BIRD CONSERVATION NETWORK FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 17, 2015 Birds of Concern Chicago Wilderness Region bird species needing help
The Bird Conservation Network (BCN) announces the release of a completely updated Birds of Concern list and brochure, available both online and at many public locations. This resource was made possible thanks to funding provided by a Wildlife Preservation Fund Grant from the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources.
Why is the BOC list needed? Management action is needed for a number of species breeding in the midst of the densely populated but ecologically diverse landscape that is the Chicago Wilderness Region. The updated Birds of Concern names 59 breeding species, like this iconic Red-headed Woodpecker, once common around Chicago, now found in only a small fraction of its former haunts.
The BOC list also identifies 38 migratory species, all declining within their range. These migrants need high quality stopover habitat in the CW region. It is critical to their long term survival.
The news is not all bad! BCN’s 2014 report on Population Trends - Breeding Birds of the Chicago Region 1999-2012, indicated that about half of our breeding species show stable to increasing populations, due to effective and ongoing management. Birds like Eastern Bluebirds and Orchard Orioles, grassland species like Henslow’s Sparrows, are all bucking their national decline by increasing here in the CW region. The BOC list points to the need to expand our management activities to other habitats and other species, so we can add to that success
How was the list developed? The BOC list is based on the BCN Trends data, correlated with information from the following regional and national sources: The Partners in Flight Species Assessment Database, The Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Region Joint Venture’s Shorebird Habitat Conservation Strategy and Waterfowl Habitat Conservation Strategy, Upper Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes Waterbird Conservation Plan and Endangered and Threatened species lists from the responsible agencies in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. BIRD CONSERVATION NETWORK FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 17, 2015
What do the experts say? Scott Meister, Ecology Coordinator, DuPage County Forest Preserve District, on the local focus of the BOC list: “While similar lists created by agencies representing larger geographic areas are valuable, the BOC list clearly identifies regional urgencies. Local partners can now focus and prioritize efforts which may provide valuable results that make a regional difference."
Dr. Mike Ward, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois and Scientist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, specialist in the population dynamics and behavior of birds, describes his view of the migratory species component of the BOC list: “The CW region is not only home to many birds – it also serves as a way point for many migratory species. Dozens of species winter in Latin America, South America, or the Caribbean, travelling through the Region on migration to their northern breeding grounds. The new BOC list from BCN highlights species in which the region is likely an important stopover area. Inclusion of these migratory species is important! Many are experiencing large population declines, due to habitat loss and obstacles along their migratory route.”
Michael J. Parr, Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer, American Bird Conservancy, has these comments: “Once again, the Bird Conservation Network demonstrates leadership in bird conservation with this extremely useful and well presented data product. While there is cause for celebration in the positive trends of species such as Henslow’s Sparrow and Dickcissel, there are still species that are not doing so well, reflecting - and reinforcing - broader trends we see elsewhere. The analysis contained in the BOC list can be a model for other regional approaches that can inform local conservation actions, and ultimately impact bird conservation at a national scale.”
How can the BOC List be used? The CW Region’s land managers, researchers, conservation organizations and concerned bird conservation advocates can use this list to prioritize species for attention and management. Imaginative action plans based on this list may take many forms – large scale understory plantings in the Region’s oak woodlands; encouraging bird safe buildings, both commercial and residential; constructing Chimney Swift roosting towers – are just some examples of the possibilities, large and small.
For additional information, contact: Bob Fisher, [email protected] (630-985-2956); BCN Communications Chair Judy Pollock, [email protected](847-962-7868); BCN Survey Coordinator Doug Stotz, [email protected](312-665-7438); Senior Conservation Ecologist, Field Museum of Natural History
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BCN is a coalition of 20+ organizations (bird clubs, Audubon chapters, ornithological societies and conservation organizations) primarily in the Chicago area, but also throughout Illinois, whose mission is the conservation of birds and the habitats they need to survive.