BIRDCONSERVATION The Magazine of American Conservancy SPRING 2019 BIRD’S EYE VIEW

ABC is dedicated to conserving and ABC at 25: Looking Back, Looking Ahead their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results n November, ABC begins its 25th fire-impacted landscapes. Efforts to and working in partnership, we take anniversary year. As we head stem and mitigate climate change on the greatest problems facing birds toward this milestone, I want to are also critical. Since forests can I today, innovating and building on recognize the enormous contribu- sequester huge amounts of carbon, rapid advancements in science to halt tions of the many supporters, part- one important way we can do this is extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate ners, and Board and staff members to restore forests in Latin America, threats, and build capacity for bird Spring 2019 who have made ABC such a great where many of our breeding birds conservation. organization. winter and forest cover is declining. abcbirds.org Paramount are ABC’s founders, ABC will continue to work with BIRDCONSERVATION George and Rita Fenwick. The partners to expand our international A copy of the current financial statement and vision and amazing results they reserve network (see p. 16), and registration filed by the organization may be generated will have permanent to help manage land better for obtained by contacting: ABC, P.O. Box 249, The Plains, VA 20198. 540-253-5780, or by Boosting Birds’ Diets benefits for all birds. ABC has also birds across the Americas through contacting the following state agencies: 10 been blessed with terrific volunteer BirdScapes, in conjunction with our Florida: Division of Consumer Services,

in Forests, Grasslands, G rasshopper by Ned Napa, Shutterstock Joint Venture partners and others. toll-free number within the state: leadership — from our first Chair, 800-435-7352. the late Howard Brokaw; subsequent We will also make new innovations Maryland: For the cost of copies and postage: and Oceans chairs Ken Berlin, Jim Brumm, and in conservation — for example, Office of the Secretary of State, Statehouse, Annapolis, MD 21401. Warren Cooke; to our current Chair, Twenty-five years from by attracting private investment New Jersey: Attorney General, State Larry Selzer. ABC has developed to support habitat restoration, of New Jersey: 201-504-6259. 16 ABC Reserves Reach enormously under their guidance, now, we need the and developing the technology New York: Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, and we are extremely grateful to situation to be better, and collaborations to solve critical 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. a Million-Acre Milestone them and all of our Board members, threats to birds including pesticides, Pennsylvania: Department of State, toll-free number within the state: individual donors, foundation not worse, for birds. cat predation, glass collisions, and 800-732-0999. supporters, conservation and agency light pollution. Virginia: State Division of Consumer Affairs, 24 A Reserve Snapshot, partners, and everyone who has lent Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Birds are symbolic of nature as a P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209. to Andean Tapirs a hand along the way. Thank you! Many of our birds spend more West Virginia: Secretary of State, State Capitol, time outside the country than whole. When they are doing poorly, Charleston, WV 25305. Despite our progress, the task that they do here, yet the amount of we know that nature is out of Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by any state. lies ahead is greater still, and we money spent to conserve habitat balance. Twenty-five years from now, 26 Camera Traps and Web Cams: must now focus on what we need to internationally is a fraction of that we need the situation to be better, Bird Conservation is the magazine of ABC and do over the next 25 years if we are spent in the United States. We need not worse, for birds. The challenges is published three times yearly for members. Eyes on Wildlife to effectively counter both the cur- to address this, and also ensure ahead are many, but conservation Senior Editor: Howard Youth VP of Communications: Clare Nielsen rent and emerging threats to birds. endangered species funding is success always starts with a few Graphic Design: Gemma Radko focused on species needing it most, people who really care, then move it Unfortunately, new analysis of bird Contributors: Mark Cheater, Aditi Desai, DEPARTMENTS such as Hawaiian honeycreepers forward. Let’s make it so. Chris Farmer, Jane Fitzgerald, Holly Goyert, population trends shows that North (see p. 4). Steve Holmer, Daniel J. Lebbin, Conor America has lost a significant por- Marshall, Jack Morrison, Merrie Morrison, Hannah Nevins, Michael J. Parr, Grant 2 Bird’s Eye View tion of its birds, and climate change Among many habitat priorities, Sizemore, David Wiedenfeld, Wendy Willis is likely to compound the threats we need to change how we farm 4 On the Wire causing these declines. The bird so that we reduce pesticide and For more information contact: community must pull together to herbicide use, and also re-create American Bird Conservancy 8 Birds in Brief advocate for a much more signifi- 4249 Loudoun Avenue, P.O. Box 249 more diverse forest ecosystems, The Plains, VA 20198 cant push to recover overall bird both in the East and the West. This 540-253-5780 • [email protected] 30 Final Glimpse populations. won’t just help birds, but also entire Michael J. Parr, President ecosystems and communities in Find us on social! The glorious colors of the endemic Green-headed Tanager can be spotted at several ABC reserves in Brazil. Photo by Rafael Martos Martins, Shutterstock

