Appendix A. Considerations for prioritizing conservation of breeding native landbird species highly associated with shrub-steppe, grassland, riparian, and juniper/mountain mahogany habitats in the Columbia Plateau Landbird Conservation Planning Region.

Species and habitat associations are from the Species-Habitat Project (Johnson and O'Neill, in prep). The list includes only breeding species closely associated (i.e., dependent) or associated (high degree of use) with our priority habitats. Species that irregularly breed in the priority habitats were not included.

^a PIF 89 is a Partners in Flight Planning Region based on the Breeding Bird Survey Physiographic Strata 89 - Columbia Plateau. Within that area, this list includes primarily landbirds associated with shrub-steppe, riparian, juniper, and mountain mahogany habitats. Shaded cells indicate values that suggest some conservation concern.

^b Priority scores were generated by the Colorado Bird Observatory (1/28/98) and include quantitative and qualitative factors such as population trend, breeding distribution, and threats on wintering grounds. 89=Columbia Plateau. Only priority scores >20 are shaded.

^c AI = Importance of Area; scores were generated by the Colorado Bird Observatory (1/28/98) and modified by local expert opinion. 89=Columbia Plateau. This score uses BBS data to evaluate the abundance of a species within a physiographic area relative to its abundance throughout its range. It attempts to identify areas of high importance to a species, and is used to indicate the responsibility of those areas to that species conservation. Only scores of 5 (highest importance) are shaded; these indicate the species reaches its maximum abundance in this physiographic province.

^d PT = Population Trend; PT uses BBS data to rate the magnitude and direction of the BBS population trend, 1 = significant increase, 2 = stable, no trend, or possible increase, 3 = no data, insufficient data, or trend unknown, 4 = possible decrease, 5 = significant decrease.

^e Rosenberg and Wells (in press); percent of population within physiographic area calculated from percent of species range within the physiographic area weighted by BBS relative abundance; 89=Columbia Plateau; only percent population amounts >10 percent are shaded.

^f Sauer et al. (1999); **** P<.01, *** P<.05, ** P<.10, * P<.20; Blank cells indicate no BBS trend is available for that species. This is most often due to inadequate sample sizes for analysis. 89L = long term, 1966-1998; 89S = short term 1980-1998; trends only presented for species that occurred on >14 routes..

^g Management Index scores were generated by Saab and Rich (1997).

^h Management index scores were generated by OR/WA PIF, and include many of the same factors as the Colorado Bird Observatory process and other quantitative and qualitative factors such as habitat specialization, threats to habitat, and evidence of decline. Scores for resident birds were not included in this process. Only management index scores 10 are shaded.

ⁱ SS = shrub-steppe; GR = grasslands; RP = riparian; JM = juniper/mountain mahogany; x = species associated with this habitat, but not necessarily most abundant in this habitat; X = closely associated with this habitat, and reaches its greatest abundance in this habitat.