). Volunteers were those people which took part in the banding operation without being financially compensated. Paid hours were time spent by individuals being paid by the Town of Kiawah Island. Note that the values shown for “hours” only include those spent at the CSBS and do not include the extensive amount of time spent planning, entering and analyzing data, and writing reports. Town of Kiawah Island personnel duties and responsibilities:

Aaron Given – Master permit holder, supervisor of banding station(s), primary bird bander. Also responsible for data entry, data management, data analysis, and report writing.

Jim Jordan – Trained in bird extraction and banding birds, secondary bander. Also responsible for recording data in the field and updating the Town website with current banding totals.

List of bird banding participants and hours contributed at the CSBS: Aaron Given (80.5), Jim Jordan (51), Chris Snook (35.5), Carrie Manson (12.5), Will Oakley (6) Table 7. Hours spent at the Captain Sam’s Banding Station by paid employees and volunteers.

PAID EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERS

# of Individuals Hours # of Individuals Hours

2 131.5 3 54



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (Cougar Island Banding Station) Banding Eight banding sessions were conducted between 8 September and 11 November. Nets were open for a total of 37.5 hours resulting in 258.0 net-hours. A total of 283 birds of 39 species were banded. Excluding recaptures, a capture rate of 109.7 birds per 100 net-hours was achieved. The most successful day was 29 September when 96 birds were banded. This was the only day when over 90 birds were banded in a single day (Figure 5). The next highest day was one week later on 6 October when 44 birds were banded. The mean over 8 days of banding was 35.4 birds per day.

Figure 5. Number of individuals banded per day during the 2009 fall season at the Cougar Island banding station, with a running two-session average in black. Unlike at the CSBS, the peak in species richness among captured birds did not coincide with the peak in individuals banded (Figure 6). There were 3 days when at least 15 species were banded in a single day. The mean number of species banded (including recaptures) per day was 12.8.

18 96 44 35 40 24 22 4 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

8-Se

p-0

9

29-S

ep-0

9

6-O

ct-0

9

14-O

ct-0

9

20-O

ct-0

9

27-O

ct-0

9

3-N

ov-

09

11-N

ov-

09

10 17 19 13 15 12 11 5 02468

101214161820

8-Se

p-0

9

29-S

ep-0

9

6-O

ct-0

9

14-O

ct-0

9

20-O

ct-0

9

27-O

ct-0

9

3-N

ov-

09

11-N

ov-

09



Figure 6. Number of species banded per day during the 2009 fall season at the Cougar Island banding station, with a running two-session average in black. Gray Catbirds, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, and Black-throated Blue Warblers made up 52% of the catch for the entire fall season (Table 8). Gray Catbirds were steady during the entire month of October showing a peak during the 3rd week when 58% of them were banded. There were two spikes in numbers banded for Common Yellowthroats; one during the last week of September and another during the 3rd week of October. Both, American Redstarts and Black-throated Blue Warblers peaked during the last week of September with 73% and 85%, respectively, banded on the same day (29 September). Table 8. Top 10 species banded at the Cougar Island banding station during the 2009 fall season.

Species Rank # banded

Gray Catbird 1 48 Common Yellowthroat 2 39 American Redstart 3 33 Black-throated Blue Warbler 4 27 Northern Cardinal 5 13 Carolina Wren 6 11 Red-eyed Vireo 6 11 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 8 9 Ovenbird 8 9 Palm Warbler 10 8 White-eyed Vireo 10 8

Thirteen species were banded only once: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue Jay, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Wood Thrush, Cape May Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, and White-throated Sparrow. Additionally, a bird of the Gray-cheeked/Bicknell’s Thrush Complex was banded. Gray-cheeked and Bicknell’s Thrushes are extremely difficult to identify, even in the hand. A very specific series of measurements need to be taken to positively identify them to species. For this individual, certain measurements identified it as a Gray-cheeked Thrush however other measurements identified it as a Bicknell’s Thrush. Because there was too much overlap in the measurements a positive identification was uncertain. The Bicknell’s Thrush is a species of highest conservation concern because it has one of the most restrictive breeding and wintering range of any North American bird. Comparable to CSBS, hatch-year individuals represented the majority, accounting for 83% of banded birds, while only 17.5% were after-hatch-year, and 0.5% were of unknown age (Table 9). Also similar to CSBS, a high percentage (72%) of individuals was not able to be sexed. Only 21% were reliably sexed as males and 7% as females.