TOP: ‘I‘iwi by Warren Cooke TOP: A Blue-winged Warbler holds on tight COVER: Long-whiskered Owlet, a Peruvian endemic that may be seen at the Abra Patricia Reserve. to a caterpillar meal. Photo by edk7, Flickr Photo by All Canada Photos, Alamy Stock Photo BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 3

ON the WIRE Great Curassow by KrzysztofWiktor, Shutterstock Free of Hunting, Iconic Birds Thrive in Cautious Hope for Hawai’i’s Palila by Robby Kohley Regenerating Costa Rican Forest Seed-eating Honeycreeper n Costa Rica, increasingly rare The researchers reported in the Great Curassows and Great journal The Condor in October 2018: he Palila is a slow-breeding, highly localized song- ITinamous show more resiliency “Our work suggests that secondary bird that may not produce young every year. Based than expected. These large birds are forests can offer valuable comple- Ton recently released analysis of the 2018 annual among the first species to disappear mentary habitat to assist in the survey, the wild population was down to approximately when human settlement encroaches recovery of these declining species, 1,000 birds. in large, forested areas, and many at least when hunting is controlled believed that they only lived in old- and intact forests are nearby.” In early February, dozens of volunteers again gathered, growth, primary forest. this time for the 2019 Palila survey, aiming to determine Although they occur from the current population while re-assessing forest health. From May to August 2017, a team southeastern Mexico to northern Results will be finalized in mid-2020, but observers report of eight biologists gathered video South America, both the curassow that many more Palila were detected this year. footage from 60 camera traps they and the tinamou are heavily had installed both in primary and re- hunted and now scarce outside Today, Palila are only found high on the southwestern generating forests within a protected large protected areas and roadless slope of Mauna Kea on Hawai‘i Island, although a area on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, wilderness. Five of the study’s eight century ago, they ranged across the center of the island. along the country’s southwest coast. authors are biologists working for They formerly occurred on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i as well. ABC and the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project After analyzing footage they col- Osa Conservation, ABC’s partner For more on camera traps and in the area. ABC has helped Osa More than two-thirds of Hawai’i’s original honeycreeper work together on Palila conservation, planting more lected, the biologists found that for- bird conservation, see page 26. Conservation protect both primary species are now extinct. ABC and its partners are dedicat- than 13,000 native trees in 2018 to restore the native est age is less important to the birds’ survival than the presence or absence and secondary forests on the Osa ed to saving the remaining species, including the Palila. māmane forest; maintaining fences to keep out browsing non-native ungulates; and controlling non- of hunting. Peninsula. Yellow-headed with a smoky gray back, the Palila uses native predators to protect Palila nests, along with those its thick bill to pull off and rip open tough māmane tree of other native birds. seedpods, revealing the nutritious seeds within. These immature seeds, toxic to other creatures, constitute the Observations from the 2019 survey also indicated Endangered Roseate Terns Take a Turn for the Better vast majority of the bird’s diet. promising recovery of the forest, which bodes well for the Palila and the hope that future generations will share the he United States’ Roseate Tern population is 4,552 pairs. Fifty-one numbers remain short of the recov- Palila have been declining because sheep and goats Big Island with this unique bird. population has reached its pairs were estimated for Canada. ery target goal of 5,000 pairs. And in heavily browse their habitat, while cats eat their nestlings T highest numbers since 1987, recent decades, encouraging increas- (and adults when possible). In addition, the species’ tiny ABC is grateful to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation when it was listed as a federally The rebound is due in large part to es have been followed by reversals. range was ravaged by one of the worst droughts recorded and the Dorrance Family Foundation for their generous Endangered species. According to the successful habitat restoration and Possible causes of the decline include for the region from 2000 to 2011. support of our efforts to protect the Palila. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries predatory gull management at the climate change, sea level rise, com- & Wildlife, the 2018 estimate for birds’ three largest breeding colonies, petition for food from commercial the United States Roseate Tern located along the Atlantic coast in fishing fleets, and largely unknown Massachusetts and New York. Liv- sources of mortality in the birds’ Go Ahead and ASK ABC! ing much of their lives on the open tropical wintering range. ocean, Roseate Terns spend only a Do you have questions about wild birds and bird conservation? few months on rocky islets where A new threat is also growing: they nest. They winter off the north- Offshore wind energy development We have answers! east coast of South America and in may provide a collision or ASK ABC will be a new feature in Bird Conservation. We’ll also run ASK ABC the Caribbean. displacement hazard to the terns questions and answers on our social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and other seabirds. Such plans are Overall, this population estimate being monitored by ABC and other and Instagram (#AskABCbirds). is great news, but Roseate Tern conservation organizations. Email us your bird questions at: [email protected] and watch next issue for our first ASK ABC, which will feature selected reader Q&As. Roseate Terns by duangnapa, Shutterstock

