Streaked Horned Lark Monitoring, Habitat Manipulations, and a Conspecific Attraction Experiment

Author

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Publication Year

2005

Species

Streaked horned lark

Region

Lower Columbia, Pacific Northwest Coast, Puget Trough/Lowlands

Habitat

Upland Prairie

Topic

Birds, Rare species recovery

Full Citation

Pearson, S.F., H.E. Anderson, and M. Hopey. 2005. Streaked Horned Lark Monitoring, Habitat Manipulations, and a Conspecific Attraction Experiment. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Program.

The goal of this work is to build upon our previous monitoring and habitat selection research and to investigate methods for improving Lark habitat and methods for creating new populations. The specific objectives of this research are: (1) Describe breeding phenology of birds in the Puget Lowlands, Coastal Washington and Columbia Islands; (2) Survey known and/or potential breeding locations along the Washington coast, lower Columbia River, and on Ft. Lewis for breeding larks; (3) Determine number of breeding territories at the following locations: Damon Point, Midway Beach, Whites Island, Gray Army Airfield, 13th Division Prairie, and McChord Air Force Base; (4) Assess nest survivorship rates for Damon Point, Midway Beach, Whites Island, 13^thDivision Prairie, McChord Air Force Base and Gray Army Airfield; (5) Use Conspecific attraction (broadcasting recorded Lark songs) to lure breeding larks into apparently suitable but unoccupied habitat; (6) Assess the effectiveness of herbicide and fire treatments for improving Lark habitat using an experimental approach; and (7) Examine population trends.