Bird Conservation Spring 2022 by abcbirds

BIRDCONSERVATION The Magazine of American Bird Conservancy

SPRING 2022

ABC is dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, we take on the greatest threats facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation.

abcbirds.org A copy of the current financial statement and registration filed by the organization may be obtained by contacting: ABC, P.O. Box 249, The Plains, VA 20198. 540-253-5780, or by contacting the following state agencies: Florida: Division of Consumer Services, toll-free number within the state: 800-435-7352. Maryland: For the cost of copies and postage: Office of the Secretary of State, Statehouse, Annapolis, MD 21401. New Jersey: Attorney General, State of New Jersey: 201-504-6259. New York: Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. Pennsylvania: Department of State, toll-free number within the state: 800-732-0999. Virginia: State Division of Consumer Affairs, Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209. West Virginia: Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by any state.

Bird Conservation is the member magazine of ABC and is published three times yearly. Senior Editor: Howard Youth VP of Communications: Clare Nielsen Graphic Design: Gemma Radko Contributors: Jeff Bennett; Erin Chen, Peter Dieser, Duane Fogard, Shawn Graff, Bennett Hennessey, Steve Holmer, Jeff Larkin, Daniel J. Lebbin, Bryan Lenz, Kelly Martin, Joyanne Mittig, Joel Merriman, Jack Morrison, Merrie Morrison, Michael Paling, Michael J. Parr, Linnea Rowse, Christine Sheppard, Marcelo Tognelli, George E. Wallace, Pat Weber, David A. Wiedenfeld, Kelly Wood

For more information contact: American Bird Conservancy P.O. Box 249, 4249 Loudoun Avenue The Plains, VA 20198 540-253-5780 • info@abcbirds.org

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Photo by Linnea Rowse

King Eider pair by Katelyn Luff

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White-faced Ibis by David O. Hill

Northern Cardinal by cwhiteway, Shutterstock

TABLE OF CONTENTS Spring 2022

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

Birds and Glass

BIRD’S EYE VIEW

At-Home Solutions to a Clear and Present Threat p. 14

Building a Northwoods Nest-Egg Improving Vast Forested Landscapes for Declining Great Lakes Birds p. 18

The Changing Tundra ... and What It Means for Birds p. 26

Creating a Road Less Fatal for Birds p. 4

ON THE WIRE

p. 6

BIRDS IN BRIEF p. 12 ABC BIRDING Big Bend Wetlands p. 34

BIRD HERO Battling Plastic Waste on the Upper Texas Coast p. 38

COVER: Golden-winged Warbler by Bill McDonald. LEFT: Upland Sandpiper by Paul Rossi.

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BIRD’S EYE VIEW

For Birds, Creating a Road A ccording to a study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management in 2014 by Loss, et al., between 89 million and 340 million birds are struck and killed by vehicles on American roads each year. This problem might at first seem insoluble. How can we prevent free-flying birds from colliding with fast-moving vehicles? There’s really no obvious solution. There’s no buffer that you could realistically add to a car that would reduce the likelihood of a bird fatality in a collision, and there are way too many miles of road to install barriers to encourage birds to avoid the roadway — so perhaps we will have to simply live with the problem. But should we? I have usually found that when humans make a real effort to think through and solve a problem, we often find unexpected solutions. So, here’s a challenge for you: See if you can come up with an idea to solve this issue and email it to me at mparr@abcbirds.org. In the meantime, here are a few thoughts to get started. As far as I know, I have struck — and presumably killed — two birds in my lifetime. One was a male Indigo Bunting being chased by another bunting. They came hurtling out of the scrub right next to me. I had no time to react. The second was a Horned Lark in South Dakota — a similar situation, in which the lark flew up from the side of the road

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too late for me to brake. I will never forget how each incident made me feel (terrible) and it reminds me how a split-second can change everything. Anyway, that’s two birds, that I know of, in a lifetime. Not a large data set I suppose, but that’s two birds in about 40 years of driving — or 0.05 birds per year. If we extrapolate that to the 230 million or so licensed drivers in the U.S., we would have a total of around 11 million birds. Figuring out how many birds one person has killed while driving is difficult — often, we probably are unaware when we strike small birds. And knowing how many birds are killed on America’s highways each year is a surprisingly complex issue, given that mortality can vary depending upon type of road, type of vehicle, driver habits, species, location, and other factors. In addition, it’s hard to consistently detect avian roadkill due to various factors, including scavengers that consume potential data. Fortunately, since publication of the 2014 study mentioned at the start, there have been many quantitative studies of road mortality in birds, and others keep coming out, focused in a growing number of countries. But personal experiences are important, too. We should all be more aware of this issue. After all, it’s all around us. If you do the math for yourself, please send me your peryear number (as well as the species).

If enough ABC members provided that figure, it could provide some useful data.

Next, on to avoidance. I notice that most of the species that I can readily identify as roadkill as I drive past are Turkey Vultures, Canada Geese, and owls. I’d be interested to know what your most regularly seen road-killed bird species are. This may be a clue to how we can address the issue. Presumably, vultures fall victim because they feed on road-killed animals. Is there a way to accelerate removal of carcasses from roads, I wonder? Canada Geese are likely to graze on mowed roadside verges. What if we allowed verges to grow? This might attract grassland birds, though — and put them more at risk.... And as for owls, I wonder if there is a light component that could be added to headlights to make them more visible to owls. Owls’ eyes are built differently from those of diurnal birds, but they can still detect ultraviolet light at night. What if there was a way to introduce an oscillating UV signal to headlights invisible to humans, but that would appear as a flashing light to owls? I am betting that there are bird researchers and engineers reading this who might know enough to get us started on the right path. Finally, for now, there’s the issue of collision hotspots. We’ve all heard of car-accident trouble spots — what they call accident black spots in the

Less Fatal? United Kingdom where I grew up. The same is undoubtedly true for car-bird collisions. One such area that I am very familiar with is the causeway to Chincoteague Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The roadway is a carnage zone for marshnesting birds such as Laughing Gulls and Clapper Rails. Perhaps some form of durable barrier could be installed in such critical hotspots during the breeding season, sufficient to encourage birds to fly above the area where vehicles are moving? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suggests the use of poles, and signs asking drivers to slow down in hotspot areas. These may well work and could be tested. To date, ABC has yet to take on this issue in a significant way, and it may very well be insoluble at a large scale, but if you have ideas,

ABOVE: Short-eared Owl has a close call. Photo by Brent Barnes, Shutterstock.

or would be interested in helping to fund an exploratory study to test solutions, please let me know. The lives of millions of birds per year may depend on it. Over to you — for now! Thank you for supporting ABC and bird conservation!

Michael J. Parr, President

ON the WIRE Cherry-throated Tanager Reserve a Bid to Dodge Extinction

ith a remaining population perhaps as low as 17 individuals, the Cherrythroated Tanager is one of the world’s rarest species. This dazzling songbird has a better chance at survival thanks to the establishment last December of a 704-acre protected area of primary Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. The reserve is the latest effort in a plan to save this Critically Endangered bird by Brazilian conservation organization Instituto Marcos Daniel, with support from ABC and Rainforest Trust. “It’s an occasion for celebration and a cause for optimism,” says Bennett Hennessey, ABC’s Brazil Conservation Program Coordinator, of the new reserve. Until 1998, the Cherry-throated Tanager had only been seen once after its discovery in 1870 and was believed to be extinct. In the years since its rediscovery, the tanager, which spends most of its time seeking insects high in the canopy, has been left in highly fragmented habitat, nearly crowded out by rampant agricultural conversion and urban encroachment. The benefits of the reserve go far beyond providing habitat for the rare tanager: Other inhabitants include the Endangered Vinaceousbreasted Amazon and several species considered Vulnerable to extinction: the White-bearded Antshrike, Golden-tailed Parrotlet, and Brownbacked Parrotlet. The Critically Endangered Buffy-headed Marmoset and, likely, populations of the littleknown Brazilian Golden Frog are found there as well.

Now that the land is protected, Instituto Marcos Daniel is developing a conservation plan that includes monitoring Cherry-throated Tanager populations. With the reserve’s longterm sustainability in mind, the group

For such a rare species, every nest represents hope for the future. is looking at ways to generate income, including public use for birdwatching, scientific tourism and research, and a lodge to host visitors. In the meantime, more is being learned about this fascinating bird: In 2021, an active nest was photographed just a few hundred feet outside the reserve boundary — the second found that year. For such a rare species, every nest represents hope for the future. ABC would like to acknowledge support for this project from David and Patricia Davidson, George and Cathy Ledec, Kathy Burger and Glen Gerada, Marcia Koenig Rebmann and Andrew Rebmann, Lenton PARKS Fund, Larry Thompson, George Powell, George Jett, Bert Harris, an anonymous donor, and the estate of Mary Janvrin.