Ruby-throated Hummingbird by 4 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 Holly Miller-Pollack, Shutterstock BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 5

ON the WIRE BRINGING BACK THE BIRDS 2018 Farm Bill a Bumper Crop of Good News for Birds Exploring Migration and Preserving Birdscapes Throughout the Americas ongress renewed the Farm other projects. Grassland birds and Bill in December. This leg- waterfowl are other beneficiaries. A new book from Cislation boosts bird conser- American Bird Conservancy vation in a big way, providing the “This Farm Bill marks a victory United States’ single-largest source of for birds and the conservation funding for conservation on private work of farmers and other private lands and securing important habitat landowners. By utilizing the RCPP, for more than 100 bird species. we can better target conservation efforts to bird species most in need,” The 2018 renewal ensures that says Steve Holmer, Vice President Western Meadowlark by Michael J. Parr conservation programs will continue of Policy for ABC. or even be expanded, as is the case This Farm Bill is also a success for with the Regional Conservation Senator Debbie Stabenow of what’s not in it: “The final agreement Partnership Program (RCPP), Michigan led efforts to increase also dropped numerous harmful which helps private landowners the RCPP and resist riders aimed at provisions affecting federal forests, design and implement voluntary rolling back protections for birds endangered species, and dangerous conservation solutions on their and their habitat. pesticides that kill millions of birds property. Through this program, each year,” adds Holmer. AN IMPRINT OF MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS Other private lands conservation ABC works with its Joint Venture programs carried forward in the 2018 The RCPP was created in the 2014 partners to create habitat for the Farm Bill include the Conservation Farm Bill. Under the 2018 bill, Golden-winged Warbler in the Reserve Program (CRP) and the RCPP funding has been increased Great Lakes region and the Cerulean Environmental Quality Incentives to $300 million per year from Warbler in Appalachia, among many Program (EQUIP). $100 million. Send the GIFT of

North Sea Wind Energy Facilities Displace Loons BIRD CONSERVATION With spring in full bloom, now is an gift membership rate of only $30. ind energy can be a 1,210-square-mile protected marine crowding them into remaining safe ideal time to gift an American Bird Your gift membership will include: conservation concern reserve in the German North Sea. areas. The consequences of this Conservancy membership to others. • A personalized card to the recipient, because of the collision displacement likely include increased W A membership is the perfect gift for acknowledging your gift. hazard turbines pose to birds and The study, published in February stress, competition for resources, neighbors and friends, teachers and bats. Based on three peer-reviewed in the Journal of Environmental and, perhaps, increased mortality. colleagues, and moms and dads! • Three issues of Bird Conservation, studies, ABC estimates that 1 million Management, determined that wind With an ABC membership, recipients our full-color magazine. turbines inside or next to the reserve “We tend to only worry about indi- birds die annually from collisions discover new birds and exciting • Our annual report highlighting displaced birds from valuable habitat, vidual collisions, but displacement with wind turbines. conservation efforts that ABC and ABC’s accomplishments for birds. can also have a long-term effect on its partners take on with the goal • New species profiles weekly But in addition to direct threats bird populations,” says Holly Goyert, of protecting all of the Western through our Bird of the Week from collision posed by turbines ABC’s Bird Smart Wind Campaign Hemisphere’s birds. and towers, wind facilities also have Director. ABC urges wind energy email series. Avid listers, backyard birders, conser- indirect impacts on the habitat companies to adopt bird-smart prac- • The knowledge that recipients are vationists, and lovers alike will available to birds. Documenting tices, such as careful study, siting, playing a part in real conservation enjoy supporting ABC programs and these dangers is challenging. Bettina monitoring, minimization, and efforts. Mendel of Kiel University, Germany, mitigation. initiatives, while learning more about and colleagues investigated how birds and how to save them. Gifting a membership is easy! Visit loons are being affected by a cluster See: abcbirds.org/program/ We’re pleased to extend our special abcbirds.org/giftmembership or of wind farms inside and around a wind-energy-and-birds/ use the enclosed envelope. Red-throated Loon by Ashok Khosla

