In preparing this Bird Conservation Plan for New Mexico, New Mexico Partners in Flight has followed the two step process of species assessment and prioritization developed by Partners in Flight (see Punjabi 2001 and the Partners in Flight Continental Plan, Rich et al. 2004). In this context, species assessment refers to the process of evaluating the biological vulnerability and conservation status of each species, through the application of a standardized scoring system; species prioritization refers to the use of assessment data to determine conservation priorities for the state. Thus, the assessment process produces a database of vulnerability scores, while prioritization produces a list of species of conservation concern, which may be further subdivided using various criteria. In general, New Mexico Partners in Flight has closely followed national Partners in Flight guidelines, with some modifications to reflect state interests and concerns.
The Partners in Flight assessment process is based on a series of biologically-based measures of conservation vulnerability. For each species in the planning area, a numerical score from one (lowest vulnerability) to five (highest vulnerability) is assigned for each measure. Methods and criteria for scoring have been continually tested, reviewed, and refined since the Partners in Flight species assessment process was first developed in 1991, and the scientific credibility of the system has been acknowledged by the American Ornithologists’ Union (Bissinger et al. 2000).
For the purpose of species prioritization, a variety of measures or “vulnerability factors” are considered. Some of these (breeding distribution, non-breeding distribution, and population size) are assessed “globally”, meaning they convey information about the entire species population. Others (threats to breeding populations and habitats, threats to non-breeding populations and habitats, population trend, and local area importance) may be assessed for particular geographic regions. This plan uses global and North American scores for landbirds developed by Partners in Flight and maintained in the Partners in Flight Global Scores Database; comparable scores for shorebirds, water birds and waterfowl are drawn from national plans for these taxa; and local (state or regional) scores for threat to breeding, population trend, and area importance are assigned by New Mexico Partners in Flight.
Vulnerability factors used in this plan, along with abbreviations and brief descriptions, are listed in Table 3.1 below. Additional details and specific scoring criteria for each measure are provided in Appendix B.
Table 3.1 Vulnerability factors used in species assessment
| |
Vulnerability Factor |
Description or Criteria |
| 1 |
Distribution (the greater of the 2 following distribution scores) |
|
Global Breeding Distribution |
PIF continental species assessment |
| |
Global Non-breeding Distribution |
PIF continental species assessment |
| 2 |
Threats (the greatest of the 3 following threat scores) |
|
Breeding Season Threats in North America |
PIF continental species assessment |
|
Non-breeding Season Threats |
PIF continental species assessment |
|
Breeding Season Threats in New Mexico |
NMPIF state species assessment |
| 3 |
Global Population Size |
PIF continental species assessment |
| 4 |
Local Population Trend (state or regional) |
NMPIF state species assessment, using Breeding Bird Survey data |
| 5 |
Importance of New Mexico to Breeding |
NMPIF state species assessment, based on distribution and PIF state population estimates |
| |
|
|
In assessing vulnerability due to distribution, only the higher of the two (breeding and non-breeding distribution) global assigned scores is counted. In assessing vulnerability due to threats, only the highest of three (breeding in North America, breeding in New Mexico, and non-breeding) assigned scores is counted. This results in a set of five scoring factors for assessing vulnerability. This system is in general agreement with that adopted by Partners in Flight for species assessment nationally.
Scores for all five factors may be summed to produce a combined score that represents a single, overall metric of conservation vulnerability. Combined scores for New Mexico birds have been calculated as follows:
Combined Score = Distribution + Threats + Global Population Size + Local Population Trend + Importance of New Mexico to Breeding
Note that by this five-variable formula, the maximum possible combined score is 25 and the minimum score is 5.
New Mexico Partners in Flight has chosen to present its high priority species in two broad categories, which are further sub-divided according to degree of vulnerability.
Conservation prioritization in a state, or other management unit, may be driven by two equally important concepts. Contributing to overall species conservation, in the state and larger continental context, and contributing to maintaining state biodiversity are distinct components of the New Mexico Partners in Flight plan, and it is often difficult to prioritize between the two.
For example, many breeding species occur only as very small, peripheral populations in the state. Such species receive a low score of 1 for the vulnerability factor “Importance of New Mexico to Breeding”. In most cases, these are species for which Partners in Flight estimates that New Mexico supports less than one percent of the total breeding population. While the overall conservation status of such species may not be greatly affected by actions undertaken in New Mexico, maintaining breeding populations of these species is considered to be extremely important from a state biodiversity perspective.
