It would probably seem odd, even to someone who does not normally watch birds, to see a bird of prey pulling worms from a lawn, or a sparrow skimming a pond for insects–we are used to seeing birds in certain habitats. When habitats are intentionally managed or restored, we expect to see an increase or decrease in birds–perhaps in the number of species, or in their abundance. Some bird species are habitat generalists and their response to habitat alternation may be limited, while others might respond quickly to even small changes in habitat.
In Pacific Northwest oak ecosystems there are 31 bird species that are associated to varying degrees with a suite of oak habitats. The habitats are distinctly different from each other–perhaps not always obvious in a quick glance to a human observer, but in ways very important to the birds. Birds are useful ecological indicators that can help measure restoration success because they are relatively easy to monitor and respond quickly to changes in vegetation. Since oak ecosystems are threatened by conifer encroachment resulting from the loss of frequent low-intensity fires and are a high priority for restoration in the Pacific Northwest, it is important to know how bird populations respond to changes in oak habitats.
OakBirdPop is a decision support tool that grew out of a well-used publication, Land Manager's Guide to Bird Habitat and Populations in Oak Ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. It is an interactive platform that allows managers (or anyone interested) to choose an area, pick the before and after state of the habitat and assess the response of the relevant oak-related birds. The tool can not only be used to project the response of birds, but once a project is completed managers can use the abundance of birds to evaluate the effectiveness of the on-the-ground work.
You can learn more about OakBirdPop on the Avian Knowledge Northwest website.
OakBirdPop was developed by Klamath Bird Observatory and the American Bird Conservancy with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
