The Birds Vital Sign tells us about the health of populations of native resident and migratory bird species associated with Puget Sound. Each winter, thousands of seabirds, sea ducks, and waterfowl converge in the relatively calm and food-rich waters of Puget Sound. In summer, seabirds and landbirds are busily raising and attending their young in the Sound’s forests and coastal environments. In spring and fall, the mudflats bustle with shorebirds that stop to feed and rest during migration. During the non-breeding season, large flocks of marine waterfowl and seabirds aggregate to rest and feed in nearshore waters. Because it draws such a variety and abundance of bird life, Puget Sound supports over a dozen Important Bird Areas and offers ample birdwatching opportunities.
The Birds Vital Sign measures trends in the abundance of both the marine and terrestrial birds. Each of these indicators integrates population information from multiple species that represent different diets and habitats. The marine bird indicator tracks the abundance of breeding season at-sea densities of marbled murrelet, rhinoceros auklet, and pigeon guillemot, and non-breeding season at-sea abundance trends for surf, white-winged and black scoters. Each of these species are considered highly dependent on the marine environment of Puget Sound and the greater Salish Sea. The terrestrial bird indicator measures the change in forest interior and human-associated terrestrial bird populations that reside most, if not all, of the year in the Puget Sound basin.
VITAL SIGN INDICATOR | INDICATOR PROGRESS | TARGET STATUS |
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VITAL SIGN INDICATOR | INDICATOR PROGRESS | TARGET STATUS |
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Indicator Species
Population Trends
Factors Influencing Populations
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