Indigo Bunting by Birds and Dragons, Shutterstock

6 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 7

Nesting Confirmed for Key wildlife conservation and recreation ABC Remembers David Pashley, BIRDS in BRIEF Lilacine Amazon Population initiatives. ABC applauds this victory for birds and public lands. It includes Bird Conservation Pioneer Recently split from the Red-lored permanent reauthorization of the Bird-Safe Buildings Act Amazon, the Endangered Lilacine Photo by Daniel Lebbin Land and Water Conservation n October 31, 2018, ABC’s Reintroduced Amazon is only found in the dry Fund (LWCF), which supports friend and colleague tropical forest and mangroves of U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and the protection of federal public ODavid Pashley passed away western Ecuador, where five sub- Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), along lands and waters, and reauthorizes following a long illness. A relentless populations are known. The largest with 15 other co-sponsors, reintro- the Neotropical Migratory Bird advocate for bird conservation duced the Bird-Safe Buildings Act in population occurs near the town

Piping Plovers by M. Filosa, Shutterstock Conservation Act (NMBCA), which throughout the Western Hemisphere, of Las Balsas. Patricio Reyes lives late January. This bipartisan proposal provides direct conservation support David was also a master of inclusion “We are grateful to State Parks for their there and works with ABC’s Ecua- is designed to reduce bird mortality for 386 bird species and their with an incredible ability to forge cooperation and for moving swiftly to dorian partner Fundación Jocotoco by calling for federal buildings to use migration stopover and wintering partnerships. He leaves behind a meet the requirements of the settle- (Jocotoco). He is monitoring Lilacine bird-safe building materials, design habitats in Central and South tremendous conservation legacy. ment,” says Grant Sizemore, ABC’s Amazon roosting sites, and in Febru- features, and lighting. America and the Caribbean. The Director of Invasive Species Programs. ary discovered the first four known Act also designates wilderness areas, David found his way to ABC 23 years Up to 1 billion birds a year die in nests of the species in his area. The monuments, and other public lands ago, not long after the organization collisions with buildings in the Hawai’i’s Most Populated nests were found in cavities in that will help conserve habitat for was founded. As Vice President for United States alone. A 2014 study Island Gets Seabird Surprise bototillo and kapok trees. U.S. Conservation Partnerships, birds and other wildlife. to achieve common objectives that appeared in The Condor found Lilacine Amazon by Michael Moens he helped greatly broaden the Hawai’i’s two endemic seabirds, the and advance issues such as bird that the White-throated Sparrow, scope of bird conservation. For IUCN-listed Critically Endangered Hopes Rise for monitoring and state and federal Dark-eyed Junco, Ovenbird, and example, he worked tirelessly on Newell’s Shearwater and Endangered Bahama Oriole funding (see partnersinflight.org Song Sparrow are among the birds the Joint Ventures (JVs), regional Hawaiian Petrel, were recorded in and nabci-us.org). David served most frequently killed by collisions Elevated to species status in 2011, the Oahu’s mountains after 200 years’ affiliations consisting of state and Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole as PIF’s first national coordinator with buildings, and that species of federal land-managing agencies and absence, thanks to automated acous- and played a large role in the concern are also affected, including is now confined to the Andros Islands tic recording devices strategically conservation-minded nonprofit complex within the Bahamas. Prior development of what we now the Wood Thrush, Golden-winged organizations. Originally organized placed by researchers from Pacific call the Watch List, a quantitative Warbler, Canada Warbler, Kentucky research only recorded this species Rim Conservation, an ABC partner. in the late 1980s to address declining nesting in coastal settlements, but a approach for determining which Warbler, and Painted Bunting. waterfowl’s habitat needs, today new study published in The Journal U.S. bird species are most in need In a study published in The Condor there are 22 JVs, which focus on bird Ask your members of Congress to of Caribbean in 2018, of conservation. Of course, many in February, the researchers describe species of concern in nearly all native support this bill: abcbirds.org/action/ part of a collaboration between the Watch List species migrate well south monitoring 16 Oahu sites, two of habitats, both wetland and terrestrial petition-bird-safe-buildings University of Maryland, Baltimore of the United States, and David also which registered Newell’s Shearwater, (see mbjv.org). David had an impact County and the Bahamas National helped move the bird conservation Feral Cats Relocated from or ‘A’o, calls, and another that on virtually all of the JVs but was ABC, Jocotoco, and Rainforest Trust Trust, yielded the first nesting records community into full annual life cycle recorded Hawaiian Petrel, or ‘Ua’u, instrumental in creating seven. Jones Beach State Park conservation. ABC’s Migratory Birds calls. Repeated recordings at these are working to protect key roosting inside native pine forests widespread Program is largely a result of David’s A colony of 26 feral cats was sites seem to indicate regular visits, and nest sites and will soon launch on the islands. Currently, the oriole’s Six JVs are now supported by ABC tireless advocacy for Neotropical removed from New York’s Jones renewing hope that these birds — campaigns that inform nearby com- population is estimated at fewer than staff. These JVs alone have positively migrants and PIF, and uses the Beach State Park by late December which had been considered extirpated munities about these rare birds and 300 birds. This new research, partly impacted well over 6 million acres of Watch List to guide our conservation 2018. This effort put the New York from the island — may breed, or may the need to protect them. The Loro funded by ABC, will likely help revise habitat for priority bird species. efforts throughout the Western State Office of Parks, Recreation and someday breed, again on Oahu. Parque Foundation also supports this figure upward. Historic Preservation (New York State research and educational efforts David was also central to the Hemisphere today, both inside and Parks) in full compliance with the focused on this declining parrot. development of two other outside the Joint Venture framework. settlement of ABC’s 2016 lawsuit important bird conservation Beyond his work, David was a alleging that New York State Parks Natural Resources initiatives: Partners in Flight (PIF) beloved colleague, mentor, advisor, violated the Endangered Species Act Management Act Signed and the North American Bird and friend. We at ABC are grateful by allowing a feral cat colony to put into Law Conservation Initiative (NABCI). for the time we spent with him, at risk state-Endangered and federally Today, PIF is the hemisphere’s