Table 9. Age and sex of the top 5 species banded, and all species combined during the 2009 fall season at the Cougar Island Banding Station.

Species HYa

(% of total)

AHYb

(% of total)

Unknown Age

(% of total)

Male (% of total)

Female (% of total)

Unknown Sex

(% of total)

Gray Catbird 43 (90) 5 (10) - - - 48 (100) Common Yellowthroat 38 (97) 1 (3) - 17 (44) - 22 (56) American Redstart 31 (94) 2 (6) - 12 (36) - 21 (64) Black-throated Blue Warbler

21 (78) 6 (22) - 12 (44) 15 (56) -

Northern Cardinal 7 (54) 5 (38) 1 (8) 9 (69) 2 (15.5) 2 (15.5) All Species 235 (83) 47 (17.5) 1 (0.5) 59 (21) 20 (7) 204 (72) a HY = Hatch Year (bird born during the same calendar year)

b AHY = After Hatch Year (Adult, bird born at least one calendar year before)

Recaptures There were 25 recaptures of 10 species during the fall season. All recaptures from CIBS are considered repeats and are divided into local residents captured repeatedly, and migrant birds captured two or more times during their stopover. Similar to the CSBS, residents were recaptured more frequently than migrants, but only made up 52% of the repeats. Among residents, Carolina Wrens were recaptured most frequently, while Common Yellowthroats were the most commonly recaptured migrant (Table 10). Table 10. Top 5 species recaptured at the Cougar Island banding station during the 2009 fall season. In some cases, the same individual is captured multiple times.

Species Rank # recaptures Status

Carolina Wren 1 8 Resident Common Yellowthroat 2 4 Migrant Gray Catbird 3 4 Migrant Northern Cardinal 4 3 Resident 6 species 5 1 -

There were no returns, “foreign” recaptures, or recoveries from the CIBS during the fall 2009 season. Net Productivity Nine nets were arranged in 7 locations at the CIBS (Figure 7). A combination of 2 double-nets and 5 single-nets were used. Nets were placed within a small weedy field surrounded by maritime forest.



Figure 7. Location of mist-nets at the Cougar Island Banding Station during the 2009 fall season. The overall capture rate for the 2009 fall season was 109.7 new birds per 100 net-hours and an additional 10.5 birds per 100 net-hours were recaptures (Table 11). Net # 3, a single-net, was exceptional, capturing 82 birds for a capture rate of 224.7 birds per 100 net-hours. Despite net # 1 catching the most birds (94), it did not have the highest capture rate. This is probably due to the fact that net # 1 was a double-net, consequently increasing the amount of effort. Because help was hard to come by at the CIBS, nets # 4, 5, and 7 were only open on days when the adequate personnel were available. Table 11. Net usage and capture rate during the 2009 fall season at the Cougar Island Banding Station.

Net # Net-Hours New Captures Recaptures Total Birds Birds per 100 net-hours

New Total

1 73.0 86 8 94 117.8 128.8 2 75.0 54 4 58 72.0 77.3 3 36.5 78 4 82 213.7 224.7 4 20.5 11 3 14 53.7 68.3 5 16.0 16 0 16 100.0 100.0 6 24.5 29 5 34 118.4 138.8 7 12.5 9 3 12 72.0 96.0

Total 258.0 283 27 310 109.7 120.2

Paid Employee and Volunteer Hours A total of 67 hours were logged by two paid employees and two volunteers at the CIBS during the 2009 fall season (Table 12). Volunteers were those people which took part in the banding operation without being financially compensated. Paid hours were time spent by individuals being paid by the Town of



Kiawah Island. Note that the values shown for “hours” only include those spent at the CIBS and do not include the extensive amount of time spent planning, entering and analyzing data, and writing reports. List of bird banding participants and hours contributed at the Cougar Island Banding Station: Aaron Given (46), Jim Jordan (13), Chris Snook (6), Dave Achey (2) Table 12. Hours spent at the Cougar Island Banding Station by paid employees and volunteers.

