Hoback Valley Fall Bird Migration

Assessing the health and demographics of migratory birds in the Hoback River Valley

Many of the birds that breed in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and their offspring migrate south every fall from Wyoming to the Southwest United States or even further south to Mexico and the tropics. At RCF we aim to better understand the migratory patterns and habitat needs of the birds that are moving through and out of the GYE every fall. RCF’s location in the Hoback Valley at the south end of the GYE is an ideal location to study how migratory birds use riparian stop-over habitat to rest and build up energy stores before migrating over the vast expanses of sagebrush and desert to our south. Through the use of bird banding- the safe capture and brief handling to measure physical characteristics of birds- we are able to better understand the species that are relying on our region to prepare for their lengthy migration south for the winter. With the use of long-term monitoring, we will be able to learn when and how migrating birds are using the habitat in our area and provide insights to how to best use and preserve land that is critically important for their annual journey south.

Every summer, birds migrate into the mountains and forests of Northwest Wyoming to breed. The breeding habits and success of these migratory birds has been closely studied by conservation organizations for decades, providing detailed information on the habitat requirements and conservation priorities to protect these birds during the summer. However, the use of habitat in the region as migratory stop-over sites has not been as closely studied. It is believed that many of these bird species use different habitats in different ways during the later summer and fall when they are done breeding and preparing to, or are actively, migrating south for the winter. More study is needed in order to better understand the behaviors and conservation needs of our region’s breeding birds during the few weeks to months when they are finished breeding but still living in the GYE.

At RCF, we have selected a study location in the Hoback Valley, at the southern base of Monument Ridge, to study migratory birds use of riparian and mixed forest habitat to rest and refuel as they prepare to leave the Mountainous region of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and begin flying south to warmer, drier climes for the winter. We aim to use both daytime and nighttime bird banding efforts to capture migrating songbirds and owls and collect data that allows us to understand how these birds use differing habitats in the GYE to prepare for long distance migration. Such data can then be used to better inform land management decisions, especially as it pertains to post-breeding conservation concerns in the late summer and fall.

Partner

The Ricketts Conservation Foundation is proud to partner with
The Wyoming Wetlands Society on The Swan Project.  The Wyoming Wetlands Society and The Ricketts Conservation Foundation share a common vision to increase the population of Trumpeter Swans in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.