To recognize and address this challenge, New Mexico Partners in Flight presents lists of species of overall conservation concern under Species Conservation (SC) and species of concern in maintaining state biodiversity under Biodiversity Conservation (BC). Within each of these two lists, species are categorized into two levels of vulnerability (Table 3.2 below). Level 1 includes species of high conservation concern in either the SC or BC category (SC1 and BC1, respectively). For the most part, these are species facing moderate to severe threats and showing unknown or declining local population trends. They are considered to be species in need of immediate conservation action. Level 2 species are considered to be of moderate or potential conservation concern in either the SC or BC category (SC2 and BC2, respectively). They show some signs of vulnerability, and may warrant careful monitoring. The Species Conservation and Biodiversity Conservation categories are established based on the vulnerability factor “Importance of New Mexico to Breeding”. The species under Species Conservation are ranked as level 1 or level 2 based on the Combined Scores (greater than 16 for level 1 and 15 or 16 for level 2). Species with a slightly lower Combined Score of 14 still qualify as level 2 if they have moderate to high state-based vulnerability, as reflected in “Breeding Season Threats in New Mexico” and “Local Population Trend” scores. Species under Biodiversity Conservation are ranked as level 1 or level 2 according to the degree of threat they face in New Mexico, as indicated by “Breeding Season Threats in New Mexico” scores; however, those with Combined Scores of 11 or less are excluded.
Table 3.2 Criteria for priority listings
|
Priority List |
Abbreviation |
Formula |
| Species Conservation |
SC1 |
Importance of New Mexico to Breeding > 1 and |
| Level 1 |
Combined Score > 16 |
| Species Conservation |
SC2 |
Importance of New Mexico to Breeding > 1 and |
| Level 2 |
Combined Score = 15 or 16 or |
|
Importance of New Mexico to Breeding > 1 and |
|
Combined Score = 14 and |
| |
Breeding Season Threats in New Mexico + Local Population Trends > 5 |
| Biodiversity Conservation |
BC1 |
Importance of New Mexico to Breeding = 1 and |
| Level 1 |
Breeding Season Threats in New Mexico > 3 |
| Biodiversity Conservation |
BC2 |
Importance of New Mexico to Breeding = 1 and |
| Level 2 |
Breeding Season Threats in New Mexico = 3 and Combined Score > 11 |
| |
|
|
In addition to assessment and prioritization of vulnerable species, Partners in Flight also stresses the importance of regional responsibility for all species for which a significant portion of the global population occurs in the planning region. The Partners in Flight North American Landbird Conservation Plan (Rich et al. 2004) designates stewardship species for very large areas designated as “avifaunal biomes”, each of which contains multiple Bird Conservation Regions. New Mexico lies at the intersection of three of these areas: the Intermountain West Avifaunal Biome (covering much of the western U.S. and southwestern Canada); the Southwest Avifaunal Biome (covering the Southwest and northern Mexico); and the Prairie Avifaunal Biome (covering the Midwest and north-central U.S.). Partners in Flight stewardship species are those with at least 50 or 75 percent (depending on biome size) of their global population occurring within one of these regions.
To identify stewardship species at the state level, New Mexico Partners in Flight consulted the Partners in Flight database of population estimates for the four Bird Conservation Region segments occurring in New Mexico. Species with an estimated 15 percent or more of their breeding population occurring in the state are considered state stewardship species, for which New Mexico has a high conservation responsibility. A small number of species were added to the stewardship list based on qualitative assessment of regional importance, in cases for which no numerical population estimate was available. The list of stewardship species for the state includes 16 species appearing on the SC1 or SC2 lists, and an additional 3 non-priority species.
It should be emphasized that Partners in Flight estimates of species populations and distribution by region are still being tested and refined. Efforts are currently underway to determine how best to “step down” global estimates to states and Bird Conservation Regions, and to assess the general validity of these totals based on local knowledge. As state and global population estimates are improved, percentage estimates and stewardship species lists are likely to change. However, New Mexico Partners in Flight believes the current system employed by Partners in Flight provides a solid foundation and accurately identifies the majority of species for which New Mexico bears particular conservation responsibility.