PAID EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERS

# of Individuals Hours # of Individuals Hours

2 59 2 8

CONCLUSION The data gathered from banding birds will add to the knowledge of numerous aspects of avian ecology on Kiawah Island, including: species distribution, migration timing, habitat quality, and population. Because 2009 was the pilot season, it is difficult to draw any conclusions from the data collected, however, much was learned. The pilot study allowed a baseline to be established and it provided insight into flaws in the original study design which can be corrected for future seasons. For instance, during the 2009 fall season, two banding stations were operated. Even though the CIBS produced a slightly higher capture rate than CSBS, it will be discontinued and all future banding efforts will be concentrated at the CSBS. The CSBS is situated in an ideal location for banding birds because of its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Kiawah River. Many birds are funneled between the ocean and the river and pass directly through the banding station during migration. The decision to concentrate more effort in one location instead of stretching resources between two will allow for better quality data to be collected. Additionally, development at the CIBS may begin earlier than originally thought.



APPENDIX 1 – Summary of Species Banded at the Captain Sam’s Banding Station



SPECIES BANDED BIRDS RECAPTURES

# of Individuals

Capture Rate (# per 100 net-hours)

# of Individuals


Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 0.2 - -

Mourning Dove 1 0.2 - -

Common Ground-Dove 3 0.6 - -

Downy Woodpecker 1 0.2 - -

Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 0.2 - -

Traill’s Flycatcher 4 0.7 - -

Eastern Phoebe 3 0.6 - -

White-eyed Vireo 20 3.7 2 0.4

Red-eyed Vireo 34 6.3 3 0.6

Carolina Chickadee 7 1.3 8 1.5

Carolina Wren 10 1.9 9 1.7

House Wren 10 1.9 - -

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7 1.3 1 0.2

Veery 1 0.2 - -

Hermit Thrush 9 1.7 - -

Wood Thrush 1 0.2 - -

Gray Catbird 123 22.9 18 3.3

Northern Mockingbird 3 0.6 1 0.2

Brown Thrasher 2 0.4 - -

Blue-winged Warbler 1 0.2 - -

Orange-crowned Warbler 1 0.2 - -

Northern Parula 2 0.4 - -

Cape May Warbler 1 0.2 - -

Black-throated Blue Warbler 14 2.6 - -

Yellow-rumped Warbler 87 16.2 4 0.7

Prairie Warbler 15 2.8 - -

Palm Warbler 3 0.6 - -

Black-and-White Warbler 3 0.6 - -

American Redstart 9 1.7 1 0.2

Ovenbird 3 0.6 - -

Northern Waterthrush 4 0.7 - -

Common Yellowthroat 103 19.2 3 0.6

Yellow-breasted Chat 1 0.2 - -

Eastern Towhee 2 0.4 - -

Song Sparrow 2 0.4 - -

Swamp Sparrow 7 1.3 1 0.2

White-throated Sparrow 1 0.2 - -

Northern Cardinal 41 7.6 29 5.4

Indigo Bunting 2 0.4 - -

Painted Bunting 5 0.9 5 0.9

Baltimore Oriole 1 0.2 - -

Total 549 102.2 85 15.8



APPENDIX 2 – Summary of Species Banded at the Cougar Island Banding Station



SPECIES BANDED BIRDS RECAPTURES

# of Individuals


# of Individuals


Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 0.4 - -

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1 0.4 - -

White-eyed Vireo 8 3.1 1 0.4

Yellow-throated Vireo 1 0.4 - -

Red-eyed Vireo 11 4.3 - -

Blue Jay 1 0.4 - -

Carolina Chickadee 2 0.8 - -

Tufted Titmouse 5 1.9 1 0.4

Carolina Wren 11 4.3 10 3.9

House Wren 4 1.6 - -

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9 3.5 - -

Veery 4 1.6 - -

Gray-cheeked Thrush 1 0.4 - -

Swainson’s Thrush 3 1.2 - -

Gray-cheeked/Bicknell’s Thrush 1 0.4 - -

Hermit Thrush 6 2.3 1 0.4

Wood Thrush 1 0.4 - -

Gray Catbird 48 18.6 4 1.6

Brown Thrasher 4 1.6 1 0.4

Orange-crowned Warbler 4 1.6 1 0.4

Magnolia Warbler 3 1.2 - -

Cape May Warbler 1 0.4 - -

