PRIORITY SPECIES POOL -- AREA 27

From among the breeding avifauna, a pool of species may be derived that represents priorities for conservation action within the physiographic area. Note that a species may be considered a priority for several different reasons, including global threats to the species, high concern for regional or local populations, or responsibility for conserving large or important populations of the species. The different reasons for priority status are represented by levels or tiers. Our primary means of prioritizing species is through the PIF prioritization scores generated by Colorado Bird Observatory (Hunter et al. 1994, Carter et al. 2000). This system ranks species according to seven measures of conservation vulnerability. These include four global measures (i.e., they do not change from area to area), as well as threats to breeding populations (TB), area importance (AI), and population trend (PT), which are specific to each physiographic area. A total rank score is then derived, which is a measure of overall conservation priority.

There are five entry levels into the priority species pool, as follows:

Tier I. High Continental Priority. -- Species that are typically of conservation concern throughout their range. These are species showing high vulnerability in a number of factors, expressed as any combination of high parameter scores leading to an average score > 3 (the midpoint); total of 7 parameter scores will be ≥ 22, with AI ≥ 2 (so that species without manageable populations in the region are omitted).

Tier I A. High Continental Priority - High Regional Responsibility. Species for which this region shares in major conservation responsibility; i.e., conservation in this region is critical to the overall health of this species. Species with AI of 3 - 5, or a high percent population (above threshold in II B).

Tier I B. High Continental Priority - Low Regional Responsibility. Species for which this region can contribute to rangewide conservation objectives where the species occurs. Species with AI of 2.

Tier II. High Regional Priority. Species that are of moderate continental priority, but are important to consider for conservation within a region because of various combinations of high parameter scores, as defined below; total of 7 parameter scores = 19-21.

Tier II A. High Regional Concern. Species that are experiencing declines in the core of their range and that require short-term conservation action to reverse or stabilize trends. These are species with a combination of high area importance and declining (or unknown) population trend; total of 7 parameters = 19-21, with AI + PT ≥ 8.

Tier II B. High Regional Responsibility. Species for which this region shares in the responsibility for long-term conservation, even if they are not currently declining or threatened. These are species of moderate continental priority with a disproportionately high percentage of their total population in the region; total of 7 parameters = 19-21, with % population > threshold (see Appendix 3 in this area's full Plan).

Tier II C. High Regional Threats. Species of moderate continental priority that are uncommon in a region and whose remaining populations are threatened, usually because of extreme threats to sensitive habitats. These are species with high breeding threats scores within the region (or in combination with high nonbreeding threats outside the region); total of 7 parameters = 19-21 with TB + TN > 6, or local TB or TN = 5.

Tier III. Additional Watch List. These species are on the U.S. National Watch List not included in the above tiers. These species score highly enough based on global criteria to warrant conservation attention wherever they occur with an AI of 2 or more.

Tier IV. Additional Federally Listed. Species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act receive conservation attention wherever they occur.

Tier V. Additional State Listed. - Species on state endangered, threatened, or special concern lists that did not meet any of above criteria. These are often rare or peripheral populations.

Species that are federally or state listed are noted on the Priority Species Pool by country and/or state using the following codes: E = Endangered, T = Threatened, SC = Special Concern, V = Vulnerable.

Note: the Priority Species Pool and Priority Habitat-suites are excerpted from the associated Physiographic Area Plan.   These tables are also available as a downloadable PDF file.

Priority species pool for Area 27.  Percent of population calculated from percent of range area, weighted by BBS relative abundance (see Rosenberg and Wells 1999). PIF regional and global scores from CBO (Carter et al. 2000 -- all scores updated 10/2000).

Entry level

Species

Total score

% of pop.

AI

PT

Local status

      I

        A.

Bicknell’s Thrush

28

??

4

4

B
 

Canada Warbler

23

1.4

5

2

B
 

Chestnut-sided Warbler

23

3.6

5

4

B
 

Black-throated Blue Warbler

23

3.6

4

2

B
 

Wood Thrush

23

3.1

4

4

B
 

American Woodcock

22

1.3

4

5

B
 

Blackburnian Warbler

22

1.2

3

5

B

        B.

Golden-winged Warbler

27

< 1

2

5

B
 

Piping Plover (F-T)

26

< 1

2

3

B
 

Saltmarsh Sharp-tail. Sparrow (SC-ME)

26

< 1

2

3

B
 

Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow

25

??

2

3

B
 

Upland Sandpiper (E-VT, MA; T-VT, ME)

23

< 1

2

5

B
 

Bay-breasted Warbler

23

< 1

2

3

B

      II 

        A.

Scarlet Tanager

21

3.2

4

4

B
 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

20

1.9

5

3

B
 

Least Flycatcher

20

1.0

4

5

B
 

Eastern Wood-pewee

19

1.2

4

4

B
 

Purple Finch

19

1.4

4

5

R
 

Gray Catbird

19

2.7

4

4

B

        B.

Veery

19

3.9

5

2

B
 

Ovenbird

19

2.5

5

2

B

        C.