A still shot taken from the first-ever video of a nesting Cherry-throated Tanager pair — filmed through a spotting scope to avoid disturbing the birds. Photo by Alex Mesquita.

Atlantic Forest habitat at the new reserve. Photo by Pedro Develey.

The Cherry-throated Tanager team from the Instituto Marcos Daniel includes (left to right): Marcelo Renan, Valdivia Rocha, Eduardo Sakamoto (ALUPAR), Gustavo Magnago, Thieres Fiorotti, and Victoria Faria. Photo by Instituto Marcos Daniel.

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New York’s Heritage Wind Decision Aims to Reduce Project’s Impact on Birds

n mid-January, New York State’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) approved Heritage Wind for a site west of Rochester. It is the first wind energy facility considered under the state’s new renewable energy project review process. Members of the conservation community, including ABC, Genesee Valley Audubon Society, and Rochester Birding Association, have long expressed grave concerns about this project, which developer Apex Clean Energy proposed to build adjacent to a wetland and forest complex designated as an Important

Bird Area (IBA). Most concerning was a subset of six proposed turbines closest to the IBA. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) separately called for the relocation or removal of these turbines from the plan. ORES agreed with these independent groups, with the caveat that if Apex Clean Energy can prove that removing or relocating the highestrisk turbines is “impracticable,” the company would instead be required to provide enhanced measures to minimize impacts to birds.

While some concerns remain, ABC believes that ORES rendered a thoughtful decision that reasonably balances renewable energy development with the need to protect the state’s declining bird populations. “The decision allows the project to go forward,” says Joel Merriman, ABC’s Bird-Smart Wind Energy Campaign Director, “but with reasonable, science-based measures to minimize impacts.” ABC thanks the Leon Levy Foundation for its support of ABC’s Bird-Smart Wind Energy campaign.

Black Terns feeding chick by Ward Poppe, Shutterstock.

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ON the WIRE EPA Actions on Pesticides a Mixed Bag for Birds

n late February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) upheld its final ruling to ban chlorpyrifos, making it illegal to use this toxic organophosphate on food crops meant for domestic consumption. ABC worked for six years to bring this victory about, working alongside partner groups including Earthjustice, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Food Safety, United Farm Workers, and the Pesticide Action Network. Chlorpyrifos has been shown to affect birds’ abilities to fly, migrate,

and reproduce. It has also been linked to neurological complications in human adults and infants. “The chlorpyrifos ruling is a major victory for migratory birds and their habitats, as well as for people,” says Hardy Kern, Director of ABC’s Pesticides and Birds campaign. “We’re gratified to see the EPA acting to make food, water, and bird habitat safe from chlorpyrifos poisoning.” Now, ABC is asking the EPA to close the loophole allowing chlorpyrifos use on food crops grown for export. Unfortunately, another harmful organophosphate, malathion, is positioned for continued use — in spite of a 2017 U.S. government study concluding that malathion poses a threat to 97 percent of species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The EPA’s biological opinion on malathion, issued in March, indicates that the agency Loggerhead Shrike feeding young by Philip Rathner, Shutterstock.

proposes to minimize malathion’s impacts by providing more detailed usage instructions, such as specifying a maximum number of applications per year and establishing a buffer around aquatic areas. Based on this opinion, malathion is on track to be renewed later this year. “We’re disappointed in the ultimate result,” says Kern. “We think the decision to renew malathion’s registration spells trouble for birds and sets a concerning precedent for other pesticides under review.” A biological opinion on neonicotinoids (“neonics”), the most widely used pesticides in U.S. agriculture, is due out in the fall.

Ask elected officials to restrict the use of bird-killing neonics: act.abcbirds.org/a/ take-action-pesticides ABC is grateful to the Raines Family Fund for its generous support of our Pesticides and Birds campaign.

Nearly Half of Eagles Suffer From Chronic Lead Exposure

n eye-opening study published in the journal Science in February revealed that of 1,210 eagles tested over eight years, almost half showed evidence of chronic lead exposure. Researchers tested blood and feather samples from birds captured for banding or rehabilitation, as well as liver and bone samples from dead birds. They found that 46 percent of Bald Eagles and 47 percent of Golden Eagles showed evidence of repeated lead exposure.

Lead poisoning weakens and kills carrion-eating birds, including both eagle species and the Critically Endangered California Condor, after they ingest spent lead ammunition at game kills. The study, which sampled eagles in 38 states, estimates that Bald Eagle annual population growth could be cut by almost 4 percent by the poisoning, while that of the less-plentiful Golden Eagle might be reduced by almost 1 percent. An estimated 40,000 Golden Eagles live in the U.S.,

with more than 300,000 Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states alone. ABC has long promoted that hunters voluntarily transition to non-lead ammunition to reduce the impact of lead on birds. Bald Eagle by David Fisher.

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Purple-backed Sunbeam

AN ELUSIVE

SUNBEAM Photo by Daniel J. Lebbin

In our fall campaign,

The Purple-backed Sunbeam (above) has three close relatives: The Shining Sunbeam (bottom left) is the most widespread of its genus, found in the Andes from Colombia to Peru. Photo by Glenn Bartley. The White-tufted Sunbeam (bottom center) has a small two-part range in humid intermontane valleys in Peru, and often occurs alongside the Shining Sunbeam. Photo by Glenn Bartley. Endemic to Bolivia, the Black-hooded Sunbeam (bottom right) often perches atop stems in open highland forest and scrub. Photo by Glenn Bartley.

“Save a Place for Birds,” we polled people online on their favorite bird group. We weren’t very surprised when “charm of hummingbirds” proved most popular! Of course, with their flash and verve, each of the world’s 371 known hummingbird species — all found in the Americas — has its own “charm.” Take the Purple-backed Sunbeam of northern Peru. With its charcoal coloration and telltale white face and chest, this species may not win the “most colorful” prize, but caught in the right light, its back flashes a delicious shining violet. Known from a remote and tiny range, the Purple-backed Sunbeam eluded detection for nearly 50 years — from the 1930s until 1979. David A. Wiedenfeld, now ABC’s Senior Scientist, was there for the rediscovery, along with a team of

other ornithologists. “The credit goes to our group,” Wiedenfeld says. “We wanted to see if we could find it and we went to the last-known location. If I recall correctly, when I spotted it, my immortal words were: ‘There it is!’” In 2019, ABC Vice President of Threatened Species Daniel J. Lebbin, with colleagues including partners at Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), authored the first description of the species’ nest. ABC works with ECOAN on reforestation projects that expand the sunbeam’s feeding and nesting habitat. In the last two years, more than 62,000 trees have been planted in cooperation with local community members. ABC works with partners to conserve many other hummingbird species, both through these types of planting efforts and at a network of 70-plus reserves that support more than half of all hummingbird species.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper by Agami Photo Agency, Shutterstock

BIRDS WIN! ABC is proud of the difference our community has made for wild birds and their habitats over more than 25 years. But there's much more to do: With today's ever-changing climates and landscapes, birds must overcome daunting threats daily — from habitat loss and degradation, to collisions with windows and predation from free-roaming cats and other invasive species. With your help, we can continue to make a difference for birds as they navigate these challenges. You can help BIRDS WIN with your gift today. Thanks to the dedication and support of ABC members, staff, and our bird conservation community, there is hope. When we come together to make a difference … BIRDS WIN! Thanks to your support, BIRDS WIN when: •

Thousands of pounds of trash and marine debris are removed in coastal and bay areas to ensure that sensitive species such as the Snowy Plover and their habitats are conserved;

•

Bird-friendly building laws are passed to help prevent birds like the White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Black-and-white Warbler from colliding with windows;

•

New reserves are established to help prevent the extinction of imperiled species like the

Cherry-throated Tanager — a Critically Endangered songbird that may number as few as 17 individuals; •

Harmful chemicals that wipe out birds’ food sources and can poison birds directly, such as chlorpyrifos, are banned from use;

•

Over 115,000 seedlings are planted to improve habitat for the Gray-bellied Comet — an Endangered hummingbird species in Peru; and

•

Species like the Junin Grebe, Pale-headed Brushfinch, Lear’s Macaw, and Kirtland’s Warbler continue their recovery from the brink of extinction.

These wins for birds, and more, were made possible thanks to you. Please respond to our 1:1 match today. We can do so much more for birds. Thanks to a dedicated group of supporters, we have a 1:1 match with a goal of raising $500,000 by June 30. Your gift will immediately be used for our most urgent bird conservation projects throughout the Americas, allowing ABC to help protect a wide variety of bird species from habitat loss and other widespread threats, including pesticides and invasive species. Help us make sure BIRDS WIN and please give your most generous gift today. Please use the enclosed envelope or visit abcbirds.org/birds-win

Will you help BIRDS WIN? Respond with a gift by June 30!

