Citizen science effort to document Brewer's Sparrows in alpine willow/krummholz

[Walker - DNR, Brett]

Colorado birders,

If you're looking for another reason to visit the high country this summer, CPW needs help from birders to document the statewide breeding distribution of Brewer's Sparrows in alpine willow/krummholz habitats near treeline from now through July 31! 

Brewer's Sparrows (Spizella breweri) are normally considered a sagebrush obligate during the breeding season, but thanks to the efforts of Colorado birders (esp. eBirders!), Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and USFS biologists over the years, we now know that Brewer's Sparrows also breed in alpine willow/spruce-fir krummholz at alpine and subalpine sites (~10,000-13,000 ft) scattered across the state in June-July. But CPW and the USFS need additional information on their statewide breeding distribution and abundance in alpine areas before updating conservation assessments for the species.

CPW has identified 31 priority sites on USFS public land for birders to search for them across the state. Nearly half the sites are accessible by road. To learn more, including where to find them, how to identify them, and how to submit your observations, see:

https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Research/Birds/Citizen-Science-Surveys-Training-Information.pdf

For more information about CPW's alpine Brewer's Sparrow research project, visit:

https://cpw.state.co.us/rav-brewers-sparrow.

Feel free to contact me for more information.

Thanks,

Brett Walker

Brett Walker

Wildlife Researcher

               P 970.255.6125 | F 970.255.6111

               711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, CO 81505

               brett....@state.co.us | cpw.state.co.us

[Nicholas Komar]

Fellow Colorado Birders,

We encourage you to respond favorably to Dr. Walker’s request for volunteer assistance monitoring breeding of Brewer’s Sparrows at high altitude in Colorado. This is a perfect opportunity to use your observation skills for the understanding and conservation of Colorado birds. Thanks to birders like you, eBird has shown that citizen science can have great impact in ornithology. For that reason, Colorado Field Ornithologists is looking for ways like this project to harness the skills of members and supporters to promote conservation of Colorado birds and their habitats.

Nick Komar, CFO President

Chuck Hundertmark, CFO Vice President and Conservation Chair

On Jun 15, 2022, at 12:34 PM, Walker - DNR, Brett <brett....@state.co.us> wrote:



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[Walker - DNR, Brett]

Update on the alpine Brewer's Sparrow search. I visited the Indian Point subalpine site on the Grand Mesa at 10,000 ft elevation on Monday and found 9 territorial male Brewer's Sparrows (including 5 singing like unpaired males). I will be checking two alpine sites in the San Juans tomorrow and Thursday.

For anyone interested in checking any of our other priority sites for alpine Brewer's Sparrows, I've attached a Google Earth map showing those locations (basically, a central location within suitable habitat at each site). If anyone plans to visit a site between now and 31 July and would like higher-resolution maps with specific habitat patches to check within a specific site(s), please email me and I'll get those to you.

Thanks again to Nick, Chuck, and other CFO members for supporting the project! Did I mention that many sites are accessible with a short walk from a USFS road? And that the high-country wildflowers (and birds) are amazing this time of year?