3.3 New Mexico Priority and Stewardship Species Lists
Priority and stewardship species lists for New Mexico are shown in Table 3.3. Species are arranged taxonomically (not in order of priority) within each list. A”W” following the species name indicates national Partners in Flight Watch List status. “S-NM” indicates stewardship species for New Mexico. Stewardship species that are not also conservation priority species appear on a separate list below. “NM-E” or “NM-T” signifies state endangered or threatened status, as determined by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
Table 3.3 New Mexico Priority and Stewardship Bird Species
|
Species Conservation 1 |
Species Conservation 2 |
Biodiversity Conservation 1 |
Biodiversity Conservation 2 |
|
Ferruginous Hawk |
Eared Grebe |
American Bittern |
Western Grebe |
|
Lesser Prairie-Chicken (W, S-NM) |
Clark's Grebe |
Common Black-Hawk (NM-T) |
Neotropic Cormorant (NM-T) |
|
Snowy Plover |
Mississippi Kite |
Aplomado Falcon (NM-E) |
Least Bittern |
|
Mountain Plover |
Swainson's Hawk |
Peregrine Falcon (NM-T) |
Snowy Egret |
|
Long-billed Curlew |
Prairie Falcon |
White-tailed Ptarmigan (NM-E) |
Golden Eagle |
|
Flammulated Owl (W) |
Scaled Quail (W, S-NM) |
Common Ground-Dove (NM-E) |
Bald Eagle (NM-T) |
|
Mexican Spotted Owl (W, S-NM) |
Montezuma Quail |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
Northern Harrier |
|
Lewis's Woodpecker (W) |
Band-tailed Pigeon (W) |
Boreal Owl (NM-T) |
Blue Grouse |
|
S. Willow Flycatcher (W, S-NM, NM-E) |
Northern Pygmy-Owl |
Black Swift (W) |
Least Tern (NM-E) |
|
Bell's Vireo (W, NM-T) |
Elf Owl |
Violet-crowned Hummingbird (NM-T) |
Whiskered Screech-Owl (NM-T) |
|
Gray Vireo (W, NM-T) |
White-throated Swift (W) |
Lucifer Hummingbird (NM-T) |
Whip-poor-will |
|
Pinyon Jay (W, S-NM) |
Black-chinned Hummingbird (S-NM) |
Elegant Trogon (W, NM-E) |
Broad-billed Hummingbird (NM-T) |
|
Juniper Titmouse (S-NM) |
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (S-NM) |
Red-headed Woodpecker |
Magnificent Hummingbird |
|
Bendire's Thrasher (W, S-NM) |
Williamson's Sapsucker |
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (NM-E) |
Costa's Hummingbird (W, NM-T) |
|
Virginia's Warbler (S-NM) |
Red-naped Sapsucker |
Thick-billed Kingbird (W, NM-E) |
Belted Kingfisher |
|
Lucy's Warbler (W) |
Cordilleran Flycatcher (S-NM) |
Bank Swallow |
Gila Woodpecker (NM-T) |
|
Grace's Warbler (W, S-NM) |
Cassin's Kingbird (S-NM) |
Veery |
Arizona Woodpecker (W) |
|
Red-faced Warbler (W) |
Loggerhead Shrike |
Sprague's Pipit (winter) |
Olive-sided Flycatcher (W) |
|
Black-chinned Sparrow (W) |
Plumbeous Vireo (S-NM) |
Abert's Towhee (W, NM-T) |
Greater Pewee |
|
Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow (NM-T) |
Warbling Vireo |
Botteri's Sparrow |
Mexican Jay |
|
McCown's Longspur (winter) (W) |
Western Scrub-Jay |
Baird's Sparrow (winter) (NM-T) |
Bridled Titmouse |
|
Total Species = 21 |
Western Bluebird (S-NM) |
Yellow-eyed Junco (NM-T) |
Mexican Chickadee |
|
|
Mountain Bluebird |
Painted Bunting (W) |
Sage Thrasher |
|
Additional Stewardship Species: |
Crissal Thrasher (S-NM) |
Bobolink |
Wilson's Warbler |
|
Say's Phoebe |
Black-throated Gray Warbler |
Total Species = 24 |
Olive Warbler |
|
Chihuahuan Raven |
Vesper Sparrow |
|
Painted Redstart |
|
Cassin's Sparrow |
Black-throated Sparrow |
|
Summer Tanager |
|
|
Sage Sparrow |
|
Grasshopper Sparrow |
|
|
Lazuli Bunting |
|
Varied Bunting (W, NM-T) |
|
|
Bullock's Oriole |
|
Dickcissel (W) |
|
|
Total Species = 30 |
|
Hooded Oriole |
|
|
|
|
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (W) |
|
|
|
|
Total Species = 32 |
3.4 Patterns of Diversity and Vulnerability
The following sections describe some general patterns in the distribution of New Mexico’s priority bird species, from taxonomic, regional, and habitat-based perspectives. Such patterns can be useful in determining underlying causes of species vulnerability, and in informing and prioritizing conservation and management efforts for species and habitats.
