The longest running mist-netting and bird-banding site west of the Mississippi, PRBO's Palomarin fieldsite in the Point Reyes National Seashore has been running continuously since 1965.
This
project provides important insights into causes of songbird population
declines, continues to serve as a model and training opportunity for
land management agencies, and is at the heart of our world renowned internship and education program.
Contact:Tom Gardali , Terrestrial Program Associate Director, or Geoff Geupel, Terrestrial Program Director
The Field Biologist Intern Program
associated with the Palomarin Field Station is one of its kind in North America and
provides college students and biologists with hands-on experience not
available at universities but sought after by employers and graduate
programs.
The visitor center and interpretation program is an unique
regular service offered to the public by PRBO. Annually, over 5,000
people visit Palomarin, including over 30 classes from elementary
schools and universities. Visit our Conservation Education pages to learn more.
Ralph,
C.J. & C.A. Pearson. 1971. Correlation of age, size of territory,
plumage, and breeding success in white-crowned sparrows. The Condor
73:77-80.
Ralph, C.J. 1971. Age differential of migrants in coastal California. The Condor 73:243-246.
Stewart, R.M. 1973. Breeding behavior and life history of Wilson's Warbler. Wilson Bulletin 85:21-30.
Stewart, R.M. 1972. Reliability of aging some fall migrants by skull pneumatization. Bird-Banding 43:9-14.
Stewart, R.M. 1971. Netting success in relation to time of day and sunny versus overcast skies. Western Bird Bander 46:16-17.
Stewart, R.M. 1971. Application of an analysis of wing length in Swainson's thrushes. Western Bird Bander 46:52-53.
Stewart, R.M. 1972. Determining sex in western races of adult Wilson's warblers: a re-examination. Western Bird Bander 47:45-48.
Stewart, R.M. 1972. Age and crown types in the golden-crowned sparrow. Western Bird Bander 47:32-33.
Stewart, R.M. 1972. Species composition of common passerines at Point Reyes Bird Observatory. Western Bird Bander 47:58-59.
Stewart, R.M. 1972. Nestling mortality in swallows due to inclement weather. California Birds 3:69-70.
Stewart, R.M. 1972. Observations on the nest behavior of the California scrub jay. California Birds 3:93-95.
Stewart, R.M. 1972. Fall migration of common passerines at Bolinas, California. California Birds 3:9-12.
Stewart,
R.M., L.R. Mewaldt & S. Kaiser. 1974. Age ratios of coastal and
inland fall migrant passerines in central California. Bird-Banding
45:46-57.
Halliburton,
R. & L.R. Mewaldt. 1976. Survival and mobility in a population of
Pacific coast song sparrow (Melospiza melodia gouldii). The Condor
78:499-504.
Mewaldt,
L.R. & J.R. King. 1977. The annual cycle of white-crowned sparrow
(Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli) in coastal California. The Condor
79:445-455.
Baker,
M.C. & L.R. Mewaldt. 1978. Song dialects as barriers to dispersal
in white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli. Evolution
32:712-722.
Baker,
M.C. & L.R. Mewaldt. 1979. The use of space by white-crowned
sparrows: juvenile and adult ranging patterns and home range versus
body size comparisons in an avian granivore community. Behavioral
Ecology and Sociobiology 6:45-52.
Nelson,
B.C., C.A. Wolf & B.A. Sorrie. 1979. Natural introduction of
Hectopsylla psittaci, a neotropical sticktight flea (Siphonaptera:
Pulicidae), on cliff swallows in California, USA. Journal of Medical
Entomology 16(6):548-549
DeSante,
D.F. 1981. A field test of the variable circular-plot censusing
technique in a California coastal scrub breeding bird community.
Studies in Avian Biology 6:177-185.
Isenhart,
F.R. & D.F. DeSante. 1985. Observations of scrub jays cleaning
ectoparasites from black-tailed deer. The Condor 87:145-147.
DeSante,
D.F. & G.R. Geupel. 1987. Landbird productivity in central coastal
California: the relationship to annual rainfall and a reproductive
failure in 1986. The Condor 89(3):636-653.
Pyle,
P., S.N.G. Howell, R.P. Yunick & D.F. DeSante. 1987. Identification
guide to North American passerines. Slate Creek Press.
DeSante,
D.F. & L.F. Baptista. 1989. Factors affecting the termination of
breeding in Nuttall's white-crowned sparrow. Wilson Bulletin
101(1):120-124.