Growing Native Plants for a Rare Brazilian Bird

separate parts of the Yunguilla Reserve. This protected area now provides 493 acres of arid brush habitat for the Endangered Paleheaded Brushfinch. Back from the brink of extinction, the species’ population has surged from 30 birds in 1998, when Yunguilla was established with ABC support, to between 240 and 340 individuals today. Female Greater Sage-Grouse by Greg Homel, Natural Elements Productions

Caribbean Seabird Nesting Island Now Mouse-Free

Araripe Manakin by David Fisher, Neotropical Bird Club

In northeastern Brazil, a reforestation project conducted by the Brazilian conservation organization Aquasis, with support from ABC, continues our efforts to save the Critically Endangered Araripe Manakin.

Bridled Tern by Glenn Tepke

BIRDS in BRIEF

Part of the British territory of Anguilla, 28-acre Sombrero Island is of outsized importance to nesting seabirds, including Masked and Brown Boobies, Bridled Terns, and Brown Noddies, as well as an endemic lizard and more than 40 insect species found nowhere else. Thanks to a thorough eradication and monitoring program conducted by the Anguilla National Trust, in collaboration with Fauna & Flora International, the New Zealand-based Wildlife International Management, Ltd., and others, the island is now free of introduced mice, which had been competing with and preying upon these species.

In Ecuador, Key Parcel Enhances Habitat for Endangered Brushfinch

Cícero Simão planting native trees at the reserve. Photo by Oasis Araripe Reserve.

See more: abcbirds.org/ araripe-manakin-habitat-pays-off.

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In late March, ABC partner Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco (Jocotoco) acquired a key 12-acre property connecting two previously

Once again, a stipulation in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 has blocked the possibility of listing the rapidly declining Greater Sage-Grouse under the Endangered Species Act. Fortunately, the Bureau of Land Management has pledged to revisit the Greater Sage-Grouse land-use plans from 2015 that have proven insufficient to conserve the bird across its range. To increase the plan’s success, ABC and other conservation groups are calling for protection of grouse strongholds from oil and gas drilling and mining.

Photo by Byron Puglla

Foresters at the Oasis Araripe Reserve are working to master cultivation of 26 native tree and shrub species, many never before grown from seed, with the goal of providing fruits for the birds year-round, including during the food-scarce dry season. In 2020, almost 700 trees and shrubs were planted, followed by 300 more already this year. Fewer than 700 mature Araripe Manakins are thought to remain.

No Brakes for Sage-Grouse Slide in 2022

LEFT: The Yunguilla Reserve expansion was made possible by the family that previously owned the property: From left, Mery Mogrovejo (with baby) and Karina Mogrovejo, daughters of the former owner, with Jocotoco’s southern reserves director Byron Puglla.

Jim Giocomo with Black-capped Vireo. Photo by ABC

ABC Staffer Wins Prestigious Conservation Award ABC’s Central Regional Director Jim Giocomo was awarded a 2021 individual leadership award from the conservation consortium Partners in Flight in March. Jim was instrumental in building the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture, a partnership that brings together many stakeholders to conserve birds and their habitats from north-central Oklahoma through Central Texas.

These incredible journeys, revealed through tagging and tracking by researchers with the Pūkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre in New Zealand, highlight the challenges and risks declining shorebirds face on their twice-a-year migrations, feats made ever more challenging due to habitat loss and coastline and climate change.

declared in January. A first for South America, this strategic plan lays out a roadmap for monitoring species and identifying and conserving critical habitats, while following environmental laws and developing sustainable pathways for bird conservation across the country through 2030. A similar plan is already in the works in Colombia, and it’s likely that other countries will be inspired to follow suit.

Swinhoe’s White-eye Gains Ground in California You may not see the Swinhoe’s White-eye in your field guides, but visit Los Angeles gardens and parks and you very well may find this energetic little yellow-and-gray songbird. Over the last several years, sightings of the Southeast Asian species have mushroomed from L.A. to San Diego, with some in Tijuana, Mexico, as well. Nesting has been confirmed. If its population grows and its range expands, will this introduced species adversely impact native birds? It certainly bears watching.

Way to go, Jim!

Incredible Gumption of Godwits In 2021, a satellite-tracked female Bar-tailed Godwit tied the world record for the longest nonstop landbird flight, completing it 2.5 days faster than the male Bar-tailed that set the record in 2020. From Alaska nesting grounds to New Zealand winter quarters, both birds covered 7,500 miles. Karolina Araya Sandoval and Ronny Peredo from Picaflor de Arica, protectors of the small but mighty Chilean Woodstar. Photo by Wendy Willis.

For more information, see: ebird.org/species/swiwhe1

Chile Launches South America’s First National Bird Conservation Strategy

Swinhoe's White-eye by plains-wanderer, Shutterstock

Bar-tailed Godwit by Dennis Jacobsen, Shutterstock

Chilean Woodstar by Andres Puiggros

Last year’s female record-setter completed migration in 8.5 days. In sharp contrast, another Bar-tailed’s unusual odyssey last fall spanned two months: The embattled male bird flew 33 hours and 1,240 miles to the southwest, only to return to Alaska after facing stiff winds. After 11 days’ rest, the bird took off again, then rested five weeks in New Caledonia before finally reaching New Zealand.

From the Critically Endangered Chilean Woodstar to wintering Red Knots, many species will benefit from Chile’s National Strategy for the Conservation of Birds,

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BIRDS & GLASS: Hard-Hitting Questions and Solutions

lass collisions kill up to 1 billion birds in the United States each year, with each home likely responsible for at least a few of these deaths. Yet most people know little about

this danger. Even fewer are aware of the solutions available to help prevent collisions — fixes that in many cases are easy and inexpensive. This is one conservation crisis that anyone can do something about, and quickly! On the following pages, we provide a launchpad for understanding and acting on this pervasive danger, with questions answered, a gallery of window treatment options, and links to online resources. You can start at your own pace, and expand efforts as far as your inspiration takes you. Our hope is that each Bird Conservation reader will treat at least one window this spring or summer. Just imagine: That would be about 20,000 windows made safer for birds! If you take the Bird-Friendly Window Challenge, tell us about it. Send us your story and photos via email at ABCBirdsComms@abcbirds.org, or share on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtag #BirdFriendlyWindow. We’ll plan a roundup of stories in a future

Bird-strike impression photo by Warren Cooke

issue of the magazine and on ABC’s social media platforms.

by ABC collisions experts Christine Sheppard, Ph.D., and Bryan Lenz, Ph.D. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about the collisions issue, and our answers: 1) Why do birds collide with glass? Transparent glass is invisible both to humans and birds, but humans can use door frames and other visual clues to anticipate the presence of glass and avoid collisions — most of the time. Birds, of course, don’t share this ability. They perceive reflected images as literal objects, which explains why glass reflections, especially ones that present images of food, shelter, or an escape route, can trigger collisions. Learn more by visiting: abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/ why-birds-hit-glass/ 2) When do most bird collisions with glass take place? Collisions don’t happen at an even pace over the course of a year, or even throughout the day. Most happen during daylight hours, with mornings ranking as the worst time of day. During migration, birds need to refuel periodically. Those that land in and near cities find themselves in a maze of deadly glass. During the course of a year, migration periods bring the largest upticks in collisions, with fall worse than spring due to the larger number of birds in flight — including both adult birds and the juveniles born over the summer. But migration is not the only dangerous season: We also see collision increases in late spring, as nesting birds fledge their young, and in winter, when resident birds leave their territories and cover larger areas in search of food.

3) Are birds okay when they hit windows and fly away? After colliding with glass, some birds may be only temporarily stunned and left with no lasting injury — but often they are not so lucky. In many cases, birds suffer internal hemorrhages, concussions, or damage to their bills, wings, eyes, or skulls. Any injury makes a bird much more vulnerable to predators and other environmental dangers. In many instances, however, birds are killed immediately and never fly away.

Glass collisions kill up to 1 billion birds in the United States each year, with each home likely responsible for at least a few of these deaths.

