A Natural Areas Inventory of the - Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory ...

A Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus (Vieillot), was seen in 1995 in the oak-hickory forest
in the vicinity of the National Cemetery (Freeman et al. 1997). This species was observed in
2002–2003 in the same general vicinity (Figure 3.6). Nesting has not been confirmed but it is
likely that a pair is nesting somewhere between the National Cemetery and Hancock Hill.
The great egret, Ardea alba (Linnaeus), has nested at FLMR from about 1992 to at least 1996 in
the large colony of great blue herons in the mature floodplain forest (Figure 3.6). However, none
was observed in this study. This is a conspicuous bird, so it probably was not present these two
years, a fact perhaps related to drought conditions that may have reduced foraging habitat.
Ovenbirds, Seiurus aurocapillus (Linnaeus) were recorded at two sites in upland forest in 1995–
1996 (Figure 3.6). This large, ground-nesting warbler occurs most often in large tracts of dry,
upland woods with abundant leaf litter. Ovenbirds were not observed in 2002–2003.
Faunistic Surveys
Herpetological Survey. A report on a survey of snakes on FLMR is presented in Appendix E.
In addition to that survey, other records were gathered of reptiles and amphibians encountered
while conducting targeted surveys for protected species. Reptile and amphibian site locations are
summarized in Figure 3.7. Most records are described in Appendix E.
Floodplain Point Counts for Birds. Results of fixed-radius and unlimited-distance point counts
for birds in three forest types (Figure 3.3) along a successional gradient are summarized in Table
3.8. Species richness was highest in the old-growth forest (43 species, unlimited distance; 36
species, fixed-radius), lowest in the mid-successional forest (36 species, unlimited distance; 29
species, fixed-radius), and intermediate in the early successional forest. Species composition
exhibited high overlap among forest types, but each forest type had some unique species or at
least some species whose relative abundance varied markedly with forest type. Species recorded
only in old-growth forest included the red-shouldered hawk, yellow-throated warbler, and parula
warbler. Species more abundant in this forest type included the pileated woodpecker, Acadian
flycatcher, Carolina wren, and wood thrush. As expected, most of these birds prefer mature,
closed-canopy forest. Species unique to early successional forest were open country or edgedwelling
birds such as the northern bobwhite, eastern kingbird, eastern bluebird, brown thrasher,
yellow warbler, and orchard oriole. As expected from its intermediate successional condition, the
mid-successional forest had no species unique to it, and the relative abundance of most species
was intermediate between the other two forest types. The only species that was markedly more
common in mid-successional forest was warbling vireo, a species that prefers large cottonwoods.
All three floodplain forest types support a relatively high diversity and density of breeding birds
and contribute substantially to the native, avifaunal diversity of FLMR. However, it should be
pointed out that the conservation status of different bird species does vary (Partners in Flight
2003). Higher priority species in Bird Conservation Region 22 (Eastern Tallgrass Prairie) that
are found in the FLMR floodplain forest include, from higher to lower scores, cerulean warbler,
red-headed woodpecker, wood thrush, prothonotary warbler, Acadian flycatcher, orchard oriole,
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