Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Avian Use of Forest Habitats in the Pembina Hills of Northeastern North Dakota

Tables

**Table 1.** Vegetative characteristics of forest habitats in the Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.
Characteristic	Quaking Aspen	Lowland forest	Bur oak	Willow shrub	Serviceberry thicket
Trees per hectare	595	492	178	7.4	0
Basal area (m²)	3.8	5.4	1.2	0.03	0
Trees by diameter class (cm)
7.6-15.2	85	65	23	1.5	0
15.2-22.8	32.5	22	8	0	0
22.8-38.1	3	8	7	0	0
38.1-53.3	0	3	0	0	0
53.3-68.6	0	1	0	0	0
Shrub density (no. stems per ha)	36,000	16,533	120,533	131,200	179,800
Percent ground cover	77	61	83	61	100
Percent canopy cover	47.5	75	27	5.5	0
vegetation height (m)	9.6	15.4	5	2.7	1.8

Table 1. Vegetative characteristics of forest habitats in the Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.

Characteristic

Quaking Aspen

Lowland forest

Bur oak

Willow shrub

Serviceberry thicket

Trees per hectare

595

492

178

7.4

Basal area (m²)

3.8

5.4

1.2

0.03

Trees by diameter class (cm)

7.6-15.2

1.5

15.2-22.8

32.5

22.8-38.1

38.1-53.3

53.3-68.6

Shrub density (no. stems per ha)

36,000

16,533

120,533

131,200

179,800

Percent ground cover

100

Percent canopy cover

47.5

5.5

vegetation height (m)

9.6

15.4

2.7

1.8

**Table 2.** Estimated population sizes and breeding densities of bird families in the Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.
Family	Number of species	Estimated population	Percent total	Density pairs per
Parulidae	7	28,082	36.96	369.89	149.75
Fringillidae	7	17,504	23.04	230.56	93.34
Mimidae	1	5,338	7.03	70.31	28.47
Tyrannidae	6	5,269	6.93	69.40	28.09
Turdidae	2	3,879	5.10	51.09	20.68
Vireonidae	5	3,282	4.32	43.23	17.50
Bombycillidae	1	2,933	3.86	38.63	15.64
Columbidae	1	2,422	3.19	31.90	12.91
Trochilidae	1	1,730	2.30	22.78	9.22
Thraupidae	1	1,550	2.04	20.41	8.26
Icteridae	3	1,451	1.91	19.11	7.73
Paridae	1	1,409	1.85	18.55	7.51
Picidae	3	254	0.33	3.34	1.35
Sittidae	1	243	0.32	3.20	1.29
Corvidae	3	235	0.31	3.09	1.25
Troglodytidae	1	148	0.20	1.94	0.78
Tetraonidae	1	126	0.17	1.65	0.67
Cuculidae	1	71	0.09	0.93	0.38
Hirundinidae	2	30	0.03	0.39	0.16
Accipitridae	1	8	0.01	0.10	0.04
Meleagrididae	1	8	0.01	0.10	0.04
Totals	50	75,972	100.00	1,000.61	405.66

Table 2. Estimated population sizes and breeding densities of bird families in the Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.

