Nest-Monitoring Plots : Methods for Locating Nests and Monitoring Success

Abstract

Attention to long-term declines in populations of Neotropical migratory birds has generated increased interest in how to monitor and manage them. Measurement of nesting success provides information on trends in recruitment, and measurement of vegetation associated with nests may identify habitat influences on breeding productivity. Examination of nests also allows collection of life history data (e.g., clutch size, numbers of broods, numbers of nesting attempts, nesting success), which provide important insight into vulnerability of species to decimation or pertubations. Comparisons of nesting success and habitat use across the geographic range of a species can determine local habitat effects on population recruitment and historical constraints on habitat use and species distributions. In this paper, standardized methods and cues are described that aid in locating and monitoring nests to allow comparisons across studies in space and time.