4) Why don’t I see collisionkilled birds more often? There are several reasons. One is that birds flying into glass at high speeds may bounce off and land some distance away, ending up hidden under plantings or behind other nearby objects. Also, when birds fall in open spaces, carcasses are frequently swept up and disposed of, or are snapped up by scavenging raccoons, crows, cats, opossums,

rats, and chipmunks. Ever vigilant for injured prey or carrion, these opportunists may actually check a window with frequent collisions multiple times a day. 5) How do I stop birds from hitting my windows? There are many ways to make windows bird-friendly. One of the best is to use external insect screens. These screens virtually eliminate reflections, and if birds do hit them, the impact is cushioned, reducing the likelihood of injury. An added benefit is that screens are easy to install on existing or new home windows. If screens aren’t an option, you can use a range of materials — tape, decals, strings, cords, paint, netting, and shutters, for example — to create window patterns that birds will interpret as solid objects that need to be avoided. It’s important to make sure that birds see no viable way to fly between the adhesives or objects you are using, so make sure to eliminate all spaces larger than two inches. Remember, whichever material you use needs to be visible to birds from at least 10 feet away so that they have time to see the material and change course. For more details on how to make windows more bird-friendly, check out: abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/ stop-birds-hitting-windows/ 6) Can I apply something to the inside of my windows to stop bird collisions? The best place to apply solutions is on the outside of the window, where they are easily visible. However, using external solutions isn’t always an option. Some windows — like those on a tall building — can

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be difficult to access from the outside. In these cases, we recommend testing a variety of solutions. This is because different kinds of glass have varying reflective levels. Unfortunately, there is no universal solution. To conduct a test, apply a sticky note, tape, or sample of your proposed solution to the inside of the window and then look at it from the outside every hour or two, starting in the early morning. If you can see your test material most of the time, birds will too, and an inside solution may work for you. In many cases, however, internal solutions do not work, and reflections will hide your solution during part or all of the day, reducing or eliminating its effectiveness. But this shouldn’t deter you from acting: Adding something to the inside of your windows is better than doing nothing. 7) Will bird-friendly window products obscure the view from my window? No, you don’t need to impair your view to save birds. In our experience, people quickly adjust to bird-friendly design solutions, often forgetting that they are even there. We have also found that when family, friends, or customers notice the pattern and learn its purpose, they appreciate the effort taken to protect birds. If you’re looking to retrofit existing windows, there is a wide range of solutions that will appeal to different personal preferences.

words, light pollution makes birds more likely to end their migration flights near well-lit structures, and their glass, than in more natural areas with much less glass. A new study written by Dr. Sheppard focuses on birds and light pollution. To read it, go to: bit.ly/BirdsLightRecsABC. Migratory birds traveling at night, including warblers, thrushes, and cuckoos, are also attracted by intense lights contrasted against the night sky — think of situations like lighthouses, offshore oil platforms, or powerful light displays, like the twin beams at the World Trade Center memorial. Despite dangers posed by nighttime lights, most collisions take place during the day, when migratory birds are refueling before continuing on their journeys.

To learn more, go to: abcbirds.org/glass-collisions To keep up with our collisions program, you can sign up to receive email updates at: act. abcbirds.org/a/sign-up-collisions ABC is grateful to the Leon Levy Foundation for its generous support of our Bird Collisions campaign.

Dr. Christine Sheppard is ABC’s Bird Collisions Campaign Director.

8) Does light cause birds to hit buildings? Light does increase collision numbers, but not directly. Recent studies confirm that lights at night attract migrating birds into the humanbuilt environment, where they run a higher risk of collisions. In other

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Dr. Bryan Lenz is ABC’s Bird Collisions Campaign Manager.

KEY TO PHOTOS, OPPOSITE PAGE: 1. Feather Friendly comes in rolls, in various styles, and is applied like a window film, but the backing is removed, leaving only the visual markers. Photo by Debbie Zombek. 2. ABC Birdtape comes in stripes and squares (shown here). It is engineered to last for several years on the outside surface of the glass. Photo by ABC. Options 1 and 2 are available at: featherfriendly.com. 3. Window Alert decals with proper spacing. Photo by Christine Sheppard. 4. A stencil roller can apply paint patterns quickly over a large area. If you use tempera, the pattern can be removed easily and quickly. Photo by Debbie Zombek. 5. Artist Lynne Parks created these custom decals for the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Photo by Lynne Parks. 6. A simple solution is tempera paint, applied with a brush or even the corner of a sponge — just make sure the spacing of the markers is about 2 inches. Photo by Gail Walter. 7. A dotted pattern on a professionally installed remediation. Similar dots are available in rolls, but dots should be at least one-quarter-inch wide and be spaced within 2 inches of each other. Photo by Glenn Phillips. 8. Regular insect screens on home windows can be effective at preventing bird collisions. Photo by Christine Sheppard. 9. Birdscreens are a great way to make a window safe for birds — they go on with suction cups and are easy to remove seasonally. Photo by Dr. Ellen Rudolph. 10. and 11. Acopian BirdSavers are simple — paracord hung every 4 inches across a window — but very effective at stopping collisions, without being visually intrusive for people. Photo for 10. by Safe Skies Maryland; photo for 11. by Lisa Welch.

Here are a few treatments to

help prevent birds from colliding with your windows. To view and purchase products, visit: abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/ products-database 6

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Buildi North Nest-

Around the Great Lakes, momentum grows to restore and enhance landscapes, brightening the future for birds and people. by Howard Youth

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n these pages and elsewhere, you’ve likely read that nearly 3 billion birds have been lost since 1970. And you probably know that two culprits suspected in this widespread decline are habitat loss and fragmentation. What if there were a huge area where declining birds had the space to rebound? And what if this idyllic place brought together public and private land stewards, foresters, conservationists, hunters, and birders — all working for a common cause? In trying times, here’s some good news: This is actually happening. The Northwoods of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan constitutes a vast mosaic of forested habitats dotted with lakes and threaded by rivers and streams. There, boreal forest meets broadleaf or deciduous forest, at the east end of the Great Plains prairie zone. Big on trees and small on human population, this expanse stretches across an area the size of Pennsylvania and New York combined. For a sense of scale, it takes less time to drive from Detroit to Washington, D.C., than within Michigan from Detroit to Ironwood, in the state’s far northwest corner — a route arcing through a hearty helping of that state’s 20 million forested acres. The story of how bird conservation is becoming part of the fabric of land management across this broad “woodsscape” is written by people seeing the land in more than just board-feet or strict-protection terms. It involves careful consideration and planning, including deciding where trees should be cut as well as where they should stay.

Ways of the Warbler Among other species, the Northwoods is the stronghold of the Golden-winged Warbler, a flashy silver, black, white, and gold sprite now gone from many other parts of its historical breeding range. Half the remaining breeding population nests in northern Minnesota alone, with substantial populations in Wisconsin and Michigan as well. The region’s vast forest tracts provide a “safety zone” for this bird from heavy cowbird parasitism that occurs in fragmented forests, and from competition from and interbreeding with the closely related Blue-winged Warbler, which generally does not occur this far north. Although the area in forest here is great, what is now lacking is a broad distribution of early successional or young deciduous forest habitats with scattered mature Half of the Golden-winged Warbler's breeding population nests in northern Minnesota. Photo by Paul Rossi.

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University of Pennsylvania who has served as ABC’s Eastern Forest Birds Habitat Coordinator since 2012.

trees — the kinds of places where golden-wings proclaim their territories and build their nests. And it turns out that birds nesting in shady forest need these sunny habitats as well.

“It turns out for many species that there’s a switching of habitat structure as young birds grow, molt, learn to forage, and evade predators,” Larkin says. “When they leave the nest, these birds are just blobs of feathers trying to grow as fast as they can. When you think of the constraints, it’s pretty easy to make the connection that if you don’t have diverse forest conditions these birds need juxtaposed to each other, you’re really not benefiting forest birds as much as you could.”

Dynamic Birds, Dynamic Forests A few decades ago, biologists started radio-tagging nestling forest birds and following their movements after they fledged. They found that Wood Thrushes and other birds that nest in older forest often take their fledglings to nearby shrubby young forest, where there is an abundance of insects, berries, and cover. And it turns out that the Golden-winged Warbler does the opposite — nesting in scrub, with fledglings then heading to adjacent older woods rich in caterpillars and other sustenance. These habitat change-ups illustrate how birds need different habitats at different life-cycle stages. This revelation was a game-changer for conservationists.

Larkin heads up an initiative called the Dynamic Forest Partnership that is spreading across Appalachia and into Great Lakes states. The partnership strives to create and maintain an array of habitats across large forest blocks. This “forest dynamism” addresses many forest birds’ needs, and hits a sweet-spot where states’ wildlife and forest goals converge.

“We were once happy looking at just nesting success … but there’s a whole lot more that happens to the young birds once they leave the nest,” says Jeff Larkin, a biologist, forester, and professor at the Indiana

“I was reading both state forest action plans and wildlife action plans,” Larkin says, “and it hit me: Both were saying habitat is degraded, and some forest community

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types and age-classes are not as available as they should be. And, sure enough, on both the forestry and wildlife fronts, there was positivity for our effort from the start.” With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, matched by an array of public and private agencies and organizations, the partnership has enrolled more than 250,000 acres.

