Our Feathered Friends

Whether they are flying hundreds of miles south for the winter, or staying at home to power through the cold months ahead, birds are everywhere and can tell scientists a lot about changes in an ecosystem. Red-napped Sapsucker Birds like habitats that are structurally diverse with large ponderosa pines, some low-lying shrubs, and a variety of grasses. Woodpeckers are some of the first species you see in a forest after a fire, because they find an abundance of insects to feast on after a burn. When a habitat changes, either naturally or through human influences, if birds like what they see, they will move in and stay for a while, or they might pick up and move elsewhere. When the decline in abundance of bird species in a specific habitat occurs, scientists know that actions need to be taken to improve habitat conditions.

In 2002, scientists at the Klamath Network National Parks partnered with the Klamath Bird Observatory to conduct a two-year land bird inventory. Their goals were to determine which birds lived in the parks and establish locations to Cassin's Vireo in nest monitor birds for possible future studies.

Multiple Bird Monitoring Methods

Bird Diversity at Crater Lake and Whiskeytown

All bird photos by: The Klamath Bird Observatory

An Outreach and Education Project made possible by the National Park Service, Klamath Network Inventory and Monitoring and Southern Oregon University