Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) is a breeding landbird monitoring program that spans the Great Plains to the Great Basin. A nested, probabilistic sampling design allows us to make inference about bird populations at multiple scales across public and private lands. Click here for more information about the program including the IMBCR vision and mission statement.

Mark your calendars for Jan. 22 & 23 for the annual IMBCR Partners meeting! The meeting will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m. MST on the 22nd and from 9-noon on the 23rd in Fort Collins at Bird Conservancy's office. We would love to have people attend in person, but realize there may be travel limitations. Therefore, you can join the meeting remotely via Zoom (here for Monday afternoon and here for Tuesday morning). Please let Jen know if you plan to attend in person so we have enough refreshments. We'll hear several presentations on IMBCR data applications, see a demo on the new and improved Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center, and have a panel discussion on why partners need robust estimates for species of concern and how we can accomplish this. A draft agenda will be shared via the listserv very soon!

The annual analysis for 2023 data is done! We implemented a new framework to improve the speed and efficiency for estimating bird density, occupancy, and trend, which will allow us to put out the annual IMBCR report sooner. The estimates will be available shortly. See this one-pager for a refresher on the population metrics we provide each year from IMBCR and how the estimates may be used.

The New Year is just around the corner and so is the 2024 IMBCR field season! Bird Conservancy and implementation partners will be hiring numerous field techs to assist with this effort. If you know someone who is interested in a fun and rewarding field job, please have them check out our employment page for a list of positions by region. They can also check out job announcements at Klamath Bird Observatory and Intermountain Bird Observatory.

Forest Wildlife Biologist, US Forest Service

Mark has been involved with IMBCR throughout his 8 years with the USFS, but more heavily since he arrived on the Coconino 4 years ago. IMBCR plays a critical role in their development and monitoring of focal species since the majority of species selected are birds. As program manager, Mark is tasked with the monitoring of focal species, as required in their Forest Plan.

The USFS transitioned from Management Indicator Species to Focal Species in 2012, and each forest was required to develop a list of focal species. Focal species provide information regarding the effectiveness of Forest Plans in providing ecological conditions necessary to maintain the diversity of plant and animal communities. An initial list of focal species were selected just prior to Mark's arrival on the Coconino and at that time, they received a fair amount of funding for monitoring. Since the species chosen were birds, IMBCR was a natural fit.

In initial discussions with Bird Conservancy, the topic of whether the “right” species were selected came up because the process for the initial selection was primarily “common” species or those most associated with certain habitat types. Bird Conservancy put together a plan to analyze Coconino's list to see if they were the best species to reflect ecological conditions or if other species could better represent those conditions. Through the analysis, they discovered that 1) there were species NOT selected that may serve as better focal species, and 2) in some cases, a combination of two or more species would serve as better indicators of ecological conditions. Based on the report (available here), Coconino made changes to their focal species, which should serve as better indicators long term. They are now 2 years into monitoring their “new” focal species thanks to IMBCR.

Above: Pygmy nuthatch (Flickr), a newly added focal species for the Coconino NF.

Nick Van Lanen and co-authors created a prioritization framework for managing sagebrush and pinyon juniper-associated birds. They simulated conifer removal at prioritized sites in Utah-BCR16 and evaluated the effect on abundance for 6 different species. Managing for multiple species within a PJ woodland or sagebrush system had the best population outcomes for species associated with that system. Read the publication here. Read the earlier publication in which Nick modeled the density-habitat relationships that informed the conservation features layer included in the above publication here.

Nick Van Lanen and co-authors also modeled population trends and density-habitat relationships for sagebrush-associated, PJ-associated, and generalist songbird species across several western Bird Conservation Regions. They found 8 decreasing and 14 increasing regional populations, and their models indicated PJ removal would benefit sage thrasher populations, but harm PJ-associated species, like Bewick's wren. Their results, including predicted density maps, can help prioritize species and regions for conservation action and inform management for species with disparate habitat needs. Read the open-access article here.

Check out the IMBCR Applications webpage for IMBCR-related resources. You can access publications, annual reports & field protocols, trend estimates, past IMBCR meeting notes, and one-pagers. We also have an IMBCR Communication Strategy to help partners convey important aspects of the program.

We have an IMBCR Story Map! Learn about the IMBCR program including its objectives, the sampling design, field methods, and how the results are used to inform management and conservation decisions. You can pan in and out of the IMBCR footprint to view various strata within each state. Please share the Story Map with anyone who might be interested in learning about the program!

Contact Jen Timmer (jennifer.timmer@birdconservancy.org) with questions, example applications of IMBCR data, pictures, or any other contributing material for future IMBCR e-newsletters.