Covering a Lot of Ground The quarter-million-acre figure above does not include the work of ABC’s Great Lakes habitat conservation team, although they espouse Larkin’s strategy. While a good portion of their work focuses on Golden-winged and Kirtland’s Warblers, they also aim to restore and enhance habitat to support at least 20 other declining species, ranging from the Blackburnian Warbler to the Broadwinged Hawk and American Woodcock. The team includes eight full-time foresters. Peter Dieser, ABC’s Great Lakes Public Lands Director, is one of them. Each year, he and federal, tribal, state, and local partners enhance roughly 1,000 acres in northern Minnesota to optimize habitats for birds. (See sidebar, p. 25.) Since he took on his job in 2013, Dieser has been involved in projects affecting 7,550 acres on public and tribal lands. “I’ve loved putting my blood, sweat, and tears into building something from the ground up that is generally considered a conservation success story in this state,” he says. Dieser and his teammates know that restoring and enhancing forest lands takes a careful eye. “The retention of trees and other woody vegetation is at least if not more important than what you cut,” he says. “Each property is slightly different and each landowner is different,” adds ABC Michigan Forester Michael Paling. “We do have to think about a lot of different things, such as forest and soil types, because these details point us toward which wildlife might use the area and, in turn, which management practices we ultimately use.” The Great Lakes team covers a lot of ground. ABC Michigan Private Lands Forester Joyanne Mittig, for example, has a “beat” of 27 counties in the “tip of the mitt” of her state’s Lower Peninsula. “I work with landowners to educate them about their forests and wildlife — from timber harvests to invasive species management, wildlife habitat, and tree planting.” On his Mora, Minnesota, property (above right), landowner Jim Morrison works with ABC to enhance bird habitat (See p. 24.) Morrison is shown (bottom right) tapping maple sap for syrup. Photos courtesy of Jim Morrison.

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Setting the Stage for a Comeback — Paling, Mittig, and others on the team work with interested private landowners to survey their acreage, draw up forest plans, and help them find federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This funding helps defray some of the costs of noncommercial habitat work, which often requires hiring contractors, and provides an incentive for commercial timber harvesters to use bestmanagement practices for creating young-forest wildlife habitat. Actions that optimize forest diversity include: creating gaps, working around “legacy patches” of untouched habitat, and leaving snags — dead or dying trees used by wildlife for nesting and shelter. All told, ABC efforts on private land have impacted more than 6,770 acres in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Buzz-cutting Alders Some land-management practices are now considered essential in recreating a cycle of disturbance that keeps ecosystems vital. Fires and thoughtfully orchestrated timber harvesting are examples of disturbances that can be used to recreate this cycle over time. Another that provides quick benefits is “alder shearing.” The native Speckled Alder occurs throughout the region in damp, forested habitats. This vigorous plant grows as a shrub or small tree, often in tight clusters that become so tall and so dense that after ten to 15 years, they stifle other plant growth and animal movements. Just as gardeners learn that pruning is a careful and important art that keeps plants healthy and compact, conservation

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foresters target the fast-growing alder to optimize its use on the landscape. Most sites slated for shearing by ABC and partners are alder monocultures that haven’t been thinned by a natural disturbance event or other clearing in decades. What’s often needed is what Paling likes to call “giving the land a haircut.” “We use silviculture to mimic what natural disturbances would do,” says ABC Wildlife Habitat Specialist Pat Weber. Alder shearing is done with skid steers equipped with special mulching attachments, or “bush-hog” rotary mowers, or bulldozers. The work is mostly done in the dead of winter, when the ground is frozen solid and plant and animal life is dormant. Large alder shrubs get trimmed down, while any occurring mature trees and most, if not all, other saplings are left. Duane Fogard, who has worked as ABC’s Habitat Forest Lands Forester in Minnesota for nearly seven years, explains that to the untrained eye, the aftermath of this winter work “might at first look harsh or ugly to some, but I guess you don’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.” The benefits become clear once spring arrives. “After this work, the sunlight that was filtered out by large woody alders gets to the ground,” says Fogard, “and many seeds that stayed viable in the soil for years and years will go crazy and start to grow with the overstory gone.” Newly created sunny patches flush with Beaked Hazelnut, blueberry, and other shrubs and are painted with the

Winter Work Yields Spring Bounty blooms of goldenrod, aster, milkweed, and Marsh Marigold — magnets for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. This habitat attracts not only the Golden-winged Warbler and other songbirds, but also game species such as the Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, and American Woodcock, which in turn draw predators including the Fisher, a large member of the weasel family that has been declining in many parts of its range. As for the cut alders: “Our main goal is to leave the roots undisturbed, so they will re-grow,” says Linnea Rowse, ABC’s Great Lakes Private Lands Director. In a forest opening or wetland edge, young, recently sheared alders rapidly rebound in the sun. Their roots help fix nitrogen in the soil, and their fresh leaves and drooping catkins teem with insects that feed a bounty of wildlife. “What we’re doing here is trying to mimic disturbances with young, vibrant growth in close proximity to older deciduous forests,” says Rowse, “and we are thinking about this on the landscape level. That way, some percentage of this early successional forest will always be around.”

Making the Most of Their Land Wisconsinite Todd Berg is a great fan of these efforts. He worked with his state’s department of natural resources and the USDA on five acres of his land near Phillips, Wisconsin. Then he worked with ABC to secure plans and funding for seven more acres, with another eight planned for next year.

PHOTOS, PAGE 22: (Left:) At a work site, three members of ABC's Great Lakes team: from left to right: Linnea Rowse, Pat Weber, and Emily Locke. Photo by Linnea Rowse. (Right:) The aftermath of winter work may at first look harsh, but benefits become clear in spring. Photo by Pat Weber. PHOTOS, THIS PAGE: (Left:) In spring and summer, sunlight reaching the ground unleashes a bounty of plant life that in turn attracts insects crucial to songbirds and other wildlife. Photo by Pat Weber. (Right:) Golden-winged Warblers nest in brushy sites with scattered trees, where males sing, staking their territories. Photo by FotoRequest, Shutterstock.

“There’s nothing we’ve done to our land that compares to the effectiveness of the young forest cuts,” he says. “They’ve turned those areas into living zoos.” Within a day of the first alder shearing, Berg and his wife saw a Fisher, the first they had ever seen. The following spring, they started hearing woodcock there. “Woodcock used to be very hard to find,” says Berg. “Now we see them all the time. In fact, we’ve seen more woodcock in the last few years than we’ve ever seen before.” This is good news because this cryptically colored, worm-hunting “land shorebird” has steadily declined across its range over the last 25 years. Berg’s efforts inspired others to boost their land’s productivity for wildlife. “Our neighbor saw what we were doing,” he says. “Then three years ago, he had 11 acres

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done. It’s helping everything: for us, for him, for county land. The magnetism to wildlife is just incredible.” Meanwhile, in Mora, Minnesota, north of Minneapolis, Jim Morrison and his family are trying to make the most of their 172 acres. “When we acquired this piece of property in 1997 and it became our home,” Morrison says, “we thought: How can we make this what it was supposed to be?” Hunters, fishers, campers, and bird-lovers, the Morrisons considered the counsel of many agencies and organizations. “We decided we’d create and foster as

much complexity as we can and then let things take their natural course,” Morrison says. He began working with ABC’s Fogard on Golden-winged Warbler patches and remarks: “He helped us work with a small logging company to do the project to create succession where a lot of the wooded area was one generation.” “We have heard Golden-winged Warblers on our property in recent years,” Morrison says. Plus, there is now a new patch flush with young poplars just reaching the ideal age for enticing warblers. He is optimistic that they soon will confirm nesting there. Just outside of Cheboygan, atop Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Chris Tracy and his family have been following a forest plan on their 500 acres since 2004. Working with ABC’s Paling and Mittig and other partners, the Tracys improved 30 acres for golden-wings, and they are targeting 30 more, in addition to planting native trees. “We’ve learned a lot through the process,” Tracy says, “and we get way more out of it than we put into it. It’s meaningful to us on so many fronts.”

Growing Canvas, Ready Roadmap On private and public lands, ABC will continue its work across the expansive Northwoods. The canvas keeps growing: ABC recently joined Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the University of Alberta’s Boreal Avian Modeling Project on a cross-border effort to “assess and demonstrate the value of SFI-certified forests to important bird populations.” This analysis focuses on 56 million acres of certified forests across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Ontario and will help planners understand more clearly which types of management best meld commercial and conservation efforts for birds and other wildlife. Together, many partners across the Northwoods now see the forest for more than the trees, and the birds as an important part of the plan. In many other parts of the world, this success story could provide an inspiring roadmap leading to a brighter future elsewhere for birds and people.

Howard Youth is ABC’s Senior Writer/Editor.

The Ruffed Grouse (top) and the American Woodcock (bottom) are beneficiaries of alder shearing. TOP: Photo by Paul Rossi; LEFT: Photo by Lev Frid, Shutterstock.

