Birds remain prevalent on new state list of species needing conservation

There are more than 100 bird species on a proposed revision to the New York Species of Greatest Conservation Need list recently released by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Created in 2005, the list includes wildlife ranging from blue whales to marbled salamanders. DEC collaborated with species experts and conservation partners to update the list as part of an update to the State Wildlife Action Plan. It will be used to help develop conservation initiatives to be undertaken in the next 10 years.

Before the revision, the list included 118 bird species out of 537 total animal species. Now it includes 594 total species, including 103 bird species, 45 of which have been tagged as high priority. Nine additional bird species have been relegated to a Species of Potential Conservation Need list, while eight species have been deemed no longer in need of conservation efforts.

Birds continue to appear on the list in such disturbing numbers for many reasons, experts say. Habitat degradation is a major one, said Amanda Rodewald, director of conservation science for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Loss of state forestland, shrubland and grassland habitats pose a large threat to bird populations. Changes to mowing and haying practices also are having an impact.

“People are haying and mowing more frequently, so the birds aren’t able to successfully raise their young in time,” she said.

Climate change is another factor some scientists say is affecting bird populations.

“A couple species of note would be Carolina wren, which seems to be sticking around more winters than ever before, and the yellow-bellied sapsucker appears to be expanding its winter range, possibly attributable to global warming,” said Craig Thompson, a volunteer educator with the Audubon Society of the Capital Region.

Birds face more challenges than other species because they cover so much ground, said Joe Racette, state wildlife action plan coordinator for the DEC.

“Because of their migratory nature and the fact that they use a variety of habitats throughout their seasonal migrations, it exposes them to more threats than you might have for some of the species that don’t travel as far,” he explained.

Many migratory birds that breed in New York state have wintering grounds in places like South America, where habitats are also being lost.

Birds including the cerulean warbler — featured on the Species of Greatest Conservation Need list — winter in South American shade coffee plantations, where overstory trees are being cut down as farmers turn to a different growing method.

“They’re losing a lot of their winter habitat, and that’s going to affect their populations here,” said Rodewald. “So when we’re looking at these species of conservation need in New York, even though maybe it’s easiest to impact them and support their conservation with conservation actions in New York, or just thinking about what’s happening here, we really need to think across the full life cycle, which means we have to think about what’s happening in Central and South America and the Caribbean.”

Another reason so many birds made the Species of Greatest Conservation Need list is because scientists have more information about bird populations than they do about other animal populations, thanks in part to bird counts that have been conducted over the years, said Racette.

Saving bird populations isn’t something that should be left solely to professional conservationists. Citizen volunteers can play a major part. One way to help is to participate in The Great Backyard Bird Count, which kicks off today and runs through Monday. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes on one or more days and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

The data collected will be added to eBird, which Rodewald said is the fastest growing biodiversity database in the world. Volunteer bird counters can add data to eBird year-round by visiting www.ebird.org.

“Right now, with eBird, we can model and understand the distribution of species, how their numbers are changing over the years. We can identify where are the most important places and the most important times. It’s being used to help prioritize conservation for different federal agencies, for nonprofits like The Nature Conservancy, and it’s being used for a variety of scientific research,” she said.

There are additional ways the public can help protect birds. Rodewald suggested:

• Buy bird-friendly or shade-grown coffee, to help support conservation of birds’ wintering grounds.

• Keep cats indoors.

• Put up decals or find other ways to alert birds to window locations, so they won’t fly into them.

Thompson suggested working to reduce the prevalence of invasive, non-native plants, which choke out birds’ natural food sources and habitat. Reducing pesticide use can also help bird populations, he said.

Racette encouraged citizens to join a local conservation effort.

“Remain informed about the current issues and how they may be impacting our environment, and if you feel there is an issue of concern, then by all means you should communicate that concern to your elected officials,” he said.

There is some good news for New York state birds: Rodewald said there are now international efforts underway to try to understand the causes of the decline in some of the species on the Species of Greatest Conservation Need list, and what can be done about them.

There are some populations of birds that are improving, including the bald eagle.

“The population in New York is actually increasing, but we still have them listed on our endangered and threatened species list and we’re still monitoring the population to ensure that it continues to recover from its previous depletion,” Racette said.

Categories: News, Schenectady County