Carlsbad Caverns National Park southwestern willow flycatcher surveys and intensive point count surveys at Rattlesnake Springs, 2022 and 2023: Final report

A critical survey of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher in Carlsbad Caverns National Park and adjacent Rattlesnake Springs Preserve yielded no detections in 2022 but recorded positive sightings in 2023, highlighting a potential recovery trend. In 2022, 165 standardized point counts using the USFWS protocol detected zero flycatchers, while intensive surveys identified 34 bird species. By contrast, 519 point counts in 2023 documented at least seven flycatchers across three survey dates, including likely pairs, alongside 61 total species. Conducted by trained Tucson Audubon staff under USFWS protocols, these surveys employed rigorous call-back and 10-minute intensive point count methods to assess biodiversity and track the flycatcher's presence in this UNESCO-listed site.

MacFarland, J. (2025). Carlsbad Caverns National Park southwestern willow flycatcher surveys and intensive point count surveys at Rattlesnake Springs, 2022 and 2023: Final report (, Ed.). National Park Service. https://doi.org/10.36967/2306229