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A Red Lake Partnership by Peter Dieser

he Red Lake Band of Chippewa has been one of ABC’s most essential and stalwart partners since I began working to restore declining birds in young, regenerating — a.k.a. early successional — forest and brushland habitat in 2013. It is a primary goal of the Red Lake Band to protect and enhance forest habitat for all wildlife species, while maintaining a mosaic of habitat diversity throughout the forest. “Promoting and maintaining a landscape of diverse habitats is key to sustaining the health and prosperity of our biological and ecological communities,” says Al Pemberton, Director of the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and member of the Red Lake Tribal Council. Pemberton’s home, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Reservation, is a beautiful and unique forested landscape in the heart of northern Minnesota that spans over 830,000 acres, or more than 10,000 square miles. It is one of two “closed” reservations in the United States, with the band having sole management authority over its vast natural resources. Sustainable natural resource management, including hunting, fishing, and logging, are essential industries to the Red Lake Nation, which has about 10,000 tribal members, who own all Red Lake lands in common. My work takes me over hundreds of miles of northern Minnesota each year. Even in this remote and striking region, the beauty and uniqueness of this landscape really stand out. Unlike some nearby areas, it remains a diverse, contiguous blanket of pristine forests and wetlands. It also includes and is named after Upper and Lower Red Lakes, which combined create the sixth largest natural freshwater lake in the United States. In short, the Red Lake Reservation is a jewel of ecological and biological diversity. ABC, the Red Lake DNR, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS’s) Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) have partnered to work on projects that reduce the density and age of brush species dominated by alder and willow through cutting, while retaining trees and a mix of scattered brush patches to create diverse nesting and broodrearing habitat for the state-listed Golden-winged Warbler and American Woodcock. “It’s not just Golden-winged Warblers and American Woodcock that benefit, but also a wide range of other wildlife species, many of which are in decline across the state,” says Red Lake’s Pemberton. “For example, we’ve observed that moose regularly use these sites.” Additional

Left to right: Scott Abel, GIS Specialist, Red Lake DNR; Al Pemberton, Director, Red Lake DNR; ABC’s Peter Dieser; Kent Sundseth, Refuge Manager at Tamarac NWR. Photo by Sara Ruffing.

bird species observed following habitat treatments include the Ruffed Grouse, Veery, Sedge Wren, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Brown Thrasher, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The partnership started small. In 2015, ABC and staff from the Tamarac NWR met with forestry and wildlife staff from the Red Lake DNR to begin discussing the possibility of collaborating to complete some projects in brushy lowlands within deciduous or mixed forest habitats. Over the past six years, the partnership has grown into a conservation success story: To date, ABC and the Red Lake DNR, in partnership with Tamarac NWR, have completed over 2,400 acres of high-quality young forest habitat. To complement this important work, in 2017 the Red Lake Band of Chippewa also applied for and received a Tribal Wildlife Grant from FWS for songbird monitoring, critical habitat restoration and enhancement, and education about young-forest management on the reservation. This funding resulted in an additional 500 acres of completed habitat projects. Surveys completed by the Red Lake DNR have documented robust numbers of Golden-winged Warblers and other young-forest songbirds during spring breeding bird counts, suggesting that management activities have had positive effects. A total of 15 point-count surveys are conducted on seven sites twice each year, during which 60 different bird species have been observed, including numerous Minnesota Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Every year, I look forward to working with the Red Lake DNR and heading up for site visits. It’s an honor to work with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, and a privilege to work with a nation that so highly values habitat conservation. Peter Dieser is ABC’s Great Lakes Public Lands Director.

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The

Many birds nest only in this treeless biome. As the planet warms, what is at stake and how might they fare?

by Katelyn Luff and Kirsty Gurney Beyond where stunted conifers surrender to bitter winds and frozen soil lies a region of extremes. There, tiny, hardy plants blanket the terrain for thousands of miles, and a diversity of habitats nurtures billions of birds. This land of eternal sun, or darkness, is the tundra. To many, the tundra may be both physically distant and far from mind. Yet many of the birds that delight us hail from there. As you’ll read here, the future of tundranesting birds is inextricably tied to the fate of this biome — and that future is in flux.

What Is Tundra? Covering an estimated 10 percent of Earth’s surface, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, tundra occurs in polar and alpine (mountainous, high-elevation) areas. In both situations, cold temperatures, strong

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Changing Tundra and

What It Means for Birds

winds, snow cover, and short growing seasons result in open landscapes that give the biome its name, which is derived from the Sámi word tūndâr, meaning “treeless hill.” (The Sámi culture is centered in the tundra of northern Scandinavia.) Permafrost, perennially frozen soil, is a ubiquitous feature in these areas, and in place of trees, tundra regions are rich in dwarf shrubs, grasses, herbaceous plants, mosses, ferns, and lichen. Within North America, Arctic tundra covers northern Alaska, Yukon, the Arctic islands of Canada, portions of the mainland of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and northern Quebec. The terrain across this broad mantle of land is highly variable, ranging from vast plains, rolling lowlands, and ice-covered lakes to flat-topped mountains and snow-free uplands. Expansive wetlands are common, particularly in shield or bedrock regions of eastern and central Canada.

The North American tundra is the homeland of many Indigenous peoples, including the Aleut, Yupik, and Iñupiat in Alaska, and the Inuit (Inuvialuit) in Canada, who depend on healthy populations of fish, mammals, and birds for subsistence harvesting. Bird populations are particularly abundant there, especially during productive summer periods, when more than 135 species breed across North American tundra. (Across the world’s Arctic region, the figure may reach 200 species.) Geese and shorebirds often dominate tundra bird communities, but other representative species include Yellow-billed and Red-throated Loons, Longtailed Duck, King Eider, Peregrine Falcon, Parasitic Jaeger, Snowy Owl, Willow and Rock Ptarmigans, Hoary Redpoll, Lapland Longspur, and Snow Bunting. The Arctic tundra embraces a kaleidoscope of landscapes used by a staggering array of nesting birds, including the Lapland Longspur (left). Photos by Katelyn Luff.

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Wetlands make up an estimated 60 percent of Arctic tundra habitats and store large amounts of carbon and other nutrients. Coastal plain wetlands showing ponds and polygon formations, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Photo by Peter Mather/Minden Pictures.

Together, the tundra’s unique fauna, inaccessibility, and extreme physical environments lend to its mystique. But the Arctic tundra warrants our attention for more practical reasons as well because it plays a global role in carbon-cycling and temperature regulation. Permafrost — a subsurface mixture of frozen sediment and organic matter — is the common thread unifying tundra habitats. Because it remains frozen year-round, with only a thin surface layer that briefly thaws each summer, permafrost serves as a carbon sink, effectively locking away surplus carbon in long-term cold storage, as sub-zero temperatures hinder decomposition and the release of greenhouse gases. Wetlands are particularly important in this regard: They make up an estimated 60 percent of Arctic tundra habitats and store particularly large amounts of carbon and other nutrients, while also providing a figurative oasis on the typically dry landscape.

A Changing Climate The recipe for distinctive tundra ecosystems requires the combination of sub-freezing mean annual temperatures, large annual temperature ranges, and moderately low precipitation from 4 to 10 inches per year — much of which falls in the winter as dry, powdery snow. These relatively predictable conditions are now coming under threat as the climate changes. Since the 1950s, annual precipitation has increased in Arctic regions, and annual average air temperatures have

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increased twice as fast in the Arctic as elsewhere in the world. Climate scientists agree that we are in an era of climate change, with many locations undergoing a warming trend. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change now predicts that without intervention, Earth’s surface will warm by 1.5˚C (2.7˚F) by the mid-2030s, with current models predicting early and disproportionately large changes in climate at high northern latitudes. Arctic soil freeze-thaw cycles are also changing, with the most dramatic changes observed in the depth of the active layer — the soil layer that freezes and thaws on an annual basis — being noted at the northern part of the permafrost region. As permafrost thaws, organic matter and carbon locked within become active. This means that vast sinks of carbon are now becoming carbon sources as peat and organic matter begin to rot. Microorganisms consuming organic matter produce carbon dioxide and methane, greenhouse gases that can further accelerate warming. Based on recent modeling by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 300 to 600 million tons of carbon globally may be expelled from thawing permafrost per year. Although the specific impacts of warming and permafrost thaw on the flora and fauna of the tundra are not well understood, changes in water availability, mobilization of contaminants, earlier onset of spring, and the introduction of new species will all present new and unknown challenges to Arctic-nesting birds.

A monitoring project focused on the Rough-legged Hawk revealed that over one-quarter of nests collapsed, probably due to heavy rains, which are predicted to be more frequent as the climate warms. Photo by Andrei Stepanov, Shutterstock.