Family

Number of species

Estimated population

Percent total

Density pairs per

km²

100 acres

Parulidae

28,082

36.96

369.89

149.75

Fringillidae

17,504

23.04

230.56

93.34

Mimidae

5,338

7.03

70.31

28.47

Tyrannidae

5,269

6.93

69.40

28.09

Turdidae

3,879

5.10

51.09

20.68

Vireonidae

3,282

4.32

43.23

17.50

Bombycillidae

2,933

3.86

38.63

15.64

Columbidae

2,422

3.19

31.90

12.91

Trochilidae

1,730

2.30

22.78

9.22

Thraupidae

1,550

2.04

20.41

8.26

Icteridae

1,451

1.91

19.11

7.73

Paridae

1,409

1.85

18.55

7.51

Picidae

254

0.33

3.34

1.35

Sittidae

243

0.32

3.20

1.29

Corvidae

235

0.31

3.09

1.25

Troglodytidae

148

0.20

1.94

0.78

Tetraonidae

126

0.17

1.65

0.67

Cuculidae

0.09

0.93

0.38

Hirundinidae

0.03

0.39

0.16

Accipitridae

0.01

0.10

0.04

Meleagrididae

0.01

0.10

0.04

Totals

75,972

100.00

1,000.61

405.66

**Table 3.** Estimated populations and mean densities of major breeding bird species in the Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.
Species	Mean density per	Estimated Population	Percent total population
Yellow Warbler	194.1	78.6	14,739	19.40
American redstart	105.0	42.5	7,973	10.50
Clay-colored sparrow	95.2	38.5	7,226	9.51
Gray catbird	70.3	28.5	5,338	7.03
Veery	50.9	20.6	3,867	5.09
American goldfinch	47.3	19.1	3,591	4.73
Common yellowthroat	47.0	19.0	3,571	4.70
Cedar waxwing	38.6	15.6	2,933	3.86
Rufous-sided towhee	33.7	13.7	2,562	3.37
Mourning dove	31.9	12.9	2,422	3.19
Ruby-throated hummingbird	22.8	9.2	1,730	2.27
Red-eyed vireo	22.2	8.9	1,685	2.22
Least flycatcher	20.7	8.4	1,572	2.10
Scarlet tanager	20.4	8.3	1,550	2.04
Black-capped chickadee	18.6	7.5	1,409	1.85
Rose-breasted grosbeak	18.4	7.4	1,394	1.83
Song sparrow	16.7	6.8	1,272	1.67
Alder flycatcher	16.4	6.6	1,242	1.63
Warbling vireo	16.3	6.6	1,235	1.62
Indigo bunting	16.0	6.5	1,213	1.60

Table 3. Estimated populations and mean densities of major breeding bird species in the Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.

Species

Mean density per

Estimated Population

Percent total population

km²

100 acres

Yellow Warbler

194.1

78.6

14,739

19.40

American redstart

105.0

42.5

7,973

10.50

Clay-colored sparrow

95.2

38.5

7,226

9.51

Gray catbird

70.3

28.5

5,338

7.03

Veery

50.9

20.6

3,867

5.09

American goldfinch

47.3

19.1

3,591

4.73

Common yellowthroat

47.0

19.0

3,571

4.70

Cedar waxwing

38.6

15.6

2,933

3.86

Rufous-sided towhee

33.7

13.7

2,562

3.37

Mourning dove

31.9

12.9

2,422

3.19

Ruby-throated hummingbird

22.8

9.2

1,730

2.27

Red-eyed vireo

22.2

8.9

1,685

2.22

Least flycatcher

20.7

8.4

1,572

2.10

Scarlet tanager

20.4

8.3

1,550

2.04

Black-capped chickadee

18.6

7.5

1,409

1.85

Rose-breasted grosbeak

18.4

7.4

1,394

1.83

Song sparrow

16.7

6.8

1,272

1.67

Alder flycatcher

16.4

6.6

1,242

1.63

Warbling vireo

16.3

6.6

1,235

1.62

Indigo bunting

16.0

6.5

1,213

1.60

**Table 4.** Characteristics of breeding bird populations among major forest habitats, Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.
Habitat	Number of species	Mean density (pairs/km²)	Species diversity (H')
Lowland forest	32	1,311	3.647
Quaking aspen	38	723	3.641
Willow shrub	19	2,207	3.006
Serviceberry thicket	14	807	2.936
Bur oak forest	34	847	2.866

Table 4. Characteristics of breeding bird populations among major forest habitats, Pembina River study area, North Dakota, 1981.

Habitat

Number of species

Mean density (pairs/km²)

Species diversity (H')

Lowland forest

1,311

3.647

Quaking aspen

723

3.641

Willow shrub

2,207

3.006

Serviceberry thicket

807

2.936

Bur oak forest

847

2.866

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