3.3 Birds
Golden-winged Warbler, and others that may be found at the upper or lower ranges of this habitat).
• Continue regular, periodic heronry surveys in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
• Continue shorebird surveys for breeding, wintering, and migratory birds throughout the year to document population status, trends, and distribution, especially for Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Wilson’s Plover, and Red Knot. Document distribution, past and present, using survey data and mapping eforts.
• Continue support for long-term monitoring of SGCN landbirds (i.e., early successional species in the Piedmont, longleaf associated species, riparian species, etc.)
• Establish long-term monitoring for all marsh birds (Gibbs and Melvin 1997; Benoit and Askins 2002; Bogner and Baldassarre 2002; Conway et al. 2004) .
• Expand monitoring frameworks to account for species that are not suited to traditional long-term monitoring protocols (e.g. hawks, nightjars, owls), or for species missed under systematic monitoring due to small population sizes or limited ranges in North Carolina (e.g. Alder Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, Black-capped Chickadee).
• Initiate long-term monitoring of breeding and wintering birds in pocosin habitats on public lands and industrial forestland (Karriker 1993; Wilson and Watts 2000) .
• Initiate long-term monitoring related to snag ecology and cavity-nesting birds during diferent seasons (e.g., Northern Flicker, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Brown-headed Nuthatch) (Wilson and Watts 1999; Kreisel and Stein 1999) . • Monitor status and reproductive success of Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, Piping Plover, and Caspian Tern. Research. Research topics that facilitate appropriate conservation actions include habitat use and preferences, reproductive behavior, fecundity, population dynamics and genetics, feeding, competition, and food web dynamics. Increased understanding of life histories and status helps determine the vulnerability of priority species to further imperilment, in addition to identifying possibilities for improved management and conservation. All stud- ies should provide recommendations for mitigation and restoration. • Identify causal factors responsible for low beach-nesting bird reproductive success; initiate predator impact studies (e.g., ghost crabs, fre ants, gulls, foxes, raccoons, feral cats, coyotes, crows).
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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