Abundance and Habitat Associations of Birds Wintering in the Platte River Valley, Nebraska

The abundance and habitat associations of overwintering birds in Platte River Valley of central Nebraska may influence their long-term survival. I observed a total of 51 species over a three-year period in shrub-grassland, forest, grassland, and cropland habitats during the winter. Grassland habitats had the lowest abundance of wintering birds, while abundances in shrub-grassland, forest, and cropland habitats were higher and similar. Species richness was highest in forests ( x= 2.97 species) and lowest in grasslands (x = 0.73 species) and croplands (x = 0.57 species). Overall, horned larks (Eremophila alpestris), American tree sparrows (Spizella arborea), black-capped chickadees (Parus atricapillus), dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglects), and red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were the most abundant wintering birds in the Platte River Valley. American tree sparrows (34%) accounted for most of the birds in shrub-grasslands, while black-capped chickadees (18%), dark-eyed juncos (11%), and American tree sparrows (10%) accounted for most of the birds in forests. Grasslands were dominated by American tree sparrows (39%) and western meadowlarks (27%), and croplands were dominated by horned larks (43%), red-winged blackbirds (25%), and western meadowlarks (16%). The winter bird community in the Platte River Valley is dominated by woodland-associated species. Many of the woodland-associated species that overwinter in the Platte River Valley have likely benefited from the development of woodlands in the region