Hemispheric Conservation Plan for Bicknell’s Thrush
The International Bicknell’s Thrush Conservation Group (IBTCG) has unveiled a plan to protect one of North America’s most rare and vulnerable songbirds, the Bicknell’s Thrush, across its entire range from Canada to the Caribbean.
A Conservation Action Plan for Bicknell’s Thrush proposes to increase the global population of Bicknell’s Thrush by 25% over the next 50 years, mostly by preventing further loss of the bird’s breeding and wintering habitats. The principal agencies and organizations involved in developing the plan include U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, and Bird Studies Canada in close collaboration with Canadian government and non-government partners.
Visit the IBTCG website to view the full conservation plan and trilingual, non-technical summaries.
Bicknell’s Thrush research in Atlantic Canada
Study of the Bicknell’s Thrush is conducted as part of the Atlantic Canada – High Elevation Landbird Program
Bicknell’s Thrush is an extremely secretive and elusive bird that breeds and lives at high elevations, and occasionally in coastal environments. It breeds in scrubby boreal forest, usually among stunted stands of balsam fir and spruce. The breeding range of the Bicknell’s Thrush extends from New York and Connecticut to the Gaspé Peninsula and the highlands of New Brunswick and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The Bicknell’s Thrush has a beautiful, yet remarkably subtle song that is often the only indication that a bird is present. Interestingly, both males and females of this species are known to sing.
The Bicknell’s Thrush is threatened by development and human disturbance because of its specialized habitat requirements. Breeding individuals are known to abandon their nests as a result of even the most miniscule disturbance. Forest habitat loss as a result of cell tower or ski hill development, or logging, can have a serious impact on this species. Because the Bicknell’s Thrush is so susceptible to disturbance and habitat alteration, and because very little is known about its population size and distribution, it was recently classified as a ‘Species of Special Concern’ by COSEWIC.
Listen to samples of the Bicknell’s Thrush songs and calls
Source: Bird Studies Canada