Tag: scrub-shrub

CWF is celebrating International Migratory Bird Day all week long

by Kelly Triece, Private Lands Biologist

Kelly Triece’s blog on the Golden-winged Warbler is the first in a series of five to be posted this week in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD). IMBD 2016 is Saturday, May 14. This #birdyear, we are honoring 100 years of the Migratory Bird Treaty. This landmark treat has protected nearly all migratory bird species in the U.S. and Canada for the last century. 

 

The Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA), Vermivora chrysoptera, is a Nearctic-Neotropical Migrant songbird that spends half its life in Central or South America and the other half in North America. This small songbird is less than 5 inches long with a slim body and short tail. GWWA are most noted by their yellow-patched wings, yellow cap and black-and-white face.

 

Right now, GWWAs are migrating to their breeding habitat in North America. They return every spring to the Upper Mid-west and Appalachians, including New Jersey, where they find a mate, breed and rear their young. The breeding range of the Golden-winged Warbler extends along the Appalachians from the northern portion of Georgia in the south to Vermont in the north.

 

Our latest report from the online observation database, eBird, reported a Golden-winged Warbler sighting in Cameron County, Texas on May 3! They are currently migrating north, and do so mostly at night. GWWA migrate at night to avoid predation from day-time predators such as American crows or Blue jays. The skies are also friendlier at night with less turbulence, allowing the birds to stay the course more readily. In addition, migrating birds need to forage to maintain energy during the long migration and must do so during the day. So flying at night gives the bird’s ample time to chow down! Get ready New Jersey!

In September, after breeding season, Golden-winged Warblers migrate south, mainly through a corridor of states east of the Mississippi River and west of the Appalachians. The winter range for this species is southern Mexico and Central and South America, including Colombia and Venezuela. Migrants are seen most commonly in late April and May, and during September.

 

Recent studies have shown that Golden-winged Warblers can also migrate in response to storm events (Streby et al. 2015). While GWWAs migrate long distances twice a year to occupy their breeding and wintering habitat, they may also “mini-migrate” to avoid large storm systems. Last year, a study in Tennessee found that Golden-winged Warblers evacuated their breeding territories days before a large storm system. After the system they returned to their breeding grounds and continued to defend their territories and breed. This research is important as it may provide future insight into the energetic demands and fitness consequences of these “mini-migrations.” As climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of large storms along the east coast the “mini-migrations” may impact the overall fitness of the species as the energetic demands of migrations are great (Streby et al. 2015).

 

Golden-winged warblers are threatened due to habitat loss in their breeding range and wintering range. Golden-winged warblers require early successional, young forest habitat to nest and raise their young. Young forest habitat, also known as scrub-shrub habitat, is new or regenerating forest that is less than 20 years old.  In its breeding range in North America, habitat loss has occurred as forests have matured. In the past 30 years, over 11,000 acres of upland shrub and emergent wetland habitat have been lost to succession in New Jersey. In a naturally occurring system, where fire, wind, flooding and other disturbances are not controlled by humans this age class would be more evenly distributed. In addition, loss of quality stopover and wintering habitat may also be contributing to declines. Golden-winged warblers are a federal species of concern and endangered in the state of New Jersey. Through management and proper forestry techniques, more diversity can be created to balance the age of the forest. This type of forestry management can help protect the Golden-winged warbler in its breeding range.

 

Learn More:

• Check out our last GWWA blog post about research taking place on the GWWA wintering grounds!
• Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s online field guide: Golden-winged Warbler
• Providing Young Forest Habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler

 

Kelly Triece is the Private Lands Biologist for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

 

Reference: Streby, H. M., Kramer, G. R., Peterson, S. M., Lehman, J. A., Buehler, D. A., & Anderson, D. E. (2015). Tornadic Storm Avoidance Behavior in Breeding Songbirds. Current Biology, 25(1), 98-102. doi:doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.079

 

A Closer Look at Cutting-Edge Research on the Multi-Country, Migratory Life-Cycle of GWWA

by Kelly Triece, Private Lands Biologist

While in Honduras this February 2016, I had the opportunity to meet researchers studying the Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA) in their wintering habitat. The GWWA is Neotropical Migrant songbird that breeds in New Jersey, but migrates south for the winter. Golden-winged Warblers migrate south in September, mainly through a corridor of states east of the Mississippi River and west of the Appalachians. Their peak return migration to the Upper Mid-west and Appalachians, including New Jersey, occurs in late April where they find a mate, breed and rear their young.

 

This neo-tropical songbird is a species of special conservation concern in the U.S. and endangered in New Jersey, experiencing population declines due to loss of young forest habitat on their breeding grounds, habitat loss on their wintering grounds and hybridization with the Blue-winged Warbler (BWWA). The GWWA has experienced one of the steepest population declines of any songbird species in North America. The population size of the GWWA has decreased by an average of 2.6% every year, according to the USGS Breeding Bird Survey, since the survey began in 1966.  In particular, the Appalachian populations are now approaching a rate of -9% per year. Due to the difficulty of tracking birds over large distances, the effects of their multi-country, migratory life-cycle are poorly understood.

