The Nongame Program of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Department) was initiated in July 1977. This report summarizes data collected from 15 April 2002 to 14 April 2003 on various nongame bird and mammal surveys and projects conducted by Department personnel, other government agencies, and individuals in cooperation with the Department. Cooperating agencies and individuals are listed in Appendix I or in the individual completion reports, but we recognize that the listing does not completely credit the valuable contributions of the many cooperators, including Wyoming Game and Fish Department Regional Biologists and members of the public.
In October of 1987, a Nongame Strategic Plan was distributed; this Plan was updated and renamed in May of 1996. The 1996 Nongame Bird and Mammal Plan presents objectives and strategies for the management and study of nongame birds and mammals in Wyoming. This completion report presents information in four major sections similar to the Nongame Bird and Mammal Plan: threatened and endangered species, species of special concern, raptors taken for falconry, and other nongame surveys.
This report serves several purposes. First, it provides summaries of nongame surveys for the benefit of other agencies and individuals that need this information for management purposes. Second, it provides a permanent record of summarized data for future use. Although some of this information is in lengthy tables, it was felt that these data should be published rather than kept in the files of the Nongame staff. Some information, such as Bald Eagle and Merlin nest sites and bat roost locations, is sensitive and is not provided in this document. Those needing this information for purposes that will lead to better management of these species can request the data from the Nongame staff.
Common bird names used in this report follow the most recent American Ornithologists’ Union guidelines and supplements, cited in Appendix II. Mammal names follow the “Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1997” cited in Appendix II. Scientific names for birds and mammals are presented in Appendix II.
