Ranging from sea level to the top of 14,410’ Mount Rainier, the national parks of the Pacific Northwest encompass a stunning diversity of species and ecosystems, including temperate rainforests, rugged, undeveloped coastline, and glaciated peaks. Much of these are within vast tracts of roadless mountainous and forested areas.

In summer IBP deploys a crew of expert bird surveyors, who conduct point counts of all bird species heard and seen at pre-selected, mostly off-trail locations that are visited year after year. Surveyors hike hundreds of miles collecting data that allow us to track populations and distributions of dozens of bird species. This information yields important findings about habitat needs of Pacific Northwest birds, the status of declining populations, and the effects of climate change and other large-scale ecological processes.

Since 2001, IBP has been working with the National Park Service and the US Geological Survey to study the distribution and abundance of birds in the following Pacific Northwest national parks:

For more information about all of IBP’s work in the Pacific Northwest Parks, or if you are interested in collaborating with IBP to develop or implement avian monitoring projects elsewhere, please contact Mandy Holmgren.

To view an interactive map of bird monitoring survey transects in Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks click here.