Searching for Birds on the Pecos

By Jennie MacFarland

Mexican Spotted Owl, Frank Retes

Tucson Audubon staff carry out lots of bird surveys in Southeast Arizona, but sometimes we go a bit further to search for specific species. This spring and summer we traveled to Pecos, New Mexico for a second year of searching for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers and Mexican Spotted Owls. We are trying to determine if these Threatened or Endangered species occur within Pecos National Historical Park to ensure management decisions consider the needs and habitats of these species. 

Willow Flycatcher, Mick Thompson

In addition to myself, there were three staff members helping with these surveys over seven planned visits: Olya Weekley, Aya Pickett, and Jay Snowdon. We carry out specific protocol call-back surveys for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers and Mexican Spotted Owls that require special training and permits. Last year we did not detect either of the two target species in a shortened season, so we hoped to have better luck this spring and summer. Our first few visits did not turn up our targets until visit three when Olya and Jay got a positive detection of a Southwestern Willow Flycatcher in the willow habitat along the Pecos River. It was all very exciting and they even captured a recording of the bird singing! We have not yet had a positive Mexican Spotted Owl detection—there is one more survey this summer, so we are again hopeful.

Pecos River corridor

We have also incorporated sound recorders for these surveys and have installed Wildlife Acoustics units in the canyons of upland habitat to listen for Mexican Spotted Owls, an approach that has worked very well in other areas. We analyzed the recordings from last summer with no owl detections, but we have the recorders up again this year in different locations and in the most likely habitats. We have also put out additional recorders in pinyon pine and juniper habitat to listen for Gray Vireos, another priority species for New Mexico conservation. 

It has been quite the experience to travel to such different habitats and work with amazing National Park Service staff. Our survey crew has traveled to Pecos National Historical Park in pairs to do these surveys and they have turned out to be fun road trips. Bird conservation takes us to all sorts of different places and we meet the most interesting people. It’s pretty great!

Jennie MacFarland is the Conservation Biologist at Tucson Audubon.