Distribution of New Mexico’s breeding birds by taxonomic group and priority status is shown in Table 3.4. Taxonomic divisions are by family, although in a few cases, two or more closely related and ecologically similar families have been lumped together. Families with a high degree of representation on the priority lists may be the groups from which additional priority species are most likely to emerge in the future, and managers are urged to keep an eye on the status and trends of all species in these taxa.
Overall, 38% of New Mexico’s regularly breeding bird species appear on one of the four priority lists. Taxonomic groups which include three or more species overall and that show a disproportionately high degree of vulnerability (the priority species represent 50% or more of the group’s member species) include grebes, falcons, grouse/quail, plovers, owls, swifts, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, vireos, and warblers. Taxonomic groups which include three or more species but that show a disproportionately low degree of vulnerability (the species in priority lists represent less than 25% of the group’s member species) include waterfowl, rails, swallows, nuthatches/creepers, wrens, and finches.
As may be expected, many of the taxa with the largest number of members contain the largest number of priority species. Overall numbers of priority species are highest for sparrows (11), warblers (8), hawks (7), owls, and woodpeckers (6 each). Conversely, some taxonomic groups with a large number of members contain few, if any, priority species (e.g., geese and ducks).
Groups in which a quarter or more of the membership is considered to be of highest conservation priority in either the Species or Biodiversity Conservation categories (SC1 or BC1) include falcons, grouse/quail, plovers, owls, vireos, warblers, and sparrows. Groups with three or more species in the Species Conservation category (SC1 or SC2) include hawks, grouse/quail, owls, woodpeckers, flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and sparrows. Groups with three or more species in the Biodiversity Conservation category (BC1 or BC2) include herons, hawks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, flycatchers, warblers, sparrows, and blackbirds.
High vulnerability is present both in groups that are highly migratory and in groups comprised of predominantly resident species. The concentration of level 1 and 2 species is somewhat difficult to interpret in terms of biological or ecological characteristics of these taxa. Most of these groups include priority members representing a variety of different habitat types. Raptors, water-associated species, gallinaceous species, woodpeckers, thrashers, foliage-gleaning insectivores (warblers and vireos), and lowland sparrows all are strongly represented, encompassing a broad range of migratory, foraging, and life history strategies.
Table 3.4 Priority status by taxonomic group
|
Taxonomic Group |
NM Regular Breeding Species |
Species Conservation 1 |
Species Conservation 2 |
Biodiversity Conservation 1 |
Biodiversity Conservation 2 |
Total Priority Species |
|
Grebes |
4 |
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
3 (75%) |
|
Cormorants |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 (50%) |
|
Bitterns & Herons |
9 |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
3 (33%) |
|
Ibises |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Vultures |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Geese & Ducks |
15 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Kites, Eagles & Hawks |
15 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
7 (47%) |
|
Falcons |
3 |
- |
1 |
2 |
- |
3 (100%) |
|
Grouse, Turkeys & Quail |
8 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
5 (56%) |
|
Rails, Gallinules & Coots |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Plovers |
3 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
2 (67%) |
|
Stilts & Avocets |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Sandpipers & Phalaropes |
4 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 (25%) |
|
Gulls & Terns |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 (100%) |
|
Pigeons & Doves |
5 |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
2 (40%) |
|
Cuckoos & Roadrunners |
2 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 (50%) |
|
Owls (Including Barn Owl) |
12 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
6 (50%) |
|
Nighthawks |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 (25%) |
|
Swifts |
3 |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
2 (67%) |
|
Hummingbirds |
7 |
- |
2 |
2 |
3 |
7 (100%) |
|
Trogons |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 (100%) |
|
Kingfishers |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 (100%) |
|
Woodpeckers |
12 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
6 (50%) |
|
Flycatchers |
21 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
7 (33%) |
|
Shrikes |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
1 (100%) |
|
Vireos |
5 |
2 |
2 |
- |
- |
4 (80%) |
|
Jay, Magpies & Crows |
11 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
3 (27%) |
|
Larks |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Swallows |
8 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 (12%) |
|
Chickadees, Titmice & Bushtits |
7 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
3 (43%) |
|
Nuthatches & Creepers |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Wrens |
6 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Dippers |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Kinglets |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Gnatcatchers |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Thrushes |
8 |
- |
2 |
1 |
- |
3 (37%) |
|
Mockingbirds & Thrashers |
7 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
3 (43%) |
|
Pipits |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 (100%) |
|
Silky-Flycatchers |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Warblers (Including Olive Warbler) |
14 |
4 |
1 |
- |
3 |
8 (57%) |
|
Tanagers |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 (33%) |
|
Sparrows |
23 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
11 (48%) |
|
Cardinals, Grosbeaks & Buntings |
8 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 (37%) |
|
Blackbirds, Orioles & Other Icterids |
15 |
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 (27%) |
|
Finches |
10 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 (10%) |
3.4.2 Regional Patterns
New Mexico contains portions of four Bird Conservation Regions (see section 2.6 for a description). Table 3.5 shows the total number of breeding and priority-status species within each of the state’s four Bird Conservation Regions (including only the portion of those regions within New Mexico). The totals shown are for regularly-breeding species in each region; irregular or marginal breeders are not included.
