A greater sage-grouse avian predator monitoring survey was needed to provide information on distribution, habitat associations, and baseline populations prior to initiation of a sage-grouse...
Description
A greater sage-grouse avian predator monitoring survey was needed to provide information on distribution, habitat associations, and baseline populations prior to initiation of a sage-grouse predator management program. The survey is designed for repeating in subsequent years once predator management is underway, thereby providing a potential measure of program effectiveness. This report describes the avian predator monitoring protocol and results of the 2013 survey. The survey area is within the current Alberta sage-grouse range, an area of ~3800 km in in the extreme south-eastern corner of the province. The monitoring protocol was designed for collection of data on avian predators, particularly corvids (American crows, black-billed magpies, common ravens). A systematic roadside survey was designed using a series of point samples contributing to a continuous observation zone along a series of 19 road-based transects, each of 10 kilometers length.