Black-throated Blue Warbler 27 10.5 - -

Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 1.2 - -

Palm Warbler 8 3.1 1 0.4

Blackpoll Warbler 1 0.4 - -

Black-and-White Warbler 1 0.4 - -

American Redstart 33 12.8 - -

Worm-eating Warbler 1 0.4 - -

Ovenbird 9 3.5 - -

Northern Waterthrush 1 0.4 - -

Common Yellowthroat 39 15.1 4 1.6

Hooded Warbler 2 0.8 - -

Yellow-breasted Chat 1 0.4 - -

Song sparrow 3 1.2 - -

Swamp Sparrow 4 1.6 - -

White-throated Sparrow 1 0.4 - -

Northern Cardinal 13 5.0 3 1.2

Indigo Bunting 2 0.8 - -

Painted Bunting 4 1.6 - -

Total 283 109.7 27 10.5



APPENDIX 3 – Photographic Highlights from the 2009 Fall Season



Bicknell’s/Gray-cheeked Thrush (hatch-year, sex unknown). Cougar Island Banding Station (10/06/09). It is nearly imposible to distinghuish bewteen Bicknell’s Thrush and Gray-cheeked Thrush by plumage alone, so precise morphological features need to be measured. This individual was an intermediate between the two so it’s identity was uncertain.

Blue-winged Warbler (after hatch-year, male). Captain Sam’s Banding Station (10/01/09). The dark black eye-line is distinctive of a male. Only one Blue-winged Warbler was banded this fall.

Blackpoll Warbler (hatch-year, sex unknown). Cougar Island Banding Station (10/27/09). For hatch-year birds, sex cannot be reliably determined in the fall. Blackpoll Warblers are infrequent visitors to Kiawah Island in the fall.

Baltimore Oriole (after hatch-year, female). Captain Sam’s Banding Station (09/17/09). Because this bird was aged as after hatch-year, the absence of black in the head identifies this individual as a female.



Eastern Towhee (hatch-year, male). Captain Sam’s Banding Station (11/05/09). Although the Eastern Towhee is commonly heard around the CSBS, very few were captured.

Magnolia Warbler (hatch-year, unknown sex). Cougar Island Banding Station (09/29/09). Magnolia Warblers are fairly common in the fall in forested parts of the Kiawah Island. This probably explains why three were banded at CIBS and none at CSBS.

Yellow-throated Vireo ( after hatch-year, sex unknown). Cougar Island Banding Station (09/29/09). Vireos cannot be sexed outside of the breeding season.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (hatch-year, sex unknown). Cougar Island Banding Station (10/06/09). Infrequent visitor to Kiawah Island – only one banded this fall.



Sharp-shinned Hawk (hatch-year, male). Captain Sam’s Banding Station (11/05/09). This was the 2nd raptor captured this season. The 1st, a Merlin, unfortunately escaped from the net before it could be banded.

American Redstart (hatch-year, unknown sex). Cougar Island Banding Station (09/08/09). American Redstarts exhibit delayed plumage maturation where males in their first year maintain juvenile plumage characteristics and look like females. It is not until the second year that males get their black and orange appearance (see photo to the right).

Common Yellowthroat (hatch-year, male). Captain Sam’s Banding Station (10/08/09). Very common fall migrant.

American Redstart (after hatch-year, male). Cougar Island Banding Station (09/29/09).



Swainson’s Thrush (hatch-year, sex unknown). Cougar Island Banding Station (09/29/09).

Common Ground-Dove (after hatch-year, male). Captain Sam’s Banding Station (08/26/09).

Painted Bunting (second-year, male). Captain Sam’s Banding Station (07/23/09). This bird is undergoing prebasic molt. Note the blue feathers on the head and the contrast of green and brown feathers in the wing.

Hooded Warbler (hatch-year, male). Cougar Island Banding Station (09/29/09).

town of kiawah island fall migration bird banding report 2009€¦ · town of kiawah island fall...

Documents