Breeding species diversity is fairly consistent across Southern Rocky Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, and Sierra Madre Occidental regions of New Mexico. Each of these regions contains roughly three-fourths of the species breeding in the state. High regional diversity is maintained in each of these areas by the presence of multiple habitats ranging from high elevation coniferous forests to arid lowlands. The portion of the Sierra Madre Occidental region in New Mexico is significantly smaller, however, and thus when area is considered, this Bird Conservation Region is certainly the most species-rich region of the state. The number of breeding species decreases somewhat in the mostly prairie Shortgrass Prairie region.
The pattern for priority species totals is similar to that of breeding species. The priority species component of regional species pools ranges from a low of 22% in the Shortgrass Prairie (Bird Conservation Region 18) to a high of 37% in the Sierra Madre Occidental (Bird Conservation Region 34). In each region, there are more species in the species conservation (SC1 and SC2) categories than the biodiversity conservation (BC1 and BC2) categories. The difference is smallest in the Sierra Madre Occidental (Bird Conservation Region 34), which contains the highest number of Biodiversity Conservation priority species.
The last two columns list numbers of species unique to a single Bird Conservation Region within New Mexico. Together, the portion of Bird Conservation Regions 16 and 34 in New Mexico contain a significant majority of the state’s unique breeding and unique priority species. In this respect, these two regions may be of particular conservation importance. Note also that 13 of the 15 unique breeding species in the Sierra Madre Occidental are considered conservation priorities.
Table 3.5 Distribution of priority status for breeding species by BCR segment. Unique species are those breeding regularly in only one region.
|
Bird Conservation Region |
Total Breeding Species |
Total Priority Species |
Species Conservation (SC1 & SC2) Species |
Biodiversity Conservation (BC1 & BC2) Species |
Unique Breeding Species |
Unique Priority Species |
|
16. Southern Rocky Mountains |
223 |
67 (30%) |
42 |
25 |
22 |
8 |
|
34. Sierra Madre Occidental |
208 |
76 (37%) |
41 |
35 |
15 |
14 |
|
35. Chihuahuan Desert |
222 |
72 (32%) |
40 |
32 |
7 |
3 |
|
18. Shortgrass Prairie |
157 |
35 (22%) |
22 |
13 |
4 |
2 |
The breeding status of New Mexico’s species across habitat types was recently reviewed by New Mexico Partners in Flight. The state’s avifauna includes specialist species present in only one or two habitat types, and generalists that range across many types. The set of species associated with a particular habitat type may in a loose sense be considered an avian “community”, as many of these species will likely co-occur in areas where the habitat is present. However, no attempt was made to identify “typical” bird communities associated with different habitat types. Some habitats, such as Mixed Conifer Forest or Plains-Mesa Grassland, may differ markedly in species composition in different parts of the state. It should also be noted that the association of a species with a habitat type does not mean the species is likely to be present in all areas where the habitat occurs. Species known only from Guadalupe Canyon, for example, will be associated with Southwest Riparian habitat, but this habitat is distributed across a much wider area.
A complete list of habitat associations for all New Mexico species is provided in Appendix D. Associations for priority species are also shown in Table 3.6 below. In each case, an effort was made to identify all habitats in which the species breeds on a regular basis, and also to single out one or two “primary” habitat types with which the species is principally associated in New Mexico. Primary habitats are those which experts believe may contain a third or more of a species population in the state. Species have no primary designation if breeding is spread out fairly evenly across multiple habitat types.
