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Vermont: A small state with a large responsibility
The Nature Conservancy: Vermont Chapter |
Breeding bird surveys have shown that the forests of Vermont and Northern New England are a globally important resource for birds throughout the hemisphere. If you look closely at our Green Mountains each spring and summer you will see the bright reds, yellows, and blues of the tropics in the birds that return to breed in our forests. The presence of these neo-tropical migratory birds are evidence of the fact that our forests are home to the highest concentration of bird species breeding in the continental United States. Or as simply stated in the Partners In Flight Land Bird Conservation Plan, our forests are a "veritable breeding factory" for these neo-tropical migratory birds.
Forest Bird Initiative: Keeping Birds and People on Common Ground
The Atlantic Northern Forest of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and New York provide breeding habitat to dozens of bird species like the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Canada Warbler, Wood Thrush and the Bicknell's Thrush. These species and dozens more have in some cases 90% of their global population breeding in this region. Many of these birds are seeing long-term declines that, like the proverbial "canary in the coal mine," may be indicating larger ecosystem problems.
S. Maslowski, USFWS
The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) defines birds like these as responsibility birds. A responsibility bird has a high proportion of its global population breeding in the region, and therefore species conservation efforts should be focused in this area. The concept is simple. Rather than wait for a bird species to become vulnerable and end up on a threatened or endangered species list, we can and should take action to conserve birds in the core of their population range. The advantage to this approach is that low-cost stewardship activities, education and monitoring can help maintain or increase the populations of these birds.
Audubon Vermont's Forest Bird Initiative is integrating science, education, public policy and forest management expertise to conserve forests within Vermont that are important to birds, by identifying, monitoring and stewarding a network of forest Important Bird Areas (IBA) that support a significant number of breeding forest birds to maintain viable populations of responsibility bird species. Vermont's Forests don't end at our border and the birds they support migrate thousands of miles each year. Consequently our Forest Bird Initiative is working with the National Audubon Society's science and policy programs and our local chapters. In addition, we are creating partnerships with Maine Audubon, New Hampshire Audubon and Audubon New York to develop regional conservation strategies, such as the Atlantic Flyway Initiative, that will benefit our neo-tropical migratory birds.
Foresters for the Birds: Helping landowners integrate timber and songbird habitat management
Audubon Vermont has partnered with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation to develop tools and trainings for foresters who want to help landowners manage their forests with birds in mind. Currently, over 100 foresters are participating in the project.
Through the project, foresters are partnering with Audubon Vermont biologists to assess forest bird habitat and choose silvicultural treatments that protect and/or enhance song bird habitat while managing for timber. To learn more and how to become involved, contact Audubon Vermont or your Vermont County Forester.
The following are a series of tools that have been developed through the Foresters for the Birds project:
To receive a hardcopy of the toolkit, mail a check for $15 made out to Audubon Vermont to 255 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, VT 05462. Write “Foresters for the Birds Toolkit” in the memo line. Available while supplies last.
Support and Services for Forest Landowners
Roughly 80% of our region’s forests are privately-owned. When considered in the broader landscape, even the smallest properties can be critical parts of the large blocks of forest in our region that support breeding birds. Small actions by individual forest landowners can have a global impact.
Audubon Vermont provides technical assistance to individual forest landowners through the following programs:
- Forest Bird Habitat Assessments
- Forest Bird Monitoring
- Educational programs and demonstrations at the Green Mountain Audubon Center
- Partnership with other organizations, such as NRCS, Coverts, and Vermont Woodlands Association
Click here to learn more about the steps you can take toward bird-friendly management on your property and download the fact sheets below:
Birders Dozen (904 kb PDF)
Responsibility Birds (107 kb PDF)
Bird Friendly Forest Management Practices (427 kb PDF)
Forest Bird Resource List (455 kb PDF)
Interested in getting future updates about the Forest Bird Initiative and our ongoing work with landowners? Email us.
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