Investigating Factors that Influence Bird Abundance and Distribution at Mundy's Landing

In Kentucky, there has been a dramatic increase in flooding over the past few years, destroying many lives, towns, and ecosystems. When considering the displacement and disruption of lives and ecosystems due to flooding, one species impacted that are often forgotten are birds. Birds play a variety of roles in ecosystems including pollinators, seed dispersers, and scavengers. The objective of this study is to determine the environmental factors, specifically geological, that drive richness, abundance, and distribution of bird species at Mundy’s Landing, and determine the potential effects of flooding on those bird species and their habitat. Located on private property and bordering Woodford and Mercer Counties in Kentucky, Mundy’s Landing area includes a variety of habitat types crucial for many bird species survival such as the Kentucky River, forested areas, and open pastures. A series of point count surveys consisting of visual and vocal cues of bird species were performed throughout the property’s different habitats to determine which bird species were present in a habitat. Once bird species were identified, their conservation status was then analyzed through the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species to determine the species global extinction risk status. The categories of the IUCN’s Red list utilized in this study include Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Least Concern.Upon determining conservation status of species, their associated habitats were analyzed and allowed us to determine the habitats that were most crucial for the species of conservation concern. These habitats include open forests, densely forested areas, and streamside forests, which host the most at risk species. This study highlights the importance of conserving habitats that are critical for the survival of bird species of conservation concern, many of which are threatened due to the increased frequency of flooding in Kentucky.