Geupel, G.R. & D.F. DeSante. 1990. Incidence and determinants of double brooding in Wrentits. The Condor 92:67-75.
Ralph,
C.J., G.R. Geupel, P. Pyle, T.E. Martin & D.F. DeSante. 1993.
Handbook of field methods for monitoring landbirds. U.S. Department of
Agriculture General Technical Report PSW-GTR-144.
Taylor,
D.M., D.F. DeSante, G.R. Geupel & K. Houghton. 1994. Autumn
populations of landbirds along central coastal California 1976-1986.
Journal of Field Ornithology 65(2):169-185.
Martin,
T.E. & G.R. Geupel. 1993. Nest-monitoring plots: methods for
locating nests and monitoring success. Journal of Field Ornithology
64(4):507-519.
Nur,
N. & G. Geupel. 1993. Evaluating mist-netting, nest-searching and
other methods of monitoring demographic processes in landbird
populations. In: D.M. Finch & P.W. Stangel (eds.), Status and
management of neotropical migratory birds:237-244 (USDA Forest Service
Publication GTR RM-229).
Geupel,
G.R. & N. Nur. 1993. Monitoring bird populations: the role of bird
observatories and nongovernmental organizations. In: D.M. Finch &
P.W. Stangel (eds.), Status and management of neotropical migratory
birds:275-279 (USDA Forest Service Publication GTR RM-229).
Super,
P.E. & C. van Riper III. 1995. A comparison of avian hematozoan
epizootiology in two California coastal scrub communities. Journal of
Wildlife Diseases 31(4):447-461.
Baker,
M., N. Nur, and G. R. Geupel. 1995. Correcting biased estimates of
dispersal and survival due to limited study area: Theory and an
application using Wrentits. The Condor 97:663-674.
Pyle,
P. & S.N.G. Howell. 1995. Flight-feather molt patterns and age in
North American woodpeckers. Journal of Field Ornithology 66(4):564-581.
Johnson,
M.D. & G.R. Geupel. 1996. The importance of productivity to the
dynamics of a Swainson's thrush population. The Condor 98:133-141.
Chase,
M.K., N. Nur & G.R. Geupel. 1997. Survival, productivity, and
abundance in a Wilson's warbler population. The Auk 114(3):354-366.
Pyle,
P., S.N.G. Howell & G. Yanega. 1997. Molt, retained flight feathers
and age in North American hummingbirds. Festschrift for Allan R.
Phillips. Albuquerque : Robert W. Dickerman, pp. 155-166.
Yanega,
G., P. Pyle & G.R. Geupel. 1997. The timing and reliability of bill
corrugations for ageing hummingbirds. Western Birds 28(1):13-18.
Pyle, P. Identification guide to North American birds. 1997. Part I. Bolinas : Slate Creek Press.
Silkey,
M., N. Nur & G.R. Geupel. 1999. The use of mist-net capture rates
to monitor annual variation in abundance: a validation study. Condor
101:288-298.
Nur,
N., S.L. Jones & G.R. Geupel. 1999. Statistical guide to data
analysis of avian monitoring programs. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Biological Technical Publication BTP-R6001-1999.
Humple, D.L. House wren with 14 retrices. 1999. North American Bird Bander 24(4):143.
Nur,
N., G. R. Geupel, and G. Ballard. 2000. The use of constant-effort
mist-netting to monitor demographic processes in passerine birds:
annual variation in survival, productivity, and floaters. Pages 185-194
in R. Bonney, D. N. Pashley, R. J. Cooper, and L. Niles, editors.
Strategies for bird conservation: The partners in flight planning
process; Proceedings of the 3rd Partners in Flight workshop; 1995
October 1-5; Proceedings RMRS-P-16. U.S.Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Center, Ogden,UT.
Gardali,
T., G. Ballard, N. Nur & G.R. Geupel. 2000. Demography of a
declining population of warbling vireos in coastal California. The
Condor 102:601-609.
Gardali, T. & G. Ballard. 2000. Warbling vireo. The Birds of North America, no. 551.
Flannery, M., and T. Gardali. 2000. Incomplete first prebasic molt in the Wrentit. Western Birds 31:249-251.
Gardali,
T. and A. Jaramillo. 2001. Further evidence for a population decline in
the western Warbling Vireo. Western Birds 32:173-176.
Chase,
M. K. 2002. Nest site selection and nest success in a Song Sparrow
population: the significance of spatial variation. Condor 104:103-116.
