Camp Robinson Bird Surveys

Camp Joseph T. Robinson, located in North Little Rock, Arkansas, is a 33,000-acre (13,313-hectare) training facility of the Army National Guard.  Soldiers take part in a wide variety of infantry, artillery, and small weapons training exercises at this base.  Despite these activities, much of the habitat for birds and other wildlife is relatively undisturbed. 

Old field habitat at Camp Robinson.

No long-term, systematic observations of bird occurrence on Camp Robinson were made until the mid-1990s.  From 1994 to 1996, a University of Arkansas graduate student conducted a study of bird habitat usage on Camp Robinson.  Along with 137 other species, he observed 4 species that are suffering from population declines throughout large portions of their ranges and that may breed on Camp Robinson: Bachman’s Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, Cerulean Warbler, and Northern Bobwhite.     

This Rough Green Snake is one of many species at Camp Robinson.

To help protect these species on Camp Robinson, the Army National Guard contracted the Sutton Avian Research Center to identify important areas and habitats for these birds, potential threats to their continued presence on the camp, and actions that would conserve their populations and improve habitat.  

From 19 April to 30 July 1999, we conducted surveys for these species to determine where they were occurring on Camp Robinson and to estimate their population sizes.  We also searched for their nests plus the nests of other species to find out if Brown-headed Cowbirds were negatively affecting their reproductive efforts.  

For some results of this study, click on the link below.

John checks an Acadian Flycatcher nest using a mirror pole.		Ted measures canopy cover using an ocular tube.

  To see some results of this study, click here.