Breeding Birds of the Platte River Valley

Table 8

Table 8. Population estimates among the most numerous breeding bird species in the Platte River valley.


                 Density          Major       Estimated      % of total     
               (pairs/km²)       Habitats     population     population
              Highest    mean               (prs. and HPD 
                                               interval) 



Species                 

Grasshopper    22.0   10.7          1          301,000           9.65
sparrow                                    (239,800-362,200)
       

Western        18.5   10.2         1,2         287,000           9.20
meadowlark                                 (251,300-323,300) 
     

House         140.5    8.7          8          244,000           7.82
sparrow                                    (58,400-430,200)


Common        100.0    7.8           8         221,000           7.08
grackle                                    (157,100-285,300)
       

Red-winged    243.2    6.7           9         191,000           6.12
blackbird                                  (79,100-302,100)
       

Lark bunting   12.0    5.3           7         149,000           4.77       
                                           (64,400-234,400) 


Brown-headed   57.0    5.1           4         145,000           4.65
cowbird                                    (70,000-219,400)
                         

Chimney swift  84.2    4.9           8         138,000           4.42       
                                           (107,800-167,700)


Eurasian       65.5    4.4           8         125,000           4.00
starling                                   (33,300-216,900)
       

Horned lark     7.2    4.3           1         123,000           3.94 
                                           (68,500-177,700)


Western        69.5    3.9           4         111,000           3.56
kingbird                                   (59,600-161,500) 
      

Dickcissel     19.2    3.8           6         109,000           3.49
                                           (57,300-160,100)


Mourning dove  44.5    3.2           3          92,000           2.95
                                           (59,600-125,100)


Barn swallow    9.2    2.5           5          72,000           2.31
                                           (42,600-102,100)


Northern       39.0    2.5           4          71,000           2.27
flicker                                       (0-160,300)
            

American       33.2    2.4           3          70,000            2.24
robin                                         (0-159,700)
           

Eastern        96.7    2.3           4          67,000            2.15
kingbird                                    (36,800-97,600)
       

Upland          8.2    2.0           2          59,000            1.89
sandpiper                                   (28,700-88,700)
        

Red-headed    111.0    1.9           4          53,000            1.70
woodpecker                                  (9,900-96,800)
         

Bobolink        7.7     1.8          2          53,000            1.70
                                            (24,400-81,800)


Northern       74.5     1.2          4          34,000            1.09
oriole                                      (23,800-45,000) 
       

House wren     70.7     1.2          3          34,000            1.09
                                            (26,900-41,800)


Brown           9.5     1.1          3          32,000            1.02
thrasher                                    (15,100-49,000)
        

Killdeer       21.2     0.9          5          28,000            0.88
                                            (13,700-41,700)


Orchard        32.0     0.7          4          21,000            0.67
oriole                                        (0-47,600)
             

Common         71.2     0.6          5          18,000            0.56
yellowthroat                                (10,300-24,700)
       

Lark sparrow    1.2     0.6          1          17,000            0.53
                                             (1,900-31,200)


Cliff swallow  81.2     0.5          5          15,000            0.47
                                             (2,600-26,800) 


American       12.7     0.5          5          15,000            0.47 
goldfinch                                     (0-32,000)
 

Ring-necked     2.0     0.5          2          14,000            0.46
pheasant                                     (4,100-24,500)
         

Yellow         32.2     0.5          5          14,000            0.46  
warbler                                      (5,100-23,200)


Blue jay        9.2     0.4          3          11,000            0.36
                                              (0-23,300)


Common          0.7     0.4          1          11,000            0.36
nighthawk                                     (0-26,200)
             

Northern       14.2     0.3          3          10,000            0.30
bobwhite                                      (0-19,500)
             

Common crow     6.2     0.3          4          9,000             0.27
                                              (0-21,800)
Major habitats include: 1) upland native prairie, 2) wet meadow, 3)lowland forest, 4) shelterbelt, 5) river channel islands, 6) alfalfa, 7) wheat, 8) residential, 9) natural basin wetlands.