Rocky

River

Important
Bird Area

Presentation outline

Watershed basics
Intro to the Rocky River IBA
Conservation science in the IBA
Results, findings, and outcomes
Insights on fragmentation of
forests in the eastern U.S.
US

Welcome to the
Rocky River Watershed!

This is a Watershed

Figure from Indian Lake Master Watershed Stewards Program

Watershed Issues
Invasive plants
Deer browse
Stormwater runoff

What does the Rocky

Ri
River
watershed
t
h d have
h
to
t
do with the Rocky River
Important Bird Area?

Rocky River Reservation

Mill Stream Run Reservation

Hinckley
y Reservation

Conservation science
Birds are a barometer of the health of
the
h hhabitat.
bi
Data about birds help Cleveland
Metroparks conserve habitat.
Citizen scientists (volunteers) make a
difference in conservation.
conservation

M th d l
Methodology
W
We assessedd the
th diversity
di
it andd
abundance of forest breedingg birds
over a five-year period, 2006-2010.
We
W surveyedd 65 points
i t eachh year,
y
three times for ten minutes a year.

Finding and marking points

Mary Anne Romito

Training and testing for the surveys

Surveying the points

H
Here
are our results!
lt !
We counted 93 species of birds.
Following
F ll i are the
th top
t ten
t species
i off
birds we found not statisticallyy
significant, just raw numbers.

Rocky River IBA Survey: American Robin

250
232

Total C
Count

200
197

205

201

150

163

100
50
0
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Rocky River IBA Survey: Red-eyed Vireo

250

Total C
Count

200
150

183

198

193
169

154

100
50
0

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Rocky River IBA Survey: American Cardinal

250

Total Countt

200
198
150

176

159

171
151

100
50
0
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

R k Ri
Rocky
River IBA S
Survey: Bl
Blue J
Jay
160
140
135

Total C
Count

120
100

121

130

105
92

80
60
40
20
0
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Total Count

Rocky River IBA Survey: Black-capped Chickadee

160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

143
103

94

97

79

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

R k Ri
Rocky
River IBA S
Survey: R
Red-bellied
d b lli d Woodpecker
W d
k
120

Total Countt

100
80

100
82

80

78

2006

2007

2008

85

60
40
20
0
2009

2010

Rocky River IBA Survey: Wood Thrush

80
78

Total Countt

75
74

75

74

70
65

65

60
55
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Rocky River IBA Survey: Downy Woodpecker

80
79
Total Count

75

75

70
69
65

66

67

2007

2008

60
55
2006

2009

2010

Total Count

Rocky River IBA Survey: Eastern Wood Pewee

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

80
70

73

71
61

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Rocky River IBA Survey: American Goldfinch

120

Total Count

100

103

80
78
60
52

40

60
48

20
0
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2006
2007

Reservation/Year
M
Mill
St ream
Rocky
R
River
R

Hincckley

M
Mill
St ream
Rocky
R
River
R

Hincckley

M
Mill
St ream
Rocky
R
River
R

Hincckley

Numb
ber of Birds

A key finding for the IBA survey

Mean Number of Birds per Point

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

2008

Variability of sightings among point counts

Year

Reservation

2006

Hinckley

14.0

3.5

23

Mill Stream

9.6

4.1

24

Rocky River

12.7

6.0

30

Hi kl
Hinckley

11 2
11.2

39
3.9

22

Mill Stream

12.0

5.4

28

Rocky River

12.9

5.9

34

Hinckley

14.0

5.0

28

Mill Stream

11.8

6.7

41

Rocky River

10.9

4.6

27

2007

2008

Mean

Std Dev

Minimum

Maximum

Heres a good example!

Rocky River IBA Survey: Hooded Warbler

250
C 200
o 150
u
n 100
t
50
0
Hinckley

Mill Stream

Rocky River

Notes about Hooded Warblers

Scott Rush studied HOWA survival in
small
ll & large
l
forests
f
t in
i PA in
i 2002-2003.
2002 2003
BHCO pparasitized more HOWA nests in
small versus large forest fragments.
HOWA fledgling
fl d li survival
i l rate
t was higher
hi h
in large forest fragments.

The vegetation component

C.H. Warren

Forest patch metrics

Four variables:
Forbs
Woody stems
Canopy
Canopy cover
Canopy height

Heres
Here
s another key finding
Lower
L
vegetation
t ti structure
t t
supports
t a
diverse population of bird species.
Cleveland Metroparks has initiated
projects that support this finding.
finding

Forest regeneration in CMP

CMP has created canopy gaps by cutting
ashes injured
j
byy Emerald Ash Borers.
Plantings of white oaks, sycamores,
beaches and shrubs are replacing ashes.
beaches,
ashes
CMP forests are so small that creatingg
gaps will not promote BHCO parasitism.
Edgewater savannas will promote birds.
birds

Restoring the forest

Heres our first outcome

We mobilized citizens who made a
diff
difference
in
i conservation.
ti
volunteer component.
component
This was the volunteer

The volunteer component

100 people volunteered during the fiveyear IBA survey in the following tasks:
Observers
Recorders
Point-findingg
Data entry
Veg
Veg surveyors

Public speaking
Hospitality
Board members
Data analysis
Fund-raising
Fund raising

Heres how we found our volunteers!

Strategic planning

Classroom orientations

Open houses

Outdoor certification

Family activities

Heres our second outcome

We generated data that Cleveland
Metroparks
p
is using
g to obtain grants
g
to
buy property in the Rocky River
watershed.
watershed
This is why we did the survey!

Rocky River Reservation

Mill Stream Run Reservation

Hinckley
y Reservation

Effects of forest fragmentation

3 effects: regional, landscape, local.
Farms, development regulate BHCOs.
BHCO abundance greatest in
landscapes with high fragmentation.
>70% forest cover best for songbirds.
Success best in contiguous forests
forests.

It wasnt just another bird walk!

Rocky River

Important
Bird Area

THE GEORGE
GUND
FOUNDATION