Passed with overwhelming bipartisan Bahama Oriole by D. Belasco and will continue to advance his Threatened Piping Plovers that nest largest bird conservation alliance, support and signed into law in work to positively shape and inform

Newell’s Shearwater by Jack Jeffrey and NABCI works to integrate in the park. The cats were trapped, March, the Natural Resources efforts of government agencies, conservation for years to come. examined by veterinarians, and Management Act advances many relocated to cat sanctuaries. conservation groups, and others

8 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 9 n a stand of trees on a snow-dusted western Maryland to restore insect-rich and hickory forests that once ridgetop, Amanda Duren is talking about bird food. dominated sites like this. IBut it’s not the relative merits of suet or sunflower seeds she’s discussing on this bracingly cold January day “Caterpillars have evolved alongside our native plants so — it’s caterpillars. that they can only eat a certain subset of host plants,” says Duren, “and White host more caterpillars than “Caterpillars are a hugely important food source for any other species of tree. Hickory is really high up there Cerulean Warblers,” says Duren, ABC’s Appalachian as well. From a bird-food perspective, we want to encour- Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) Habitat Delivery Co- age this shift back to an oak-hickory-dominated forest.” TREES TO SEAS: ordinator. Duren is referring to the sky-blue-backed songbirds that return in spring to breed in Appalachian In places like this across the country, ABC partners with forests around here. “Nestlings need protein to grow, and government agencies, other conservation groups, private caterpillars are one of the best sources of protein. They landowners, and industry representatives to ensure care- make up more than half the food brought to the nest.” fully managed habitats — and thus healthy food supplies Helping Nature — are available for birds. Duren stands next to Shannon Farrell, a private lands forester with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s This work takes on many different forms, from restoring Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Appalachian forests, to encouraging bird-friendly cattle- Feed the Birds grazing on the Great Plains, to promoting sustainable Indiana University of Pennsylvania. They are both here to check out a project on private land that will fishing practices on the high seas. While the overall help bolster caterpillar populations for the declining goal is to help declining bird species, the projects have warbler and other insectivorous forest birds, including many other benefits, aiding not only other wildlife, but the Kentucky Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Yellow- also frequently adding to local communities’ economic billed Cuckoo. Their goal: To work with the landowner bottom lines.

Caterpillar by Ziga Camernik, Shutterstock Managing for Caterpillars in Appalachian Forests