 

While many songbirds, migrate thousands of miles every winter, most research has focused on their breeding habitat in North America. Recently, researchers have begun exploring and understanding the importance of conserving the entire life-cycle of migratory birds or any wildlife species. Ruth Bennett, a Ph.D student at Cornell University is one such scientist. Ruth and collaborators at the American Bird Conservancy and Indiana University of Pennsylvania are linking breeding and non-breeding Golden-winged Warbler populations through geolocator technology. Ruth is also studying how changes in land use that lead to habitat loss on the wintering grounds of the GWWA are linked to population declines, with support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3.

 

Ruth Bennett, P.h.D. student, aims to connect the wintering habitat of the GWWA and its breeding habitat through her research in Central America. Between November 1, 2015 and March 15, 2016, Ruth and collaborators deployed geolocators on 145 GWWA and 35 BWWA at 9 sites from Belize through Panama, including Honduras. She will then recapture the individuals next winter, 2016-2017. These geolocators supply location data for up to 12 months, giving insight into the full life-cycle of the Golden-winged Warbler and closely-related Blue-winged warblers (BWWA). Through this research she will be able to establish the migratory pathways for all recaptured individuals. She will be able to compare how habitat loss on their wintering grounds and land use changes correlate with population trends described on the breeding grounds.

 

This will be one of the first geolocator studies to establish the connectivity of a migratory species from a winter grounds origin.  This research is important, because it creates a connection between non-profit, local and state governments in the United States and those in Latin America. This may increase funding opportunities and increase the efficiency of conservation action taken on the winter grounds. This research is especially important, as it forms one of the core informational components of the Golden-winged Warbler Non-breeding Season Conservation Plan (currently in review, soon to be available at gwwa.org). The conservation plan provides a regional strategy for conserving Golden-winged Warbler wintering habitat based on the wintering ecology of this species. The plan furthermore outlines conservation projects and budgets within high priority wintering focal areas that have been developed by Latin American partners. Ongoing research will be critical to ensure that these conservation actions effectively conserve the non-breeding habitat of this declining species.

 

Ruth has a small crew of local biologists who assist in her research in Latin America. Through her research in Honduras and Central America, Ruth has been able to connect with many local biologists and conservationists. It was great to meet Ruth in Honduras and learn about her research, which so important to New Jersey, but taking place so far away.

 

Our next Honduras blog, will feature our time with Ruth at the Feria de Aves Migratorias (Migratory Bird Festival) at the Universidad de las Agricultureal (Agriculture University) in Olancho, Honduras!

 

Learn More:

• “Bird Friendly” Brew: Honduran Shade-Grown Coffee
• CWF Headed to Honduras to Study Golden-winged Warbler
• Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s online field guide: Golden-winged Warbler

 

Kelly Triece is the Private Lands Biologist for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

CWF biologist Kelly Triece to visit Honduras to observe Golden-winged Warblers in their Wintering Habitat

by Kelly Triece, Private Lands Biologist

CWF is headed down to Central America to see one of New Jersey’s native songbirds! This time of year the Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA) is in Central and South America. The GWWA is Neotropical Migrant songbird that breeds in New Jersey, but migrates south for the winter. This songbird is a species of special conservation concern in the U.S. and endangered in New Jersey, experiencing population declines due to loss of young forest habitat.

 

Conserve Wildlife Foundation biologist Kelly Triece will be traveling to Honduras next week to observe the GWWA in its wintering habitat. While she is there, she will be learning more about the wintering habitat requirements of the Golden-winged Warbler as well as the current threats and challenges facing the species in this part of the world.

The management of early successional habitat, or young forest habitat, is important in New Jersey because it provides breeding habitat and post-fledging habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler. In the past 30 years, over 11,000 acres of upland shrub and emergent wetland habitat have been lost to succession in New Jersey.

 

Today, 80% of New Jersey forests are between 60-99 years old, while only 5% of the forests are between 0-19 years old. In a naturally occurring system, where fire, wind, flooding and other disturbances are not controlled by humans, this age class would be more evenly distributed. Through management and proper forestry techniques, more diversity can be created to balance the age of the forest.

 

The Golden-winged Warbler is not the only scrub-shrub dependent bird species considered to be at-risk. About 85% of shrub obligate birds and 35% of forest birds are on the decline in North America. Some of the declining species are Prairie Warbler, Field Sparrow, Northern Bobwhite and American Woodcock. Additionally, woodland breeding birds are also at risk because many rely on young forest habitat for post-fledging. Therefore, the management of young forest habitat is not only specific to the Golden-winged Warbler, it is also important for many other avian species. Furthermore, other wildlife such as insects, reptiles and mammals will benefit from increased flowering plants and foraging habitat.

 

CWF and our partners — Natural Resources Conservation Service, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and New Jersey Audubon Society — have worked with private landowners to create or restore over 225 acres of Golden-winged Warbler habitat since 2012 in New Jersey. Our managed forests have a statistically significant higher diversity of birds than unmanaged sites!

 

Stay tuned for Photos from the Field next week as Kelly travels to Central America!

 

Learn More:

• Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s online field guide: Golden-winged Warbler

 

Kelly Triece is the Private Lands Biologist for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.