Bird monitoring is an essential component of wildlife management and conservation science. Effective monitoring programs can identify species that are at-risk due to small or declining populations, provide an understanding of how management actions affect populations, evaluate population responses to landscape alteration and climate change, and provide basic information on species distributions. Given the alarming, large-scale declines of bird populations and the loss, fragmentation and degradation of native habitats, the need for rigorous bird monitoring programs is greater than ever. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies has worked with the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County for years to collect rigorous, scientifically defensible bird data to monitor songbird populations on open spaces and natural areas. These results can be used to measure the impacts of management actions and help guide decisions that reduce the negative impact on wildlife.