US Fish & Wildlife Service
Date of this Version
2010
Citation
Sanders, T. A. 2010. Band-tailed pigeon population status, 2010. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Washington, D.C.
Abstract
This report summarizes information on the abundance and harvest of band-tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) in the western United States and British Columbia through 2009. The all-bird Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) provides and annual index to abundance of Interior and Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons since 1966, while the MSS, implemented in 2004, was designed specifically to index abundance of Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons. Harvest and hunter participation are estimated from the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program. The BBS provided strong evidence that the abundance of Interior band-tailed pigeons decreased (4.0% per year, 95% credible interval = -8.3 to -0.8) over the long term (1966–2009). Also, abundance appeared to decrease during the recent 10 and 5 years, but credible intervals included zero. Current (2009) estimates of total harvest, active hunters, and total hunter days afield were 5,000 ± 1,250 (estimate ± SE) birds, 4,400 hunters, and 13,200 ± 2,829 days afield. Harvest comprised 8.3% hatching year birds during the 2009 season. For Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons, the BBS provided strong evidence that abundance decreased (-2.6% per year, CI = -5.4 to -1.1) over the long term (1966–2009). Abundance appeared to decrease during the recent 10 and 5 years, but credible intervals included zero. The MSS, however, provided some evidence that abundance decreased (7.0% per year, CI = -14.0 to 0.0) over the recent 5 years. Current (2009) estimates of total harvest, active hunters, and total hunter days afield were 22,600 ± 3,113 birds, 9,700 hunters, and 24,400 ± 3,112 days afield. Composition of harvest was 21.3% hatching year birds during the 2009 season. Current estimates of the age-related vulnerability to harvest for these populations are unavailable.