Summary of RFP PW25-648 Exhibit A-6: Bird Group Breeding Information

This exhibit is a supporting reference document for RFP PW25-648 that provides technical guidance on bird breeding timelines and protective buffer zones for tree care and wildlife management activities in California. The document, titled "Appendix IV - Bird Group Breeding Info Table," presents comprehensive breeding data for ten bird groups, including waders, eagles, birds of prey, doves and pigeons, owls, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, songbirds, and corvids. For each species group, the exhibit specifies typical breeding seasons, incubation periods for eggs, chick-rearing durations, and recommended protective buffer distances measured in feet or miles from active nests. Buffer distances vary based on habitat value designations, with Low Habitat Value (LHV) and High Habitat Value or Riparian (HHV/R²) areas receiving different protection radii.

The document establishes that the buffer ranges provided serve as starting points for determining appropriate work distances from active nests and emphasizes the critical importance of consulting with a Wildlife Biologist before conducting work near active nests, particularly when activities may cause nest failure. Wildlife Biologists may recommend different buffers based on individual circumstances, and programmatic approaches may employ alternative-sized buffers or different systems for minimizing wildlife impacts. The exhibit defines riparian habitat as the interface between land and constant or intermittent water bodies, identifies characteristic vegetation including willows, mulefat, sycamore, and cottonwood, and provides definitions distinguishing high-value habitat—characterized by low human use, low impervious surfaces, high plant diversity, proximity to water bodies, and abundant mature and dead trees—from low-value habitat with opposite characteristics. Sources cited include the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birds of North America database and Southern California Edison Nesting Bird Management Plans.