Griffy Lake Master Plan Update
Birds of Conservation Concern Six species of birds listed as Birds of Conservation Concern (BCC) were observed during surveys. Five of these species—red-headed woodpecker, wood thrush, Kentucky warbler, and chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica ) are likely breeding within or nearby the Preserve. Red-headed woodpeckers were observed year round within the Preserve, and they often move from forest interiors to forest edges and or disturbed areas with dead trees to breed (Frei et al. 2020). Wood thrush are forest interior species that migrate from Central America to the Midwest and eastern US in spring to breed and return in the fall (Evans et al. 2020). In the spring and summer, twentyfive wood thrush observations were recorded. Kentucky warblers and chimney swifts were also observed in the spring and summer. The Kentucky warbler overwinters in Central America and breeds in the southeastern US from spring to summer, and the chimney swift is a long distance migrant that breeds in chimneys, caves, cliff sides, and hollow trees in urban and rural habitats (Steeves et al. 2020). Additionally, two observed species likely using the Preserve on their migration, the lesser yellowlegs and black throated green warbler, were observed in spring and fall, respectively. The black throated green warbler breeds in the northeastern US and eastern Canada, and migrates through eastern North America to their overwintering habitats in Central America (Morse and Poole 2020). Lesser yellowlegs are a long-distance migrant that breeds in northern Canada and Alaska in the summer, migrates through the continental US in the spring and fall, and spends the nonbreeding season in Central and South America (eBird 2021b). Populations of these birds of conservation concern face declines due to multiple factors including habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, anthropogenic disturbances, pollution, and predation by domestic and feral cats (IDNR 2015). Additionally, migratory species face added threats including collisions with buildings during migration, and loss of habitat and food sources in both their breeding and non-breeding ranges (Robinson [no date], Kirby et al. 2008). The forests and Griffy Lake within the Preserve provide important breeding and migration habitat for these sensitive species. Species not detected from previous surveys Breeding bird surveys conducted in 2008 (Peel) detected eight state listed or BCC listed species (cerulean warbler, sharp shinned hawk [Accipiter striatus], black-and-white warbler [Mniotilta varia], worm-eating warbler [Helmitheros vermivorum], hooded warbler [Setophaga citrina], prothonotary warbler [Protonotaria citrea], field sparrow [Spizella pusilla], and Louisiana waterthrush [Parkesia motacilla]) that were not observed during the 2020-2021 surveys. These species occupy forest, scrub, or riparian habitats (Bildstein et al. 2020, Buehler et al. 2020, Chiver et al. 2020, Kricher 2020, Petit 2020, Vitz et al. 2020). The sharp shinned hawk, cerulean warbler, black-and-white warbler, worm-eating warbler, hooded warbler, and prothonotary warbler are all forest dwelling species (Bildstein et al. 2020, Buehler et al. 2020, Chiver et al. 2020, Kricher 2020, Petit 2020, Vitz et al. 2020). Forest dwelling species, particularly the worm-eating warbler, and prothonotary warbler, are sensitive to habitat fragmentation, and often require large, continuous forests to successfully breed (Vitz et al. 2020, Petit 2020). Field sparrows occupy scrub habitats, such as abandoned agricultural fields and forest edges, and tend to avoid areas of human
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December 2021
