COMPARISON OF BIRD RICHNESS BETWEEN PARKS WITH A WHITE-TAILED DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (DMP) AND PARKS WITHOUT A DMP USING CITIZEN SCIENCE DATA

Abstract

Birds are important indicator species for environmental health and their habitat may be significantly threatened by White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) overgrazing. Using community gathered bird sighting (eBird) and hunting data, I analyzed the average species richness of 6 hunted parks and 6 non-hunted parks. I found no statistical difference between the average bird richness of the hunted and non-hunted parks. When comparing species richness per hectare, I found a statistical difference between the parks. The non-hunted parks had a higher richness per hectare than the hunted parks. Additionally, hours hunted had a significant positive relationship with deer harvested. Further research should be conducted to incorporate and account for other factors such as park size and popularity, in order for a more accurate comparison. Incorporating additional deer hunting strategies may result in an increase of the effectiveness of deer management programs.