| The Audubon Society supports conservation of natural habitat for bird species within the Pryor Mountain system. Many bird species nest in the Pryor Mountains during the summer and evidence has shown that excessive noise, causes nesting birds to fly off their nests, consequently lowering the rate of hatching success. The Audubon Society is currently conducting a census of various habitats of the Pryor Mountains in order to determine what areas, if any, may fit the Audubon's formal criteria for designation as Important Bird Areas (IBAs). One of our main study areas is the entire Bear Canyon drainage because it contains a rich variety of habitats including subalpine meadows and coniferous forests, mixed conifer and juniper, canyon walls, cottonwood riparian, and sagebrush. We are particularly concerned about the bird species listed below because of their rarity and observed changes in their nesting behavior. The Audubon Society supports the inclusion of buffer zones around areas of each of the different plant communities in the Pryors so that birdlife will be protected from noise disturbance during their summer nesting season. Birds of special interest in the Pryor Mountains: Sage Thrasher -- sage brush and mixed sagebrush/forest habitat Brewer's Sparrow -- nests in undisturbed sagebrush habitat Blue-gray gnatcatcher -- nests in dry areas Prairie falcon -- nests on canyon walls; shooting causes them to fly off their nests Black-throated gray warbler -- wood warbler found but not nesting anymore Mountain blue bird -- nests in forests Mountain chickadee -- nests in forests Lewis's woodpecker -- coniferous forests Green-tailed towhee -- shrub and sagebrush areas --More about the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society-- |