Managing around Vulnerabilities for
the Streaked Horned Lark
Hannah Anderson, Adrian Wolf, Gary
Slater, Jerrmaine Treadwell, CNLM
Jim Lynch, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Photo:
Valerie
Elliott
Lark Status
• Range contraction
• Extirpated in
Canada – red list
• USFWS Threatened
• WA State
Endangered
• OR Species of
concern
• Estimated fewer
than 2000
individuals remain
Natural History
Photo: Adrian Wolf
• Occur on areas of short sparse vegetation situated in
wide open landscapes
• Ground nesting species
• Nests and chicks are vulnerable on the ground
throughout the breeding season
(mid-April through August)
Competing Uses of Occupied Sites:
Agriculture, Dredging, Development
Photo: Kelly McAllister
Photo: Randy Moore
Photo: Port of Portland
Competing Uses of Occupied Sites:
Airfields
Photo: Jerrmaine Treadwell
Photo: Jerrmaine Treadwell
Competing Uses of Occupied Sites:
Military Training
Photo: Adrian Wolf
Competing Uses of Occupied Sites:
Habitat Enhancement and Maintenance
Photos: Adrian Wolf
5 Sites at JBLM occupied by larks,
all with competing uses
Photo: Jerrmaine Treadwell
Photo: JBLM
CNLM partners with JBLM to manage
competing objectives and recover larks
• Long term
• Understand
population
dynamics
• Maintain and
enhance
habitat
• Short term
• Minimize
direct impact
Photo: Adrian Wolf
Minimize Direct Impacts by:
• Collaborating with JBLM Fish and Wildlife
AND airfield managers and trainers on solutions
• Monitoring lark breeding activity
• Developing avoidance recommendations
• Communicating nest status and avoidance
recommendations to managers in real time
Photo: Jerrmaine Treadwell
Monitor lark breeding activity to
determine nest status
Photo: Veronica Reed
Make recommendations to avoid
vulnerable stages and areas – The Nest
Photo: Adrian Wolf
Make recommendations to avoid
vulnerable stages and areas - Fledglings
Photo: Adrian Wolf
Determining fledgling vulnerable stages and
areas relies on resighting banded young
Photos: Jerrmaine Treadwell
Fledgling Avoidance:
When are they vulnerable?
Fledgling Avoidance:
Where are they when they are vulnerable?
The mean distance of ≤14 day-old
post-fledging larks from their natal
nests was 111 m (± 13.3 SE, n = 83).
Communicate,
communicate,
communicate
some more
Information and coordination
resulting in fewer negative impacts
Human Caused Nest Failures
4
2
0
2013
2014
2015
Photo: Adrian Wolf
Implications for Managing
Lark Conflicts
• Understanding lark distribution at occupied
sites can go a long way toward minimizing
conflicts
• Not enough to protect the nest. Fledglings
can be far away from their nest sites before
their strategy to flee develops
• Avoiding direct at sites with multiple uses
requires intensive effort
Thank
You