Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: New Mexico
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

The three Rosy-Finch species (Black, Brown-capped, and Gray-crowned) are among the most climate-threatened species in the United States. Rosy-Finches breed within high alpine and artic tundra biomes of North America, which are predicted to be disproportionately impacted by climate change. Therefore, identifying potential drivers of vital rates, abundance, and breeding distributions can potentially important environmental and habitat needs. Our study will evaluate long-term trends in demography and breeding distribution trends (inferred from stable isotopes) using long-term data form wintering birds captured on the Sandia Crest, New Mexico, which is also the southernmost point in which all three species co-occur. This project is a collaboration between the USGS New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, USFWS Migratory Bird Management, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and Rio Grande Bird Research Inc. The research will be used to identify potential conservation actions, including habitat restoration, that could improve conditions for Rosy-Finches in a warming climate.