Community science for enigmatic ecosystems: Using eBird to assess avian biodiversity on glaciers and snowfields

Abstract

AimTo quantify avian biodiversity and habitat preference and describe behavior in an enigmatic, understudied ecosystem: mountain glaciers and snowfields. LocationMountains in the Pacific Northwest of western North America: British Columbia (CA), Washington and Oregon (USA). TaxonBirds observed within our study area and focal habitat. MethodsWe used community science data from eBird--an online database of bird observations from around the world--to estimate bird biodiversity and abundance in glacier and snowfield ecosystems as well as nearby, ice-adjacent habitats. We used field notes from eBird users and breeding codes to extend our data set to include insight into habitat usage and behavior. Finally, we compared our community-science approach to previous studies that used traditional survey methods. ResultsWe identified considerable avian biodiversity in glacier and snowfield habitat (46 species) with four specialists that appeared to prefer glaciers and snowfields over nearby, ice-adjacent habitat. Combined with field notes by eBird users, our efforts increased the known global total of avian species associated with ice and snow habitats by 14%. When community science data was compared to traditional methods, we found similar species diversity but differences in abundance. Main conclusionsDespite the imminent threat of glacier and snowfield melt due to climate change, species living in these habitats remain poorly studied, likely due to the remoteness and ruggedness of their terrain. Glaciers and snowfields hold notable bird diversity, however, with a specialized set of species appearing to preferentially forage in these habitats. Our results show that community science data can provide a valuable starting point for studying difficult to access areas, but traditional surveys are still useful for more rigorous quantification of avian biodiversity.