Elevation Ranges of Birds at Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park Complex, and Olympic National Park, Washington

A comprehensive analysis of avian elevation ranges in three major Washington parks—Mount Rainier, North Cascades Complex, and Olympic National Park—reveals critical baseline data for 74 bird species, filling a gap left by anecdotal observations. Using systematic point-count surveys conducted at 4030 stations between 2001 and 2004, the study provides precise elevational distributions that are essential for monitoring climate-induced range shifts in wildlife. These findings offer park managers and conservationists outside these pristine ecosystems a reference to compare bird distributions in less undisturbed areas, while also setting the stage for future assessments of how species adapt to changing elevations due to climate change.

Siegel, R. B., Wilkerson, R. L., Kuntz, R. C., Saracco, J. F., & Holmgren, A. L. (2012). Elevation Ranges of Birds at Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park Complex, and Olympic National Park, Washington. Northwestern Naturalist, 93(1), 23–39. https://doi.org/10.1898/11-08.1