EFFECTS OF WILDLAND DEVELOPMENT ON FOREST BIRD COMMUNITIES

The rapid urbanization of rural landscapes for primary and secondary homes can significantly affect bird populations as wildlands are developed. To study this effect, we conducted bird counts within the Lake of the Ozarks region of central Missouri in three different landscape types: wildlands, dispersed single homes, and cluster development. For each landscape type, we selected five 100 ha forested sites and conducted bird counts during May and June for 2 years. Forest interior migrant species were most abundant in wildland sites and least abundant in cluster development sites. In contrast, cluster development sites were dominated by species generally found in urban residential neighborhoods, and nest predators and brood parasites were more prevalent on these sites than wildland sites.