Mountain Birdwatch 2003 Final Report
to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
J. Daniel Lambert

Abstract
Mountain Birdwatch is a long-term monitoring program for songbirds that breed in high-elevation forests of the Northeast. Skilled volunteers conduct annual surveys along 1-km routes located on mountains in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Primary emphasis is placed on Bicknell’s Thrush, a montane fir specialist that breeds only in the northeastern U.S. and adjacent portions of Canada. Other focal species include Blackpoll Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, White-throated Sparrow, and Winter Wren. In 2003, Mountain Birdwatchers gathered observations from 139 locations, with point count surveys completed on 117 routes. As in previous years, Blackpoll Warblers and White-throated Sparrows were the most abundant and widespread of the focal species. Swainson’s Thrush and Winter Wren occupied a second tier of abundance. Though still uncommon, Bicknell’s Thrush maintained stable numbers and overall distribution in 2003. The combined count of focal species dropped for the second year in a row, falling below three individuals per point for the first time since monitoring began in 2001. In addition to monitoring population levels, we used two different modeling approaches to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on Bicknell’s Thrush habitat. We present and discuss our findings in an addendum to this report.

Download a copy of the 2003 Report (PDF format - requires Acrobat Reader)

Mountain Birdwatch Home