Multi-Scale Modeling for Conservation of Migratory Birds

Organizers: David Haukos, U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

Robert Clark, Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Mike Runge, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

Jim Devries, Ducks Unlimited Canada, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Joe Fleskes, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon, CA

Karla Guyn, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Calagary, AB, Canada

John Eadie, University of California, Davis, CA

Sponsor: The Pintail Action Group, a special working group of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

Populations of migratory birds use multiple habitats across a wide variety of ecosystems throughout the year. Historically, investigation and modeling the demography of migratory bird populations has primarily been limited to individual species during discrete periods of the annual life cycle. However, during discrete periods, the multi-species migratory bird community is are comprised of a mixture of individuals with different histories in terms of previously used habitats and physical locations. In addition, during migration and movements, individual migratory birds have options of traveling to different regions, ecosystems, and habitats to fulfill their physiological needs during the annual cycle. However, a suitable framework to quantitatively incorporate such “cross-seasonal” influences on the population demography of migratory birds is lacking. The Pintail Action Group proposes to host a symposium “Multi-scale modeling for migratory birds” that will include (1) an introduction to the issue including background, previous limitations, and future opportunities; (2) potential frameworks and quantitative approaches to building a demographic model to incorporate cross-seasonal effects; and (3) case studies highlighting efforts to build this type of population model.