As every birder knows, species often show up in areas that might not be considered the “right” habitat. Thus, habitat designations are necessarily imprecise and subjective, and are meant to serve only as a rough guide to species-habitat relationships of particular conservation importance. Additional details on habitat requirements for priority species can be found in the species accounts.
Figure 3.1 shows the distribution of New Mexico’s breeding bird species across habitat types. For comparative purposes, habitats are loosely arranged from higher elevation and/or more northern types, on the left, to lower/southern types on the right. Cliff, agricultural, and urban types are separated on the far right.
Breeding species diversity in New Mexico is highest in low and middle elevation riparian areas, and in forests ranging from pinyon-juniper woodland up to mixed conifer. Shrublands and grasslands show less overall diversity, although some grassland types show strong species-habitat relationships, as indicated by a relatively high percentage of species with primary breeding associations. The same is true for wetlands, due to the many water-associated species that breed largely or exclusively in these areas. Note that agricultural and urban habitats contain moderately high species totals, though a low degree of primary association.
Figure 3.1 New Mexico breeding birds by habitat type.
Understanding the distribution of priority and stewardship species across habitat types is essential to effective conservation planning. The identification of habitats where priority species occur in the largest numbers, or where threats are perceived to be the greatest, can help prioritize conservation management for these areas.
Several different approaches can be taken for analyzing vulnerability by habitat type, each of which may yield important but somewhat different information. This section presents the results of three such approaches. The first is a simple tally of priority species in each habitat type. This shows where the largest numbers of priority species are located. The second approach compares percentages of priority and non-priority species among habitat types. This highlights habitat types that may be lower in overall species richness but whose breeding species tend to be more vulnerable. The third approach compares averages of species assessment scores across habitat types, regardless of priority list designation. This reveals habitats where certain indices of vulnerability, such as population trend or threat, are particularly high.
A list of habitat associations of New Mexico priority species appears in Table 3.6. Species are grouped by priority list (Species Conservation, SC, and Biodiversity Conservation, BC) and level of concern (level 1 and 2). Within each group, species are listed in taxonomic order.
Table 3.6 Habitat associations for New Mexico’s priority bird species
|
Species |
List |
Primary Breeding Habitats |
Additional Breeding Habitats |
|
Ferruginous Hawk |
SC1 |
PMG |
PJW, GBS, PMS, AGR |
|
Lesser Prairie-Chicken |
SC1 |
PMS |
- |
|
Snowy Plover |
SC1 |
WET |
- |
|
Mountain Plover |
SC1 |
PMG |
CDG |
|
Long-billed Curlew |
SC1 |
PMG |
- |
|
Flammulated Owl |
SC1 |
MCF, PPF |
MPO |
|
Mexican Spotted Owl |
SC1 |
MCF, PPF |
SFF, MOR, MPO |
|
Lewis’s Woodpecker |
SC1 |
PPF, MER |
MOR, AGR |
|
Southwestern Willow Flycatcher |
SC1 |
MER, SWR |
MOR |
|
Bell’s Vireo |
SC1 |
MER, SWR |
CDS |
|
Gray Vireo |
SC1 |
PJW, MOS |
GBS, CDS |
|
Pinyon Jay |
SC1 |
PJW |
PPF |
|
Juniper Titmouse |
SC1 |
PJW |
MPO |
|
Bendire’s Thrasher |
SC1 |
|
PJW, GBS, PMG, CDS |
|
Virginia’s Warbler |
SC1 |
PPF, MOS |
MCF, PJW, MPO |
|
Lucy’s Warbler |
SC1 |
SWR |
MER |
|
Grace’s Warbler |
SC1 |
PPF |
MCF, MPO |
|
Red-faced Warbler |
SC1 |
MCF, PPF |
MOR |
|
Black-chinned Sparrow |
SC1 |
MOS |
PJW |
|
Grasshopper Sparrow (ammolegus) |
SC1 |
CDG |
- |
|
McCown’s Longspur (winter) |
SC1 |
(CDG) |
(AGR) |
|
Eared Grebe |
SC2 |
WET |
- |
|
Clark’s Grebe |
SC2 |
WET |
- |
|
Mississippi Kite |
SC2 |
URB |
AGR, MER |
|
Swainson’s Hawk |
SC2 |
- |
PMG, PMS, CDG, CDS, AGR, GBS |
|
Prairie Falcon |
SC2 |
