The data set consists of data collected in 1995, 1996, and 1997 in wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and South Dakota. The data were summarized and used in the analysis for two publications in peer-reviewed journals. The data consists of one data set that includes bird abundance and richness data, wetland class (temporary, seasonal, semipermanent, permanent, alkali), and wetland type (private or federal). In conjunction with surveys of wetland birds, the following wetland variables also were recorded: wetland size, date, local-level habitat variables (percent coverage of open water, emergent vegetation, wet meadow, and shoreline/mudflat), and landscape-level habitat variables (percent cover of grassland, hayland, planted cover, cropland, woodland, rights-of-way, barren land, wetland, shrubland, feedlot, and odd areas). The first publication is entitled: The relative importance of wetland area versus habitat heterogeneity for promoting species richness and abundance of wetland birds. In the first publication, we examined the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and species richness after accounting for habitat area in glacially formed wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region in North America. We also assessed whether this relationship holds true 1) for richness of groups of similar species, 2) for species abundances, and 3) at both local within-wetland and landscape scales of habitat heterogeneity. The second publication is entitled: Regional modeling of habitat associations for wetland-obligate birds in the Prairie Pothole Region and Great Lakes basin. In the second publication, we developed Poisson models of species density for four species of secretive marsh birds (Pied-billed Grebe [Podilymbus podiceps], Virginia Rail [Rallus limicola], Sora [Porzana carolina], and American Bittern [Botaurus lentiginosus]) for wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region (this data set) and wetlands in two other regions (inland Great Lakes and coastal Great Lakes). We used adjusted pseudo-R2 values to compare the amount of variation explained by each model when it was applied to data collected in its region and to data collected in the other two regions.

The avian community of peatland habitats were surveyed along belt transects established in multiple units of Seney National Wildlife Refuge, representing peatland habitats dominated by a range of sedge to shrub cover at varying levels. Surveys were conducted during the 3-week period of mid-May to early June and again during mid-June-early July in three years (2007–2009). Three datasets are included here 1) data of presence/absence of breeding bird species detected in each 100-m segment of belt transects, 2) four-letter codes for bird species, and 3) environmental and land-cover attributes summarized for 200-m buffers around the bird-survey segments (100m x 100m), and number of years since each segment was burned, based on refuge fire records.These data support the a publication examining factors influencing the bird community in peatlands.

This dataset describes features of 2941 duck nests that were found in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota during 2002-2003. Nest features include estimated initiation date, incubation stage and status as active. The dataset accompanies a scientific journal article describing an evaluation of the density and success of duck nests in conservation fields in 36 study areas that were seeded with native or tame grasses. Field features in this dataset include seeding treatment, planted area, and area of grassland patch.

We investigated methods to estimate the number of nests of waterbirds at a large, mixed-species colony at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in south-central North Dakota in 2012 and 2013. The data were summarized and used in the analyses for a publication in a U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report. The data consist of two data sets that were used to assess visible-nest counts for ciconiiform species conducted from the perimeter of nesting areas (hereafter perimeter counts) and observational surveys from fixed points outside the colony to count flights of adult ciconiiforms in and out of the colony (hereafter flightline surveys) as alternatives to within-colony counts of ciconiiform nests.

We investigated methods to estimate the number of nests of waterbirds at a large, mixed-species colony at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in south-central North Dakota in 2012 and 2013. The data were summarized and used in the analyses for a publication in a U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report. The data consist of two data sets that were used to assess visible-nest counts for ciconiiform species conducted from the perimeter of nesting areas (hereafter perimeter counts) and observational surveys from fixed points outside the colony to count flights of adult ciconiiforms in and out of the colony (hereafter flightline surveys) as alternatives to within-colony counts of ciconiiform nests.

The data frame provides geo-referenced data on presence of six species of en route migrant shorebirds in wetlands within the prairie pothole region in the U.S. during the spring migration periods of 2002 and 2012. Surveys were conducted at wetlands within townships selected in a stratified random procedure, with strata based on landscape composition of agricultural cropland and total area of wetlands.

The data frame provides geo-referenced data on presence of six species of en route migrant shorebirds in wetlands within the prairie pothole region in the U.S. during the spring migration periods of 2002 and 2012. Surveys were conducted at wetlands within townships selected in a stratified random procedure, with strata based on landscape composition of agricultural cropland and total area of wetlands.

Estimation and validation data for site by species matrices used in the publication 'Clustering and ensembling approaches to support surrogate-based species management' by H.R. Sofaer et al. 2019 Diversity and Distributions

We present a tabular data set of wetland vegetation heights and coverages, water depths, mudflat area, inundated area, landscape wetland counts, date index, and shorebird and duck counts from wetlands in agricultural fields in the Drift Prairie of eastern North Dakota and South Dakota from 2017-2019.

We present a tabular data set representing values used to evaluate hypotheses of breeding habitat selection for immigrants and returning Northern Great Plains piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) from 2014 – 2019. The associated manuscript uses network analysis approach to evaluate five hypotheses of habitat selection. In this approach breeding locations were nodes and successive year breeding attempts form the edges (immigration) and self-loops (fidelity). Included in the dataset are covariates of habitat amount, conspecific density, and habitat quality, as well as other fields used in the analysis. In addition, we include descriptive breeding location-specific metrics from the network graphs.