12-5 



For the discussion of geographic importance of each area, the 

 avian populatidn was divided into waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans), 

 shorebirds (sandpipers and plovers) and gulls. All species identified 

 within these groups (in addition to those listed in Table 12-1) were in- 

 cluded in the calculations for Figures 12-2 through 12-5 and 12-7 

 through 12-11. Because the focus of this study was on the aquatic 

 environment of New Haven Harbor, all species that were not considered to 

 be water birds (and usually sighted in the upland areas bordering the 

 shore) were grouped under a miscellaneous category. Data on these 

 species (primarily passerines) are not included in any of the following 

 discussion. 



CHARACTERIZATION OF NEW HAVEN HARBOR AVIFAUNA 



Sipectes Diversity (as total numhev of species ) 



I 



A total of 125 species were observed in New Haven Harbor 

 during the period 1971-1977 (Appendix Table 12-1) . The family Scolopacidae 

 (shorebirds) had the highest representation with 21 species present. 

 Total number of species observed annually was fairly constant (38 to 41) 

 during the four-year period of 1972-1975 (Table 12-2) . The large in- 

 crease from approximately 35 species per year to 92 species in 1976 and 

 91 during the ten months of 1977 was due primarily to limited sightings 

 of each of many species of land birds, termed "miscellaneous " in this 

 study. During the 1972-1975 period, less than 10 miscellaneous species 

 were observed while 29 species were observed in 1976 and 35 in 1977. 

 Numbers of shorebird species observed also increased in 1976 and 1977 

 (Figure 12-2) . These increases are attributed to the changing of personnel 

 conducting the study. Although methods of observations were standardized 

 from year to year, the ability to distinguish some of the more uncommon 

 species and attention to detail did vary between observers. Because the 

 more recent observers focused on land species previously ignored and 

 because only a few individuals of the newly sighted species were observed, 

 this change in species diversity is unimportant and probably, in fact, 

 does not represent a change at all. 



