First Final Draft Bird Conservation Plan Partners in Flight Draft Land Bird Conservation Plan New Mexico State Plan Version 1.2 January 2003 Address comments to: Scott Norris NM State PIF Coordinator 4816 McKnight NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110 scono@nasw.org   SIGNATURE PAGE Christopher Rustay Senior Author Carol Beardmore Regional Coordinator Mike Carter Regional Working Group Chair Carla Alford New Mexico Partners in Flight Chair David Pashley National Partners in Flight Coordinator   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Justification Continental and local declines in numerous bird populations has lead to concern for the future of migratory and resident bird species.In 1990, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation brought together interested parties to address the problem. Partners in Flight was conceived and dedicated to "keeping common birds common" and "reversing the downward trends of declining species". The New Mexico Working Group of Partners in Flight (NMPIF) developed this Bird Conservation plan as part of the national Partners in Flight effort. Purpose Effective and efficient ecological management involves determining which species within habitats are most in need of conservation. This plan identifies priority and representative species for each habitat, and establishes objectives for bird populations and habitats in New Mexico. The plan not only focuses on microhabitat requirements of priority species, but also identifies landscape scale requirements. Conservation actions are recommended and partnerships will be identified to accomplish the objectives. Scope Of the more than 280 breeding bird species in New Mexico, one hundred eleven priority species, in nineteen major habitats are addressed here. Population objectives have been established for eighty-six. Associate species that will benefit from management actions are listed with these species. Coordinating conservation by habitat enables land managers to efficiently focus on a set of priority birds and specific habitat characteristics they need. The concept of "Area of Responsibility" is introduced: those species which have a high percentage of their breeding population in the state. Thirty-seven additional species are addressed under this concept. Objectives and Strategies Biological objectives are identified in each habitat to provide a target for ecological planning and implementation, and a bench mark for measuring success. Habitat strategies are identified to support the population objectives and describe the condition, amount and location of the habitat where management is needed. Evaluation of Progress Research and monitoring needs are listed that relate directly to management questions. We intend this to be a dynamic document that will be updated and revised as new information surfaces. Thus, we envision research and monitoring fulfilling a critical link in the adaptive nature of this plan. Coordination Many partners were instrumental in writing this document. However, coordination among existing and new partners is needed for the plan to succeed. As we progress in plan implementation we will integrate with other initiatives. Information in this plan can easily be linked with other landscape level management programs. Discussions regarding integration have already begun nationally with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and Shorebird groups. International coordination is well under way with Canada and Mexico and coordination of projects across international boundaries is planned for the implementation phase. Although this plan is specific to birds, coordination with other species groups will be a natural progression of implementation.   LITERATURE CITATION: Literature citations of this document should read as follows: New Mexico Partners in Flight. 2003. Draft Land Bird Conservation Plan for the State of New Mexico. Compiled by Scott Norris. Albuquerque, NM. 200 pp.   ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to extend appreciation and thanks to all of the partners who contributed their time and expertise to write this plan. Their hard work and dedication has made this very important endeavor possible. We thank all cooperating organizations and government agencies. We would like to especially thank Sartor O. (Sandy) Williams III and Bill Howe who contributed large amounts of time and knowledge to this project. Additionally we gratefully acknowledge the current and past chairs and co-chairs of the New Mexico Partners in Flight Working Group: Carla Alford, Karen Copeland, Patricia Mehlhop, David Mehlman, Roberta Salazar, and Sandy Williams. New Mexico Partners in Flight is guided by a steering committee, without