Preliminary Assessment of Breeding Bird Habitat Quality and Use Across a Forested Wetland Gradient

The purpose of this capstone was to provide an initial assessment of breeding songbird species richness and habitat conditions within the recently acquired 10.45-acre parcel of forested wetlands.

• Goal 1: Assess songbird presence/absence during the breeding season and evaluate overall habitat quality across the N. Hix Road parcel.
• Goal 2: Evaluate bird detections and habitat characteristics to identify areas of relatively higher or lower habitat quality within the site.
• Goal 3: Characterize habitat structure and flag invasive species hot spots for prioritized removal and restoration efforts.