Whip-poor-will

21

< 1

2

3

B
 

Sedge Wren (E-ME)

21

< 1

2

3

B
 

Black-backed Woodpecker

20

< 1

2

3

R
 

Chimney Swift

20

< 1

3

4

B
 

Bobolink

19

1.8

4

2

B

      III 
 

Blue-winged Warbler

21

< 1

2

3

B
 

American Black Duck

20

1.9

4

1

R
 

Prairie Warbler

20

< 1

2

3

B
 

Red-headed Woodpecker

19

< 1

2

3

B

V 
 

Blackpoll Warbler (SC-MA)

19

< 1

2

3

B
 

Grasshopper Sparrow (E-ME,CT; T-MA)

19

< 1

1

5

B
 

Northern Goshawk (SC-ME)

19

< 1

3

3

R
 

Mourning Warbler (SC-MA)

19

< 1

2

3

B
 

Roseate Tern (E-ME)

19

< 1

1

3

B
 

Common Loon (E-VT, T- NH, SC-MA)

18

< 1

3

2

B
 

Bald Eagle (T-ME)

18

< 1

2

3

B
 

Least Bittern (SC-ME)

18

< 1

2

3

B
 

Eastern Screech-Owl (SC-ME)

18

< 1

2

3

R
 

Eastern Meadowlark (SC-ME)

18

< 1

2

5

B
 

Olive-sided Flycatcher (SC-ME)

17

< 1

2

4

B
 

Sharp-shinned Hawk (SC-MA)

17

1.0

5

2

R
 

Northern Harrier (T-NH,MA)

17

< 1

2

3

B
 

Black Tern (E-ME)

17

< 1

2

3

B
 

Orchard Oriole (SC-ME)

16

< 1

1

3

B
 

Arctic Tern (T-ME)

16

< 1

2

3

B
 

Cooper's Hawk (T-NH, SC-MA, ME)

15

< 1

2

3

R
 

Vesper Sparrow (E-CT, T-MA, SC-ME)

15

< 1

2

3

B
 

Osprey (E-VT; T-NH)

15

< 1

2

3

B
 

Common Tern (SC-ME)

15

< 1

2

3

B
 

N. Saw-whet Owl (SC-CT)

15

< 1

2?

3

R
 

Common Nighthawk (T-NH)

14

< 1

2

3

B
 

Least Tern (E-ME)

14

< 1

1

3

B
 

Common Moorhen (SC-ME)

14

< 1

2

3

B
 

Pied-billed Grebe (E-NH,MA)

14

< 1

2

3

B
 

American Coot (SC-ME)

12

< 1

1

3

B

PRIORITY HABITAT-SPECIES SUITES -- AREA 27

Priority habitat-species suites for Area 27.  TB (threats breeding), AI (area importance), PT (population trend), and total PIF scores from CBO prioritization database (Carter et al. 2000). Focal species for each habitat in all caps.

Habitat

Species

Total score

TB

AI

PT

Action level a

Mountaintop -- conifer woodland 
 

BICKNELL'S THRUSH

28

3

4

4

II
 

Blackpoll Warbler

19

3

2

3

IV

Coastal saltmarsh, dune and estuary 
 

SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW

26

3

2

3

II
 

NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW

25

3

2

3

II
  PIPING PLOVER

26

4

2

3

II
  AMERICAN BLACK DUCK

20

3

4

1

II
 

Roseate Tern

19

3

1

3

II
 

Northern Harrier

17

4

2

3

IV
 

Arctic Tern

16

3

2

3

IV
 

Common Tern

15

3

2

3

IV
 

Osprey

15

3

2

3

IV
 

Least Tern

14

3

1

3

IV

Northern hardwood-mixed forest
  WOOD THRUSH

23

2

4

4

III
  BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER

23

2

4

2

IV
  CANADA WARBLER

22

2

5

2

IV
 

Blackburnian Warbler

22

3

3

5

III
 

Scarlet Tanager

21

2

4

4

III
 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

20

2

5

3

IV
 

Chimney Swift

20

3

3

4

III
 

Least Flycatcher

20

2

4

5

III
 

Eastern Wood-Pewee

19

2

4

5

III
 

Veery

19

2

5

2

IV
 

Purple Finch

19

2

4

5

III
  NORTHERN GOSHAWK

19

3

3

3

IV
 

Ovenbird

19

2

5

2

IV
 

Eastern Screech-Owl

18

3

2

3

IV
 

Sharp-shinned Hawk

17

2

5

3

IV
 

Cooper’s Hawk

15

2

3

3

IV

Early successional forest/edge 
  GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER

27

4

2

5

II
  CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER

23

2

5

4

III
  AMERICAN WOODCOCK

22

3

4

5

III
 

Whip-poor-will

21

3

2

3

III
 

Blue-winged Warbler

21

2

2

3

V
 

Prairie Warbler

20

2

2

3

V
 

Red-headed Woodpecker

19

3

2

3

IV
 

Mourning Warbler

19

2

2

3

V
 

Gray Catbird

19

2

4

5

III
 

Mourning Warbler

18

2

2

3

VI
 

Olive-sided Flycatcher

17

3

2

4

III
 

Orchard Oriole

16

2

1

3

V
 

Common Nighthawk

13

3

1

3

V

Mature conifer (spruce-fir) forest 
  BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER

22

3

3

5

III
 

Bay-breasted Warbler

23

3

2

3

IV
 

BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER

20

3

2

3

IV
 

Blackpoll Warbler

19

3

2

3

IV
 

Sharp-shinned Hawk

17

2

5

3

IV
 

Olive-sided Flycatcher

17

3

2

4

III
 

N. Saw-whet Owl

14

2

2

3

IV

Grassland/agricultural 
  UPLAND SANDPIPER

23

4

2

5

III
  SEDGE WREN

21

4

2

3

IV
  BOBOLINK

19

3