Humple,
D. L., N. Nur, G. R. Geupel, and M. P. Lynes. 2001. Female-biased sex
ratio in a wintering population of Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Wilson
Bulletin 113:419-424.
Ballard, G., G. R. Geupel, N. Nur, and T. Gardali.2003.Long term declines and decadal patterns in population trends of songbirds in Western North America, 1979 – 1999.Condor 105:737-755.
Cormier, R. L., T. Gardali, and S. Hudson. 2003.Tertial molt in first-year Chestnut-backed Chickadees.North American Bird Bander 28:80-81.
Gardali, T., D. C. Barton, J. D. White, and G. R. Geupel.2003.Juvenile and adult survival of Swainson’s Thrush in coastal California: annual estimates using capture-recapture analyses.Auk 120.
Howell, S. N. G., and T. Gardali.2003.Phenology, sex ratios, and population trends of Selasphorus hummingbirds in coastal California.Journal of Field Ornithology 74: 17-25.
Ballard,
G., G.R. Geupel, & N. Nur. In press. The influence of mist-netting
intensity on investigations of avian populations. In Ralph, C. J., and E. H. Dunn (editors). The use of mist nets in population monitoring. Studies in Avian Biology.
Nur,
N., G.R. Geupel and G. Ballard. In press. Estimates of adult survival,
capture probability and recapture probability: evaluating and
validating constant effort mist netting. In Ralph, C. J., and E. H. Dunn (editors). The use of mist nets in population monitoring. Studies in Avian Biology.
Theses and Dissertations from the Palomarin Study Site
Vargas,
D.J. 1971. Observations on winter ecology and morphology of the
golden-crowned sparrow. M.A. thesis, San Jose State University.
Cowley,
L.J. 1972. Locomotor activity and physiological cycles in captive
hermit thrushes (Hylocichla guttata). M.A. thesis, San Jose State
University.
Strout, D.A. 1972. Population studies of the brown towhee and rufous-sided towhee. M.A. thesis, San Jose State University.
Halliburton, R. 1973. Studies of the population ecology of the Marin song sparrow. M.A. thesis, San Jose State University.
Royce,
O. 1973. Radio telemetry equipment and techniques applied to tracking
studies of Zonotrichia and Aphelocoma. M.A. thesis, San Jose State
University.
DeSante,
D.F. 1973. Analysis of the fall occurrences and nocturnal orientation
of vagrant wood warblers (Parulidae) in California. Ph.D. dissertation,
Stanford University, 1973
Howell,
C. A. 1999. Life history evolution in the Song Sparrow: An experimental
approach. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Missouri - Columbia.
Chase,
M. K. 2001. Reproductive Success, Natal Dispersal, and Recruitment in a
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Population Breeding in California
Coastal Scrub. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California - Riverside.
Monitor
long-term population demographics and migration patterns of 50 to 75
species of landbirds at the Palomarin Field Station. More specifically,
to determine baseline indexes of productivity, density, survivorship,
and migration of these species and relate observed changes to
environmental and anthropogenic fluctuations.
Assess
habitat influences and management practices (i.e. grazed and ungrazed
coastal scrub), on population density, nest success, and other
demographic factors landbirds on the Pt Reyes area. Determine lifetime
reproductive successes, and individual fitness of four co-existing
landbird species (Scrub Jay, Wrentit, Song Sparrow, and White-crowned
Sparrow) in coastal habitat.
Provide
validation of constant effort mist-netting and nest monitoring as
techniques for long-term monitoring of bird populations and habitat
assessment.
Contribute to regional, national, and international databases (MAPS, BBIRD, California Partners in Flight) to determine regional and broad scale trends of bird populations.
Provide informational and educational opportunities in ornithology and bird conservation for amateurs and professionals.
Conduct training workshops, short courses, and field days in songbird monitoring techniques and conservation.
Determine environmental and anthropogenic impacts on landbirds in a variety of terrestrial habitats.
Project Methods / Study Activities
At Palomarin, Pine Gulch (Bolinas Lagoon), and Muddy Hollow, a site
within the burned zone of the 1995 Mt. Vision fire, arrays of mist nets
are employed in standardized manner throughout the year. Point count
and area search censuses are conducted in conjunction with the netting
to determine density and relative abundance. All data are entered daily
into computers, and monthly and yearly summaries are generated and
reviewed.
The longest running mist-netting and bird-banding site west of the Mississippi, PRBO's Palomarin fieldsite in the Point Reyes National Seashore has been running continuously since 1965.