Wetlands Washing Away

Toxins on the Tundra

Ground ice and permafrost are important for the maintenance of extensive wetlands throughout the tundra. Ground ice is formed when water infiltrates cracks in peat and then refreezes. Over time, these wedges of ice can block or slow down moving water, creating a mosaic of wetland types ranging from shallow lakes to extensive fens and wet meadows on which many nesting bird species depend. However, as the climate warms, in-ground ice is eroded, leading to changes in the structure of Arctic wetlands.

Climate change will also affect levels of heavy metals and other environmental contaminants in tundra landscapes, representing another threat to the health of Arctic-nesting birds. On the tundra, many contaminants arrive after being transported via water and air from far-away sources, in a phenomenon called the “grasshopper effect.”

In the short term, depressions remaining in the wake of thawing ground ice may create new wetland areas. But in the long term, when the natural damming effect of ground ice is lost, the increased connectivity drains wetlands more quickly, reducing habitat and food availability for many species of nesting birds, including the Dunlin, Red-necked Phalarope, King Eider, and Redthroated Loon. Changes in water availability, however, are likely to impact more than wetland birds: During a nine-year monitoring project in northern Canada, for example, over one-quarter of Rough-legged Hawk nests collapsed, apparently correlated to heavy rain events, which are expected to occur more frequently on the tundra as the climate warms.

Mercury, in particular, is one such contaminant of concern because it can impact many biological systems, including neurological functions, and adversely affect survival, reproduction, and development. Furthermore, mercury becomes more biologically available and more toxic in wetlands with lots of decaying organic matter and peat. In this way, breeding birds are likely to face an increased risk of exposure to mercury and other contaminants on a warming tundra. How this will impact populations remains unknown. Until recently, most studies that monitor contaminants in Arctic regions have focused on large seabirds and other marine predators. Elevated mercury levels, however, are now being recorded in other species, including those that nest on mainland tundra away from marine inputs. Red-throated Loons and other fish-eating species tend to have higher levels of mercury than do other freshwater species, since mercury biomagnifies in food chains — meaning predatory species can acquire this toxin from the foods they eat. Mercury and other pollutants have continued on p.32

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4 3

LIFE ABOVE THE TREELINE This Arctic tundra landscape features varied, open habitats underlain with permafrost. Pictured here is a sampling of tundra wildlife, including breeding migratory birds that are only present in the warmest months. Shown from left to right: 1

Dunlin

Snowy Owl

Red-throated Loon

Arctic Fox

Red-necked Phalarope

Rock Ptarmigan

King Eider

Lapland Longspur

Parasitic Jaeger

Purple Saxifrage

Caribou

Cottongrass

Polar Bear

Gyrfalcon

Artwork by Chris Vest

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Mercury and other pollutants were detected in the White-rumped Sandpiper and other tundra-nesting shorebirds that seek invertebrates in shallow wetlands where contaminants can accumulate. Photo by Katelyn Luff.

The future of the Red Phalarope and up to 200 other bird species is closely tied to the Arctic tundra's fate. Photo by Katelyn Luff.

also been documented in tundra-nesting shorebirds like the Sanderling and Semipalmated and White-rumped Sandpipers, which forage on invertebrates in shallow wetlands where contaminants can accumulate.

in coloration, molting from white to brown plumage as winter melts into spring. This shift is usually associated with photoperiod — the amount of sunlight at a given time — and is not directly linked to temperature or the amount of snow on the landscape. Cryptically colored to match their winter wonderland, male ptarmigans retain their bright white plumage longer into the spring than do females. While attractive to their female mates, these males more easily draw the attention of predators such as Gyrfalcons and other raptors. Before males fully molt into their brown summer colors, they actively dirty their feathers to become less conspicuous. However, as northern habitats continue to change, it’s unclear whether male ptarmigans will begin this behavior sooner, and in years when snow melt happens early, these animals may be dangerously conspicuous on the tundra landscape.

Will Early Birds Still Get the Worm? Since the productive spring and summer seasons on the tundra are short, migrating birds need to have their timing just right, arriving and breeding so that their young hatch when food is most plentiful. Whether or not birds can adjust arrival and breeding schedules and adapt to earlier spring conditions is an important question for bird conservation, and the answer seems to be mixed. Some species, like sandpipers, phalaropes, and the Lapland Longspur, do tend to breed earlier in years of earlier snow melt. Other species, like the Brant, Snow Goose, and Dunlin, seem to have more rigid dates of breeding that are possibly related to migration distance, and this may result in a mismatch between timing of reproduction and climate-induced changes in the timing of food availability. Further, as the climate warms, weather events also become less predictable, meaning that food availability for growing chicks isn’t guaranteed even for early nesters. Landbird species reliant upon camouflage in their highly seasonal tundra habitats face additional challenges due to the earlier onset of spring and disappearing snowpack. Rock Ptarmigans, for example, undergo a dramatic shift

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Northern Exposure As the Arctic growing season lengthens, shrubs like alder, willow, and Dwarf Birch are quickly expanding their ranges northward into the tundra. This alters habitats used by Arctic-nesting birds, and the foods that are available to them. Low-shrub tundra habitats, for example, support unique arthropod communities, with a greater abundance of large species, such as spiders and beetles, compared to taller-shrub arthropod communities that predominantly consist of smaller flies. How exactly shrub encroachment will affect nesting birds is an active area of study, with many questions remaining.

The Red-throated Loon nests on vegetation gathered and piled on tundra wetland shorelines and in shallows. Photo by Mats Brynolf, Shutterstock.

There are some guesses about how this might go. Tundra species, such as the Lapland Longspur, which prefers to nest in low shrubs, may be forced to compete with species more adapted to higher-shrub canopies, such as the Whitecrowned Sparrow. Ground-foraging, tundra-specialized bird species like sandpipers and plovers may abandon areas with extensive high-shrub canopy. With respect to birdspecies diversity, however, tundra shrub encroachment may initially be advantageous, expanding available niches at least for a little while in transitioning landscapes. Shrubs aren’t the only biota undergoing range shifts in response to a changing Arctic climate. As sea-ice melts and longer ice-free seasons limit when Polar Bears can hunt their preferred seal prey, these apex predators are increasingly turning to terrestrial, inland sources of food. In recent years, Polar Bears have been observed feeding in bird nesting colonies, consuming eggs of geese and the Common Eider, Thick-billed Murre, and Glaucous Gull. In some cases, bears can be a significant cause of nest failure and reduced reproductive success for tundra birds, which do not appear to be adjusting nesting locations to deal with this emerging threat. Given that consumption of eggs alone, however, is insufficient to provide bears with the energy they need, the behavior may be a transient phenomenon; effects on bird communities at broader spatial scales are unknown. For now, the tundra in North America, and elsewhere, remains a place of majesty, where culturally rich societies, physically extreme landscapes, and diverse wildlife are

uniquely interconnected. Yet, we are entering unknown territory for conservation of this biome and its highly specialized bird fauna. In the face of ongoing environmental change, understanding whether abundant populations of tundra birds can stay resilient is a challenge that warrants global attention. It’s difficult to protect something if we don’t understand it, and climate change presents an ever-moving target of unknowns. Continuing to monitor how tundra birds and other organisms respond and adapt to climate change informs conservation efforts. Additionally, reducing our global emissions so that we do not exceed the 1.5-degree-Celsius warming threshold would bode well for not just tundra birds, but all of us.

Katelyn Luff, a wildlife biologist and photographer based in Saskatoon, Canada, completed her master’s studying mercury levels in nesting shorebirds in the Canadian central Arctic.

Dr. Kirsty Gurney, who works for the Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate at Environment and Climate Change Canada, has had the good fortune to work in the central and western Arctic for almost two decades. She is grateful for every frozen second.

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ABC BIRDING

B.J. Bishop Wetlands,Texas Lay of the Land: The B.J. Bishop Wetlands are a surprise to find in the arid landscape of Texas’s Big Bend. This desert oasis adjacent to the Rio Grande includes 11 acres of wetland fed with treated wastewater from nearby Presidio, Texas, and 3 acres for a riparian tree nursery. The area is surrounded by desert scrub vegetation, including mesquite and yucca. Farther out are desert hills with Ocotillo, Lechuguilla (an agave), and yuccas. Focal Birds: The following species, among others, are regularly recorded in appropriate seasons: Cinnamon and Green-winged Teal, Mexican Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, White-faced Ibis, Gambel’s Quail, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Sora, American Coot, Greater Roadrunner, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Vermilion Flycatcher, Say’s Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Marsh Wren, White-crowned Sparrow (especially

the “Gambel’s” subspecies), Yellowheaded Blackbird, Common Yellowthroat, and Pyrrhuloxia. Other Wildlife: This area of the northern Chihuahuan Desert is home to varied wildlife, with available water being a strong draw. On occasion, Mountain Lions and Black Bears wander through, traveling between mountains. The Texas Horned Lizard and two subspecies of the Western Coachwhip snake, both the “Western” and the “Lined,” are common in the area. The wetlands provide habitat for the Yellow Mud Turtle, Rio Grande Leopard Frog, and Western Tiger Salamander. Watch for butterflies, including the Monarch and Queen, along with swallowtails and sulphurs. Typical riparian trees include cottonwoods, willows, and mesquites. The Desert-willow and TOP: A trio of Ruddy Ducks cruises the B.J. Bishop Wetlands. Photo by Michael L. Gray. Pyrrhuloxia on Ocotillo. Photo by Charles T. Peden, Shutterstock.

