Southern Plains, Sonoran Desert, & Chihuahuan Desert Landbird Monitoring

Landbirds are a conspicuous component of many ecosystems. They have high body temperatures, rapid metabolisms, and occupy high trophic levels. Because they can respond quickly to changes in resource conditions, landbirds are considered good indicators of ecosystem health. In other words, changes in landbird populations may indicate changes in the biotic or abiotic components of the environment upon which they depend. Landbirds were chosen as a focus for monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network for this reason and because they are specifically identified in the management objectives of many Sonoran Desert Network parks. Birds of interest in the Sonoran Desert include the yellow-billed cuckoo, cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, and red-tail hawk.