Goal: To monitor or track all breeding birds in cliff/rock habitat to document distribution, population trends, and abundance in a statistically acceptable manner.

Objective: All species with AI > 2 will be monitored with count-based methods.

Strategy: Monitoring will be accomplished through the combined efforts of agencies with primary responsibility for managing this habitat.

Strategy: Monitoring efforts will continue to rely on BBS data, with CBO's Monitoring Colorado's Birds (MCB) data incorporated as it becomes available.

Objective: All species with AI 2 will be tracked through count-based methods or their presence/absence noted in the state.

Strategy: The MCB monitoring program will address this.

Objective: Continue with long-term statewide monitoring of Peregrine Falcon.

Strategy: The Colorado Division of Wildlife will take the lead in a statewide monitoring program for the Peregrine Falcon, with continued reliance on U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and others to monitor known nest sites.

Status: Monitoring for the Peregrine Falcon is fully implemented.

Habitat Monitoring

Goal: To document the amount, condition, and ownership of cliff/rock habitat in Colorado.

Objective: Develop collaborative efforts to use GIS in mapping cliff/rock habitat, documenting amount, condition, and ownership.

Status: This effort has not been initiated to date. Potential collaborators include CDOW, CNHP, CBO, USGS, BLM, and TNC.

Habitat Core Areas

Goal: To conserve unique representatives and/or core areas of White-throated Swift nesting colonies and a high concentration of breeding Peregrine Falcons in Colorado.

Objective: Identify such areas, use agency- or organization-specific means of designating and conserving them, and work with the appropriate agency or organization to promote conservation activities.

Status: Appropriate areas that have been identified include USFS Research Natural Areas, USFS Wilderness Areas, Colorado Natural Areas Program sites (Cross Mountain Canyon Natural Area in Moffat County).

Objective: Identify any of these areas that are appropriate for designation as Important Bird Areas (IBAs), nominate them, and promote involvement of local groups in conserving these areas once they are designated.

Status: Sites with cliff/rock habitat were nominated in 1999, and the IBA committee will make final selections in 2000.

Site-based Conservation

Goal: To conserve local sites that are important for the conservation of the White-throated Swift and Peregrine Falcon in Physiographic Area 87. These sites may include key nesting spots (e.g., cliffs, nest colonies, individual nest sites, historic sites etc.).

Objective: Identify agency- or organization-specific means of designating and conserving key local sites. Work with appropriate agencies and organizations to designate such sites, and promote conservation activities.

Objective: Identify key local sites that are appropriate for designation as IBAs, nominate them, and promote involvement of local groups in conserving these areas once they are designated.

Status: Sites with cliff/rock habitat were nominated in 1999, and the IBA committee will make final selections in 2000.

Management Practices

Goal: To promote management practices that benefit birds in cliff/rock habitats.

Objective: A Best Management Practices (BMP) manual will be produced and distributed.

Status: Not yet initiated.

Objective: Identify key landowners and land managers and encourage them to incorporate best management practices to conserve cliff/rock birds and their habitat.

Objective: Protect known nest sites and potential nest sites from disturbance.

Strategy: Close or reroute of some hiking trails, or temporarily close some hiking trails or cliff faces during the breeding season, and establish buffer zones around nesting sites.

Interstate/International Wintering Grounds

Goal: To conserve the wintering ground habitat used by birds of cliff/rock habitats.

Objective: Track the amount of habitat available on the wintering grounds.

Strategy: Utilize GIS (state GAP projects, Heritage Program, and/or CBO).

Strategy: Coordinate with appropriate state PIFs, domestic and foreign government agencies, and NGOs to obtain data.

Objective: Protect key tracts of wintering habitat.

Strategy: Identify the wintering distribution and key habitat associations of priority species.

Strategy: Coordinate with appropriate state PIFs, domestic and foreign government agencies, and NGOs to protect wintering habitat through Habitat Core Areas and Site-based Conservation goals and objectives.

Migration Concerns

Goal: To protect migratory stopover habitat of birds of cliff/rock habitats as they migrate outside of the state.

Objective: Identify important migratory stopover areas for Peregrine Falcons and White-throated Swifts, and key sites for priority species that breed elsewhere.

Objective: Track amount, condition, and ownership of key migratory stopover sites.

Strategy: Coordinate with appropriate state PIFs, domestic and foreign government agencies, and NGOs to protect migratory habitat through Habitat Core Areas and Site-based Conservation goals and objectives.

Outreach and Education

Goal: To provide information on cliff/rock birds (conservation, habitat needs, natural history, etc.) to children, teachers, naturalists, landowners, natural resource professionals, and other interested parties.

Strategy: Make educational materials available at local nature centers and natural resource agency offices.

Strategy: Hold workshops and field programs for teachers.

Strategy: Hold workshops and field programs for natural resource professionals (CDOW, BLM, and USFS staff).

Strategy: Present information at Teacher Association meetings, conferences, other annual meetings.

Strategy: Submit manuscripts to popular magazines for children and adults.

Strategy: Presentations or printed materials could help to educate the rock climbing community on the fragility of cliff-nesting bird communities--their susceptibility to disturbance and limited nesting opportunities--and could serve to recruit climbers in identifying nesting sites, educating other climbers, and posting closures and buffer zones. Signs that instruct climbers on routes and areas to avoid may encourage compliance.

Research Priorities

Goal: To identify and facilitate research that will aid in understanding and managing cliff/rock habitats for Colorado's birds.

Objective: To identify the top ten research needs in cliff/rock habitat in Colorado.

Strategy: Update the list of research needs annually to reflect shifting conservation priorities and to remove research needs from the list as they are investigated.

Strategy: Solicit input from researchers and managers on research needs and accomplishments.

Status: The following research needs have been identified:

1. There is a pressing need to identify the causes for the observed decline in White-throated Swift populations in this physiographic area. Avenues of investigation could include: analyzing eggshells and/or adult specimens for pesticide contamination; cataloging the locations of known nesting colonies; checking historical nesting sites for evidence of occupancy; documenting disturbance or other habitat degradation at current and historical nesting sites.

2. Identify the key migratory stopover areas and habitats of White-throated Swifts.

3. Test and evaluate monitoring protocols for the White-throated Swifts at breeding sites.

4. Determine whether habitat around colonies and/or nest sites is adequate for foraging White-throated Swifts and Peregrine Falcons.

5. Identify principal wintering areas for White-throated Swifts and Peregrine Falcons in Mexico, Central or South America.

Objective: Facilitate investigations to answer these questions by providing information about priority needs to universities, public and private research entities, identifying funding sources, and promoting collaboration between management and research agencies.