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Goldenball Leadtree (also called Littleleaf Leucaena) can be found in the dry desert arroyos. Wildflowers include sunflowers and the Big Bend Bluebonnet, which grows one to four feet tall and blooms late winter into spring in damp areas and along roadsides. Riparian zones host the Alkalai Sacaton and other bunch grasses. Among the aquatic plants are bulrushes, cattails, and phragmites (Common Reed). When to Visit: Late fall through early spring are good times to spot waterfowl, rails, and sparrows. Spring brings flashy songbird and shorebird migrants, including local breeders like the Blue Grosbeak. Summers are impressively hot and dry, and the least productive time, although there is always something interesting lurking in this watery haven.

ABOVE: Marsh Wren by Andrew Boro Bell, Shutterstock; TOP RIGHT: Gambel's Quail by Alan Wilson; BOTTOM RIGHT: Texas Horned Lizard by Seth LaGrange, Shutterstock.

Three Big Bend Wetlands Balmorhea

10 ra

G e

Toyahvale

Ri 90

Sandia Springs Wetland Project Balmorhea Lake

118

Fort Stockton

Fort Davis 17

TEXAS

385

Alpine

Marfa

MEXICO

Marathon

67 385

Presidio

Rio Grande River

118

Fort Leaton State Historic Site

170

B.J. Bishop Wetlands

Big Bend Ranch State Park

Big Bend National Park BIR D C O NS ER VATIO N | S PR ING 2022

Conservation Activities: Wetlands within the arid lands of the American Southwest have diminished by 90 percent; few permanent ones remain. Located along the western side of the Central Flyway, B.J. Bishop and other Big Bend wetlands provide important stopover habitat for a wide variety of migrating birds. At B.J. Bishop, the property owner agreed to receive nearby Presidio’s filtered wastewater onto what was a fallow farm field, and worked with contractors and conservationists to set up a human-made wetland and nature reserve that would take advantage of this unusual water supply. The B.J. Bishop Wetlands were established with help from a North American Wetlands Conservation

B I R D CO N S E R V A TI ON | SPRI NG 2022

Act (NAWCA) grant that Karen Chapman, now ABC’s Rio Grande Joint Venture Coordinator, wrote. ABC has been working with landowners and managers here and at the Sandia Springs Wetland Project (see “In the Area,” below), developing strategies and identifying critical conservation practices for proper management of artificial and enhanced wetlands for birds and other wildlife. The B.J. Bishop Wetlands now include a riparian tree nursery, a project led by ABC Conservation Delivery Specialist Jeff Bennett, with funding from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Bennett is currently working on securing funds to add a pollinator garden and bird blinds at the reserve.

Directions: The B.J. Bishop Wetlands sit off Highway 170 (also called the River Road) near the banks of the Rio Grande, just east of the border town of Presidio, Texas. A half-mile east of the Fort Leaton State Historic Site, watch for the reserve’s small entrance sign on the right side of the road. It is easy to combine a visit to this site with a trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park, which lies just to the east, and Big Bend National Park, which sits east of the state park. In the Area: Visitors driving to the region via Interstate 10 can visit, en route, two other publicly accessible birding spots where ABC has, or hopes to, help restore and enhance wetlands for birds: Sandia Springs Wetland Project and Balmorhea Lake.

The Sandia Springs Wetland Project is near the town of Balmorhea, Texas (pronounced “Balmoray”). It receives water from the San Solomon spring system, the ninth largest in the state. In 2011, the owner of the property worked with a local birder and the Tierra Grande chapter of Texas Master Naturalists to build four ponds to serve as a stopover for migrating shorebirds. Shorebird habitat is necessarily shallow, and keeping foraging areas open for these birds requires controlling cattails and rushes that otherwise quickly take over. ABC and the Rio Grande Joint Venture (JV) have been helping to manage vegetation on this wetland, and are also seeking funding to make improvements. Birds seen here include: Bluewinged Teal, American Wigeon,

LEFT: The spring-fed Sandia Springs Wetland and its viewing blind. Photo by Michael L. Gray. TOP LEFT: Northern Shoveler by Tom Reichner, Shutterstock. TOP RIGHT: Yellow-headed Blackbird by Mike Parr.

Scaled Quail, Baird’s and Least Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Phalarope, Northern Harrier, Swainson’s Hawk, American Kestrel, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Western and (less frequently) Cassin’s Kingbirds. The Sandia Springs Wetland Project is 2.5 miles east of Balmorhea, Texas, and just south of Interstate 10. From I-10, take Highway 17 southwest for a short distance, then turn left onto Reeves County Road 313, following it 0.8 miles south to the site. Much of the San Solomon spring system’s water is held within Balmorhea Lake, a nearby reservoir where birders often find wintering Clark’s and Western Grebes and Snow Geese, among many other species. ABC and the Rio Grande JV hope to help improve shoreline habitats there in the near future.

Learn more about the Rio Grande Joint Venture and its work at: rgjv.org

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Kelly Martin grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, passionate about oceans and marine life. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in marine affairs, a melding of science, policy, and economics aimed at forging environmental solutions. Today, Kelly heads a program called SPLASh, short for: Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines. SPLASh, a joint effort of American Bird Conservancy, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, and Black Cat GIS, targets plastics and trash pollution in the most densely populated stretch of the Upper Texas Coast, in the Houston-Galveston area. This is Kelly’s story, in her own words: Bringing people on board with this effort is really exciting. Everyone is aware of and feels strongly about the issue of plastics and trash pollution: Nobody wants to see plastics in their parks, on their beaches, on their streets. Pretty much everyone can agree that we need solutions to this problem.

Each month, we lead trash cleanups along coastal and bay shorelines, bayous, and in parks throughout the region. We also do community outreach events and teach in K-12 classrooms and lead field trips to clean up trash and collect data with students.

American Oystercatcher entangled in plastic waste.

Throughout all of this, we count and sort trash. Our data is put into a statewide database to get a better picture of what’s going on so that we can address the root of the problem, rather than just cleaning up on the back end.

We really try to engage everyone, regardless of how close they live to water. Pretty much wherever you live, your trash can end up in the environment where it may harm wildlife.

This is one of our most important messages: No matter how far apart we are, we’re all connected.

We urge people to support big-picture initiatives like local or state efforts to reduce single-use plastics, or the proposed federal Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, but it all starts with simple changes in daily life. Activism can have a “trickle-up” effect: You may start with a reusable bottle, and before you know it, you’re advocating for a plastic-bag ban in your hometown. It all makes a difference!

Kelly Martin

Award-winning watercolor painter Beatriz Benavente lives in Spain, where she specializes in scientific and bird illustration. You can follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/wildstories.art

Shorebirds at Delaware Bay. Photo by Mike Parr.

Shore Up a Fine Future for Birds

“American Bird Conservancy is included in our estate plans because ABC addresses ‘big issues’ critical to birds, such as wind towers; through the Bird Conservation Alliance, ABC brings together diverse environmental groups to work as partners for the benefit of birds; and finally, we have had the opportunity to meet and to bird with many of the ABC staff. They have invariably impressed

Photo by Kathy Burger

us with the passion and work ethic they bring to their efforts. ABC is a nimble, results-oriented group which has earned our respect and our financial support.” — Kathy Burger and Glen Gerada

If you are interested in more information on leaving your own legacy of bird conservation, or if you have already remembered ABC in your will, or as a beneficiary of a trust, IRA, or insurance plan, please contact Jack Morrison, ABC Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at jmorrison@abcbirds.org or 540-253-5780.

P.O. Box 249 The Plains, VA 20198 abcbirds.org 540-253-5780 • 888-247-3624

Critically Endangered Cherry-throated Tanagers have a new reserve in Brazil (see p. 6). Photo by Gustavo Magnago.

Bird Conservation Spring 2022

Articles inside

BIRDS IN BRIEF

Creating a Road Less Fatal for Birds

ON THE WIRE

Improving Vast Forested Landscapes for Declining Great Lakes Birds

Battling Plastic Waste on the Upper Texas Coast