Pinyon-Juniper Songbird Surveys in Estancia Valley

In 2005, we began conducting songbird point counts in pinyon-juniper and grassland habitat in the Estancia Basin, east of the Sandia Mountains. Both pinyon-juniper and grasslands provide habitat for a unique assemblage of birds; however, pinyon-juniper habitat is widely thinned or cleared for perceived water benefits. Our surveys in treated areas contributed information on how different types of birds might be affected by management efforts.

Pinyon Jay, photograph by Alan Murphy