Strictly for the Birds

University of Minnesota wildlife management student Nathaniel Emery collects data on Glacial Ridge birds

Nearly 12,000 acres within the Glacial Ridge Project east of Crookston, Minnesota, have been enrolled in the NRCS Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). Now NRCS and wildlife management student Nathaniel Emery from the University of Minnesota are involved with secretive marsh bird monitoring, upland breeding bird surveys, and duck nest searching as a measure of the restoration project’s success on one of the nation’s largest tall grass prairie/wetland restoration projects.

The secretive marsh bird monitoring study consists of three rounds of broadcasting calls using an audio player to entice otherwise shy birds to announce their presence. This is useful in evaluating the change in avian community diversity and abundance as the NRCS restores wetlands through WRP. Six species of marsh birds are being sought and to date, five have been found including Yellow Rail, Sora, Virginia Rail, American Bittern, and Pied-billed Grebe. The sixth species sought is the Least Bittern but their preferred habitat is virtually non-existent in Glacial Ridge. The second round is underway and a third will be conducted to establish the probability of occurrence and abundance of these shy wetland species.

Upland breeding bird surveys will be conducted to identify all species of birds inhabiting the roughly 16,000 acres of tall grass prairie habitat.  Songbirds are the primary group encountered but waterfowl and birds of prey are also present. The first round of surveys began after the spring migration occurred so that only breeding birds were identified. This survey will be conducted again before most of the young leave their nests.

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The third study will be duck nest searching; this involves dragging a 150 foot cable between two ATVs in upland habitats. As the chain approaches a nest the hen will flush, allowing surveyors collect nest data including species, number of eggs, and habitat descriptions. The items documented will be marked for a return visit to observe trends in nesting success.

This summer’s monitoring should prove valuable for evaluating the benefits of the WRP and for creating a baseline with which to compare future data. Additionally, these investigations will bear out the hard work of the agency and personnel that have dedicated many resources to restore one of Minnesota and America’s most critical ecoregions.
Your contact is Nate Emery, NRCS Glacial Ridge project office, at 218-281-1445, ext. 4.