PRBO uses riparian (streamside) birds as a tool to help the National Park Service plan and evaluate restoration of two coastal creeks: Redwood and Lagunitas Creeks (Marin County, CA).



These study sites are also excellent public teaching areas and are utilized by our school programs to demonstrate the science of studying birds through bird banding demonstrations.



For more information on PRBO's research at these two coastal creeks contact: Thomas Gardali, tgardali at prbo dot org, 415.868.0655 ext. 381

Focal Species
While we count and locate nests for all species breeding within the riparian corridors special effort is used to locate the nests of:

Warbling Vireo	Song Sparrow	Wilson's Warbler	Black-headed Grosbeak	Swainson's Thrush

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Partners
Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Point Reyes National Seashore

Marin Audubon Society

University of Missouri-Columbia

Sonoma State University

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More about the Project
National Parks have been considered the most important areas in which to conserve and monitor biotic communities as ecological reference sites. The rationale behind this statement rests in the fact that existing legislation typically prevents resource exploitation. However, what is the evidence that viable populations exist within park boundaries?

Since 1997, we have been monitoring the riparian songbird communities within watersheds owned and managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore, coastal Marin County California.

Objectives
Collect life-history data
Monitor reproductive success

Estimate annual survival

Estimate numbers of breeding birds

Evaluate the effect and removal of a non-native plant species, Cape-ivy (Delairea odorata), on the bird community

Provide management recommendations to enhance songbird breeding habitat and reproductive success.

Train field biologists

Educate the public

Study Methods
Nest Monitoring
Variable Radius Point Counts
Mist-netting
Territory Mapping

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Publications 
Gardali, T., G. R. Geupel, A. L. Holmes, and S. L. Small.  2005.  After the Vision fire: monitoring songbirds in the riparian zone. Proceedings of the Vision Fire Symposium, Point Reyes National Seashore, National Park Service.
 
White, J. D., T. Gardali, F. R. Thompson, III, and J. Faaborg.  2005.  Resource selection by juvenile Swainson’s Thrushes during the post-fledging period.  Condor 107:388-401.

Samuels, I. A., T. Gardali, D. L. Humple, and G. R. Geupel.  2005. Winter site fidelity and body condition of three riparian songbird species following a fire.  Western North American Naturalist 65:45-52.
 
White, J. D., and T. Gardali. 2004.  Low incidence of cowbird parasitism on Swainson’s Thrushes in California.  Western Birds 35:156-167.
 
Michaud, J. C., T. Gardali, N. Nur, and D. J. Girman. 2004.  Effects of nest predation and brood parasitism on population viability of Wilson’s Warblers in coastal California.  Wilson Bulletin 116:41-47.
 Gardali, T., G. R. Geupel, A. L. Holmes, and D. L. Humple.  2003.  Songbird response to wildfire in a coastal riparian system.  In California Riparian Systems: Processes and Floodplain Management, Ecology, and Restoration (Faber, P.M. ed.).  2001 Riparian Habitat and Floodplains Conference Proceedings, Riparian Habitat Joint Venture, Sacramento, CA.

 Gardali, T., C. Shoulders, D. Hatch, A. L. Holmes, S. E. Scoggin, and G. R. Geupel. 2001. Songbird monitoring in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area: a multifaceted tool for guiding the restoration of Redwood Creek. Park Science 21:28-32.

Gardali, T., and G. Ballard. 2000. Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus). In The Birds of North America, (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Gardali, T., G. Ballard, N. Nur, and G. R. Geupel. 2000. Demography of a declining population of Warbling Vireos in coastal California. Condor 102:601-609.

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Reports
Pitkin, M., and T. Gardali. 2002. Park Flight final report.

Scoggin, S. E., T. Gardali, and G. R. Geupel. 2000. Assessment of songbird response to cape-ivy removal in the Redwood creek watershed: a progress report to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Gardali, T., S. E. Scoggin, and G. R. Geupel. 1999. Songbird use of Redwood and Lagunitas creeks: management and restoration recommendations.

Holmes, A. L., D. L. Humple, T. Gardali, and G. R. Geupel. 1999. Songbird habitat associations and response to disturbance in the Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Gardali, T., and G. R. Geupel. 1997. Songbird inventory and monitoring at Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

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Graduate Student Participation
Jennifer White-Breeding and post fledgling ecology of the Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus): a radio-telemetry study jdwee9@mizzou.edu

Jennifer Michaud-The dynamics of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism in the Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla chryseola)