Understanding Yellowstone’s Loons: an Integrated Approach for Long-Term Monitoring Data (Poster)

Abstract

In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a small, disjunct population of common loons (Gavia immer) persists as a unique stronghold amid historical range contraction. Despite being both highly valued by visitors and intensively managed by biologists, little can be said about the population’s status or trajectory. We aim to apply an integrated approach to leverage information from disparate datasets into one modeling framework. Using yearly breeding pair counts, chick production numbers, and band resights from marked individuals, we are developing an integrated population model (IPM) to estimate the parameters that drive population change. This work aims to improve managers’ understanding of the conservation status of loons in Yellowstone and to inform more effective allocation of monitoring and management efforts.