The National Parks that comprise the National Park Service’s Sierra Nevada Network -- Yosemite, King’s Canyon, and Sequoia National Park, as well as Devils Postpile National Monument-- encompass granite domes, spectacular canyons, waterfalls, and vast tracts of roadless mountains and forests. Thousands of plant species, from the tiniest monkey-flower to the towering Giant Sequoia, mantle the low to mid elevations, providing habitat to hundreds of vertebrate species.

IBP is partnering with the National Park Service to monitor bird populations throughout the Sierra Nevada parks. Most summers we deploy a crew of expert bird surveyors, who conduct point counts of all bird species heard and seen at preselected, mostly off-trail locations that are visited year after year. Surveyors hike hundreds of miles, and in the process collect data that allow us to track population numbers and distributions of many dozens of bird species throughout the parks. This information yields important findings about habitat needs of Sierra Nevada bird species, the status of declining populations, and the effects of climate change, wildfire, and other large-scale ecological processes on birds.

Locations of transect origins in Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks. Red markers (labeled 'A') indicate annual panel transect origins; blue markers (labeled with panel number) indicate alternating panel transect origins. Once a transect is surveyed the icon color changes to yellow. Click on icons for additional transect origin information. Select "All Years" from the Filter map by year drop down menu to view transect origins for all panels. Click here for a larger version of this map.

For more information about IBP’s work in Sierra Nevada National Parks, please contact Bob Wilkerson.