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Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Birds at the Rawhide Energy Station
The 2001 Ryder Report

Since 1986 Dr. Ronald A. Ryder, Professor Emeritus, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, has conducted an ongoing study of migrating bird populations using the Rawhide Energy Station site. His objective is to document, by species and population numbers, birds frequenting Hamilton Reservoir at Rawhide and the adjacent wetland and surrounding short-grass prairies at key periods of the year. He also determines peaks of migration, routes, places of breeding, and wintering areas for the more abundant species.

See count by clicking here.

The program involves capturing and banding various species of waterbirds. Banded birds have been recovered from such distances as Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Canada; Sinaloa, Guadalajara, and Jalisco in Mexico; and Alaska, Missouri, Ohio, California, Louisiana, and Mississippi in the U. S.

Dr. Ryder has coordinated studies for U. S. Fish and Wildlife, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and U. S. Public Health Service, documenting the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, Vibrio cholera, and equine encephalitis, if observed, in the migratory species.

Common Goldeneye and Ringneck enjoying the pond at Platte River's Headquarters facility.

In 2001, Dr. Ryder banded 141 birds as follows: American Coot, 73; Mallard, 27; American Wigeon, 5; Green-winged Teal, 13; Gadwall, 9; Redhead. 2; Canada Goose, 3; Northern Pintail, 10.

During 2001, 25 counts and 15 banding trips were conducted. Counts indicated far fewer birds used Rawhide compared to the previous 14 years, probably because of maintenance and construction activities, as well as reduced abundance of aquatic plants (food) resulting from efficient feeding by three species of herbivorous carp.

Dr. Ryder has presented findings to the Colorado Field Ornithologists, The Wildlife Society, the International Ornithological Congress in New Zealand, the Colorado-Wyoming Academy of Sciences, and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Dr. Ryder has hosted many ornithological organizations on field trips to Rawhide and conducts the National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count (an international event) from the Rawhide Energy Station Visitor's Overlook.

2000 Ryder Report
2002 Ryder Report
2003 Ryder Report
2004 Ryder Report
2005 Ryder Report
2006 Ryder Report
2007 Ryder Report

Statistics HTML pages:

Birds 1986 - 1989
Birds 1990 - 1993
Birds 1994 - 1997
Birds 1998 - 2001
Birds 2002 - 2005
Birds 2006 - 2007

Adobe Acrobat file:
(Note: To read Audubon file you need to have Adobe Acrobat
Reader 3.0 or newer installed on your machine. The reader is a
free download from Adobe.) Get the free Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking here.

Birds 1986-2006 (.pdf) 8.5X14 (legal-sized)

 

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