Bird Studies
Canada (BSC) has published a new report that highlights the global
significance of the boreal forest for breeding birds. The report,
entitled "North America's Bird Nursery: The Boreal Forest and Its
Global Responsibility Toward Sustaining Bird Populations," was
written by Peter Blancher (Bird Studies Canada) and Jeffrey Wells
(Boreal Songbird Initiative). The report quantifies the abundance of
birds that breed in North America's vast boreal forest (1.6 billion
landbirds, 26 million waterfowl, 14 million waterbirds, and 7 million
shorebirds), as well as the diversity of species (c. 300 species breed
in the boreal's forests, thickets and wetlands). While many of these
species are abundant, a number are declining in population and of
conservation concern. The report, commissioned by the Canadian Boreal
Initiative and the U.S.-based Boreal Songbird Initiative, concludes that
the boreal forest of northern Canada and Alaska is the hemisphere's most
important bird 'nursery,' providing habitat to species that winter as
far south as Central and South America.
To download a copy of the
report click here
(1.6 Mb).