whose help this project would have faltered. Currently the steering committee consists of: Carla Alford, Gail Garber, Bill Howe, Kris Johnson, Brian Locke, and Sandy Williams. The following individuals have participated in conservation planning meetings, information assembly, preparation, and/or manuscript review: Carla Alford, David Arsenault, Jennifer Atchely, Dan Baggao, Carol Beardmore, Carol Beidleman, Ryan Besser, George Blanchard, Paul Boucher, Jim Bradley, Christie Brothers, Tamie Bulow, Don Caccamise, Mike Carter, Jean-Luc Cartron, Regis Cassidy, Dave Cleary, Karen Copeland, Troy Corman, Nancy Cox, Steve Cox, Art Coykendall, David Deardorff, John Delong, Andy Dimas, Norm Douglas, Steve Fettig, Deborah Finch, Leon Fisher, Reggie Fletcher, Paulette Ford, Ed Fredrickson, Jerry French, Gail Garber, George Garcia, Philip Garcia, Chris Goguen, Tom Gow, Kathleen Granillo, Kris Havstaad, John Hanson, David Henderson, Marguerite Hendrie, Ann Henry, Dave Holderman, Mike Howard, Bill Howe, Andy Iskra, Jesse Jewell, Kris Johnson, Jeff Kelly, Marti Kelly, Larry Kosper, Margie Latta, David Leal, Randy Legler, Brian Locke, Kristin Madden, Kevin Mannire, Jackie McConachie, Mike Means, Pat Mehlhop, David Mehlman, Ray Meyer, David Mikesic, Tim Mitchusson, Angel Montoya, Sonja Najera-Meyer, Larry Neel, Bruce Neville, Jeff Ogburn, Mary Orr, Gabe Pardido, Jennifer Parody, David Pashley, Anna Pigeon, Roy Placker, Marikay Ramsey, Tim Reeves, Hildy Reiser, Terry Rich, Dolores Robello, Natalie Runyan, Roberta Salazar, Cathie Sandell, Robert Shauger, Hart Schwarz, Ryan Schwarz, Kim Score, John Sherman, Roland Shook, Jim Silva, Noel Snyder, Dale Stahlecker, Scott Stoleson, Donna Storch, Jon Stravers, Dan Svingen, John Taylor, Terry Tedano, Bruce Thompson, Dwain incent, Gordon Warrick, Mara Weisenberger, Steve West, Courtney White, Walt Whitford, Sandy Williams, Eleanor Wootten, Tom Wootten, Jonalyn Yancey, Ben Zimmerman, and Dale Zimmerman. The following organizations and groups have contributed either personnel, time, money, and/or information to this project: American Bird Conservancy, Arizona Partners in Flight, Bureau of Land Management (BLM): New Mexico State Office, Farmington, Las Cruces, Roswell, Socorro, and Taos Field Offices, Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado Partners in Flight, Eagle Environmental, Environmental Protection Agency - Research and Development/Las Cruces, Fort Bliss - U.S. Army, Hawks Aloft, Inc., Hawkwatch International, Hollomon Air Force Base, Idaho Partners in Flight, Navajo Natural Heritage Program, National Park Service - Bandelier National Monument, National Partners in Flight, The Nature Conservancy - New Mexico State Office, Nevada Partners in Flight, New Mexico Audubon Council, New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish, New Mexico Natural Heritage Program, New Mexico State Land Office, New Mexico State University, Quivira Coalition, Randall Davey Audubon Center, Rio Grande Bird Research, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Albuquerque - USFS, T & E, Inc., United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Region 2 - Regional Office, Bitter Lake, Bosque del Apache, Las Vegas, Maxwell, San Andres, and Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuges, United States Forest Service: Region 3 Regional Office, Carson, Cibola, Gila, Lincoln and Santa Fe National Forests, University of New Mexico, White Sands Missile Range, World Wildlife Fund, and Wyoming Partners in Flight   TABLE OF CONTENTS Partners in Flight Introduction 1 The Planning Unit - New Mexico NM Geography 2 Major Habitat Types 3 NM Land History 5 Conservation Issues 7 Conservation Opportunities 7 History of NM Avifauna 8 Avifaunal Analysis 9 How to Interpret the Habitat Sections 11 Grasslands Chihuahuan Desert Grassland 14 Plains Mesa Grassland 23 Wet Meadow 34 Alpine Tundra 37 Wetlands Introduction to Wetlands 40 Southwestern Riparian Woodland 41 Middle Elevation Riparian Woodland 51 High Elevation Riparian Woodland 62 Non-riparian Wetlands 68 Shrublands Chihuahuan Desert Shrub 80 Plains-Mesa Sand Shrub 89 Montane Shrub 96 Great Basin Desert Shrub 103 Forests Pinyon-Juniper Woodland 109 Madrean Pine-Oak Woodland 118 Ponderosa Pine Forest 124 Mixed Conifer Forest 134 Spruce-Fir Forest 142 Other Cliff/Cave/Rock 149 Agricultural 149 Literature Cited 150 Appendices Appendix A - Common, Scientific Names and Codes of NM Birds 165 Appendix B - National PIF Priority Scores for New Mexico Birds 173 Appendix C - New Mexico PIF Breeding Species Priority Scores 178 Appendix D - Breeding Species by Habitat Section in New Mexico 187 Appendix E - Cross Reference for Habitat Names in Arizona and Colorado 201 NOTE: Appendix E will be added later