pring seems like a distant dream basically re-creating natural distur- — perhaps within a few growing sea- on the frozen, windswept bances like wildfires, windstorms, sons — this tract will host a healthier Sridgetop. In fact, the warblers and gaps caused by falling trees. population of caterpillars, and hope- Duren, Farrell, and their colleagues We’re doing what Mother Nature fully nesting and foraging sites for aim to help are wintering far away would have done over 200 years, birds currently wintering 2,000 miles in northern South America, plucking but we’re doing it faster.” The crew south of here. caterpillars from glossy leaves in for- has removed maple and birch trees, ested foothills of the . opening up the forest canopy to Cerulean Warblers prefer to nest in make room for oak and hickory seed- large tracts of mature forest, both in While the birds are away, chain- lings, which need sunlight to grow. uplands and along river valleys and saws are at play. A logging crew has stream courses. These habitats must nearly finished loading a long, staked This Cerulean Warbler conservation have a mix of tall, leafy trees and truck trailer with 12-foot logs, ready work is part of a collaborative effort sun-dappled openings in the canopy, to take to the nearby paper mill. among AMJV and ABC, Maryland’s helping the birds hide their cup- Branches, brush, and sawdust litter Department of Natural Resources, shaped nests, while providing plenty the ground, presided over by a stand Maryland Natural Resources Conser- of food. of remaining oaks, which reach into vation Service, Indiana University of the cold blue sky. Pennsylvania, and the Allegany Soil Unfortunately, history has not been By the acre or by the league, optimizing habitats Conservation District — working kind to the type of forests Ceruleans How will tree-cutting help this forest with the landowner and a local paper favor. Most old-growth Appalachian can boost birds’ diets, and local economies as well. grow? “It seems counter-intuitive to company’s logging crew. forests were cut more than two cen- use tree harvests to create old-growth turies ago, Farrell explains. Then, forest conditions, but that’s what The aftermath of the morning’s work much of the cleared land was tilled By Mark Cheater we’re doing,” says Duren. “We’re might not look pretty, but soon and turned to pasture or row crops.

10 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 Cerulean Warbler by Ray Hennessy, Shutterstock BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 11 correct,” says ABC’s Golden-winged effort will not only produce more NRCS to compensate for the value Warbler Private Lands Coordinator caterpillars for birds — the growing of the trees left behind. Kevin Sheppard. Sheppard works oaks will also provide acorns, an im- with private landowners in north- portant protein-rich food source for “There are so many benefits to do- ern Minnesota, a state that provides more than 100 other wildlife species, ing this type of management,” says breeding grounds for roughly half including Wild Turkeys and Black Duren. “The landowner sees benefits, of the remaining Golden-winged Bears. And the sustainably cut trees we see benefits not just for birds but Warbler population. will provide a valuable crop of green- all kinds of wildlife, and then the lo- backs for the landowner, who will cal economic impact of having this There are additional benefits to this get paid for the logs, but also will paper company sourcing its wood forest restoration work. Back in the receive a cost-share payment from locally in a way that’s sustainable is Maryland forest, the collaborative really important, too.”

Grasshopper by happymay, Shutterstock Giving Grassland Birds a Home on the Range

otanically diverse native a rich assortment of invertebrates, But 97 percent of our tallgrass prairie grasslands, or prairies, once including grasshoppers, beetles, spi- and 47 percent of our Great Plains Bcovered hundreds of millions ders, and ants. Once-common and native grasslands have been lost in of acres in America’s heartland. This now-declining bird species included the past two centuries. As the prairie sea of grass and forbs directly and in- the Sprague’s Pipit, Lark Bunting, vanished, so did many native food directly fed an abundance of wildlife. Baird’s Sparrow, and Chestnut- sources, and many grassland bird Enormous herds of American Bison collared Longspur, for which inver- populations. According to the North and Pronghorn antelope flourished, tebrates constitute a significant part American Bird Conservation Initia- and so did millions of nesting birds, of their diet, especially during the tive, six species of grassland-breeding The Golden-winged Warbler overlaps with the Cerulean Warbler nourished by a bounty of seeds and spring and summer breeding season. birds, including the pipit, bunting, in much of its breeding range, but nests in brush-and-thicket

