Loggerhead Shrike and Henslow's Sparrow Surveys

Loggerhead Shrike and Henslow's Sparrow Surveys

Two separate projects proposed impacts to road right-of-way and grassland habitats that had historic records of state-listed bird species.  As part of the permitting process, the MNDNR required each site to be assessed by an approved surveyor for birds. Approved EOR staff conducted surveys for state-listed threatened & endangered bird species to determine presence / absence of rare bird species within each project work area. The projects consisted of conducting auditory and visual surveys across a variety of habitats over several weeks during the peak breeding season to increase the chance of detection of singing males or breeding pairs.

All bird species observed during the field surveys were documented, and the results of the surveys were incorporated into reports that were submitted to the MNDNR Endangered Species Coordinator for review and input to advance project construction schedules.  Documentation of rare bird records were also submitted for inclusion in the Natural Heritage Information System (NHIS) database.