Birds on the Brink was originally published in the BFEC Newsletter, Vol. 13/No. 1, Winter 2009.
During the summer of 2007, Brown Family Environmental Center intern Ben Warner tramped through every corner of the BFEC’s 400 acre preserve in search of birds. Supported by the Jordan Professorship, the internship aimed to accomplish what most of us would consider a tall order: conduct a “Breeding Bird Survey” identifying every pair of birds nesting and raising young.
With exceptional skill, Ben found six hundred breeding birds representing seventy-six species. This information will become a part of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas, organized by Ohio State University and Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources. The Audubon Society also collects regional survey information, with the goal of determining how birds are fairing.
Unfortunately, some of the news is not good. Audubon has documented over 200 species of national conservation concern in their Watch List 2007. These birds are designated as either “yellow,” meaning they are declining or rare, or “red,” indicating imminent danger of extinction.
Three of the species listed on the Audubon’s yellow list were found nesting at the BFEC during our survey: the prothonotary warbler, cerulean warbler and red-headed woodpecker. The biggest issue facing all three species is loss of habitat. So what makes the BFEC preserve a good home for them?
For the red-headed woodpecker, it’s our policy of allowing dead trees to remain standing until they fall in their own time. This may seem insignificant until one considers that these “snags” are where woodpeckers bore nesting sites and dig for insects. Decline in forested habitat and removal of snags in the forests that remain has driven this species’ population down 50% since 1966.
Red-headed woodpeckers are easily identified by white wing patches and their (not surprisingly) completely red heads. Other woodpeckers often have some red patches on their heads, but not to this extent. They eat a wide variety of foods, and are one of the best woodpeckers at catching insects in flight. This means that in addition to large patches of forest, they need adjacent open spaces for catching insects.
Warblers are notorious for giving bird watchers a stiff neck because they nest and feed on insects in the upper reaches of mature forest canopies. This is particularly true of the cerulean warbler, which is a beautiful, distinctive blue color. Once common, it is now one of the most steeply declining warblers, having lost about 4.5 percent of its population per year over the last forty years.
Habitat has been lost in both its winter range in South America due to agricultural expansion, and here in its summer breeding range where it requires large tracts of mature forest. Luckily, places like the BFEC preserve still provide suitable breeding habitat.
The prothonotary warbler likewise requires large tracts of mature forest, though it prefers them next to swamps or rivers. This brilliant yellow bird also requires snags as one of the only warbler species that nests in tree cavities. It makes use of abandoned woodpecker holes (as do many other birds such as bluebirds and chickadees), but can also excavate its own cavity in soft wood.
The prothonotary warbler migrates to Central and South America, flying mostly at night on a route that sometimes takes it directly over the Gulf of Mexico. Its decline is tied heavily to the depletion of wintering habitat in mangrove forests, though loss of mature swamp or river bottom woodlands in our area also has reduced its summer breeding habitat.
BFEC land abutting the Kokosing River and its tributary, Wolf Run, provides perfect breeding grounds for prothonotary warblers. Our preserve in itself, however, would not be enough to sustain any of the species listed here. In our Ohio landscape, with its many homes and farms, it’s important to link remaining wildlife habitats together.
Luckily, there are many organizations in Knox County working towards that end. The BFEC preserve abuts two other notable wildlife areas: Wolf Run Regional Park (operated by the Knox County Park District) and the forested corridor along the Kokosing River and Kokosing Gap Trail. Visitors who head west along the Gap Trail from the BFEC (towards Mt. Vernon) can find dozens of species of song birds and warblers, especially during spring migration.
One of the ways that Knox County residents are getting involved is by taking part in the BFEC’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The CBC is a national event organized by the Audubon Society, with local groups working with volunteers all over the country to monitor bird populations. Collecting this kind of information enables scientists to pinpoint conservation needs and create policy. Last month, the BFEC held its seventh annual CBC, with thirty volunteers counting 600 birds representing 65 species.
There are a lot other things you can do for the birds, many of which start at home and are good for people too:
* Limit global climate change by turning off the lights or insulating your hot water heater (with a blanket available at hardware stores).
* Promote conservation of local habitat and sound environmental and farming policy through voting and being active in government.
* Get involved with organizations that conserve habitat in our area. In Knox County, check out the Owl Creek Conservancy or the Knox County Park District.
* Support birds at home by installing plants that provide food (such as Serviceberry) and sticking with native species whenever possible. Visit the BFEC Wildlife Garden for ideas and ask us for more information.