habitats. There, too, robust insect populations are key. For Old Mines, New Life

lat-topped, choked with weeds, and devoid of The work to restore these sites poses many challenges: Some forests re-grew, but landowners to the south, the Cerulean Warbler plants like nonnative honeysuckles trees, old Appalachian surface mines look like the weedy plants must be removed, compacted soil must be doused wildfires that formerly creat- population dropped by about 70 and Autumn Olive from taking over Fworst possible place for forest-loving birds. But the tilled with large ‘ripping shanks’ towed by bulldozers, then ed forest gaps, cut the large oaks and percent over the past 50 years. the forest. And, over time, former Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) is taking on hundreds of oaks, chestnuts, and other native species must other commercially valuable trees, The International Union for the surface mines are being transformed the challenge of turning these wastelands into havens be planted. and unwittingly or intentionally in- Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now from something like a moonscape for warblers. AMJV, through its partner Green Forests With all the equipment and labor involved, it costs about troduced invasive exotic plants, ani- lists the species as Vulnerable, while back into forest (see sidebar p. 13). Work (GFW), is trying to restore several thousand acres $1,500 per acre to reforest an old surface mine. “It’s mals, and diseases, many of which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of this land in Kentucky and Ohio by returning it to native incredibly expensive, and that’s why people aren’t doing it spread rapidly, including devastating (USFWS) considers it a Species of At some of the same restoration sites, hardwood forest, particularly in areas where reforestation themselves,” says Schmidt. AMJV tries to work with private chestnut blight. Concern. another declining warbler benefits joins large tracts of existing forest. from boosted food supplies, only far landowners, often families that leased the land for mining Generations of these practices — In the Appalachians and in the Cen- sooner. The Golden-winged Warbler Kentucky native Kylie Schmidt is coordinating this effort decades ago and now want it restored. along with other challenges such as tral Hardwoods region, ABC and overlaps with the Cerulean in much for GFW, and for her, the work is personal. She grew up It will likely be decades before Cerulean Warblers return the deer population explosion and, its Joint Venture partners aim to of its breeding range, but nests in in coal country, frequently hiking in the woods as a to these sites. “It’s definitely a long-term approach,” says likely, climate change — resulted in a improve Cerulean Warbler habitat. brush-and-thicket early successional child. “Inevitably, I would pop up on a surface mine, Schmidt. But there are many benefits in the meantime. dramatic shift in the composition of Strategies vary by site. In some plac- habitats. There, too, robust insect and it was like stepping onto a moonscape. I Tilling and replanting native vegetation reduces erosion remaining Appalachian forests. es, fencing keeps deer from mowing populations are key. “I had one land- remember thinking, and runoff, improving water quality. The growing trees down precious hardwood seedlings. owner say, ‘Oh, you’re not managing ‘This isn’t right!’” help improve air quality and capture carbon. And the Losing both mature forests in the At other sites, herbicide applications for warblers, you’re managing for young forests benefit Golden-winged Warblers and many East and Andean wintering habitat may be necessary to keep invasive caterpillars.’ And he was 100 percent other species. — Mark Cheater Yellow-breasted Chats inhabit the shrubby early stage of forest regeneration. Photo by Tessa Nickels 12 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 Golden-winged Warbler by Eugene Koziara Sardine by Walter Bilotta, Shutterstock sparrow, and longspur, have declined who’s using cattle to control a nox- between 68 and 91 percent. ious weed, Canada Thistle,” Mandich Seafood: Saving a Third for the Birds Rotational grazing creates says. “He moves his livestock to pas- Cheryl Mandich, ABC’s Northern tures when Canada Thistle is pretty nsects and seeds are a dietary sta- hard and scraping to Plains Conservation Coordinator, is a patchwork of grass fresh, like in May, and the cattle ple for many land birds, but ma- get by with anything working with landowners to enhance will actually target it. It’s high in Irine birds dine on the fruits of the they could find,” she heights that promotes habitat for grassland birds, efforts protein.” sea. Seabirds use a variety of tactics recalls. “We saw a lot that help to optimize their food plant diversity, which in to pursue different marine prey, but of chick mortality.” options. She works with landowners Mandich says that over the past four many of these birds focus on small The researchers wit- in the Dakotas, Montana, and turn provides habitat for a years, the rancher’s new grazing prac- “forage fish” species, including an- nessed other forage fish Wyoming — the heart of grassland tices, including targeting noxious chovy, herring, sardine, and capelin. feeders struggling, in- multitude of insects. bird breeding territory. weeds, helped increase bird diversity cluding kittiwakes and on his land. “We’ve seen some birds In the same way that Cerulean fulmars. “It was doom Sometimes Mandich’s work involves Warblers rely on caterpillars, seabirds Monarch butterfly by Vladimirkarp, Shutterstock come in that I haven’t seen there be- and gloom out there.” finding funding to plant native fore, like Bobolink,” she says. — including puffins, penguins, grasses and flowers on former crop- This patchwork approach boosts auklets, and murres — depend on Nevins obviously Not only do sustainably managed land. Bringing back a mix of native overall biodiversity. “What it does, oily, protein-rich forage fish to keep can’t stop El Niño events, nor cre- fish in the ocean for seabirds and grazing lands help ensure a better plant species helps restore the birds’ especially for wildlife and grassland their chicks healthy and growing. ate more forage fish. But she can do other wildlife. “You’ve got to take a diet for birds — they also provide preferred breeding habitat and diet. birds, is give you some pastures that something about another threat to precautionary approach to fisheries better and more reliable forage for Hannah Nevins has first-hand knowl- “But native plantings [on this scale] are grazed a little heavier, some may- seabirds: overfishing. There’s a huge management where you realize that a livestock. And what benefits livestock edge of the importance of forage fish are very expensive and they take be not as much, and some that aren’t global demand for seafood products, third of the biomass is needed to sus- also benefits ranchers. to seabirds. Nevins, ABC’s Seabird two or three years to establish,” says touched,” she adds. “So you have not just for direct human consump- tain the ongoing functioning of that Mandich. “So ranchers lose those Program Director, spent two summers tion, but for products such as nutri- ecosystem and all the species that are that variety of plant structure.” “We always have to keep in mind pastures for two or three years, and on islands in the Gulf of Alaska, work- tional supplements and animal feed, dependent on it,” says Nevins. that this is their livelihood,” loss of grazing lands affects their In addition to different heights, ing with government scientists to Nevins points out. Many commercial says Mandich, who grew up in a livelihoods.” rotational grazing can also affect study the diets of Tufted and Horned fisheries target herring, anchovies, Consumers can help support “Save Michigan farming community. She the types of plants in a pasture. “If Puffins and Rhinoceros Auklets. sardines, and other forage fish upon a Third for Birds” by only buying and ABC see sustainable ranchers as So, more often, Mandich encourages a pasture is grazed very heavily year which seabirds rely. seafood with the Marine Stewardship important partners in conservation Tufted Puffins — small diving birds ranchers to practice rotational graz- after year, the cattle will go after Council’s “blue fish” label, Nevins in many open areas. “If we lose the with bright orange bills and feet, ing, moving cattle from one pasture their favorite species. So you’re going A 2011 study published in Science points out (see: msc.org). “ABC also ranchers and they sell out, you run white eye masks, and distinctive to another at different seasons to to see a reduction in plant species, looked at the connection between makes recommendations to fishers to the risk of the ranch being bought head plumes — nest in colonies create a patchwork of grass heights such as grasses and forbs. But if you forage fish abundance and seabird adopt techniques to reduce the likeli- and turned into something else,” along the North Pacific coast. In the that promotes plant diversity, which start moving livestock around, those breeding success in seven ecosys- hood that birds will accidentally be says Mandich. “Keeping the ‘green breeding season, they plunge into in turn provides habitat for a multi- species will typically come back.” tems around the world. The authors caught on lines or in nets,” she says. tude of insects. “Grasslands evolved side up’ helps to ensure we have the chilly ocean water to hunt for found that when fish numbers with bison grazing,” she points out. Cattle can also be used to target habitat for grassland birds, insects, sand lance or “sand eels,” which they dropped below one-third of their Whether it’s fish for seabirds, “Bison go in and graze an area and some of the non-native plant species and other wildlife species.” line up cross-wise in their chunky maximum, seabirds suffered. Some- grasshoppers for grassland birds, or then they move on, and they might that crowd out native grasses and bills before flying them back to their times a dangerous drop in forage fish caterpillars for forest birds, ABC and not come back for a while. And that’s provide less value to birds and other chicks. “In a good year, the chicks’ is caused by a natural event, such its partners’ bird conservation work Tallgrass prairie in Kansas; Dickcissel on fence diet will be 90 to 95 percent sand eels often enhances essential food options how these grassland birds evolved.” wildlife. “I work with a landowner in foreground. Photo by Cindy Tsutsumi as the El Niño effect that Nevins and other forage fish, and the eels witnessed. But often it is caused by for birds — wherever possible, in ways will be almost the exact same size,” overfishing, especially when fishing that benefit other wildlife and local says Nevins. occurs near seabird colonies during communities as well. In such win-win the breeding season. situations, what’s good for the birds But in a bad year, like 1997-1998, benefits us all. when El Niño-warmed waters The Science paper helped spur the wreaked havoc on the North Pacific “Save a Third for Birds” approach, Mark Cheater is a ecosystem, the staple of the puffins’ which was adopted by ABC and oth- writer, editor, and pho- diet was hard to find. “The puffins er conservation groups. When fisher- tographer who lives in were bringing back anything — ies organizations set annual quotas Greenbelt, Maryland. shrimp, octopus, tonguefish…totally for forage fish harvests, ABC urges weird stuff. They were working really them to leave at least a third of those

TOP: Chestnut-collared Longspur by William TOP: Tufted Puffin by Robin Corcoran 14 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 Leaman /Alamy Stock Photo BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 15 ore than a mile above the distant Pacific, an Woolly Monkey and the Spectacled Bear, plus a dazzling emerald mantle of cloud forest cloaks the array of orchids, tropical trees, butterflies and moths, Mundulating Andes in northern Peru. Spanning reptiles, amphibians, and much more. close to 25,000 acres of lush terrain, the Abra Patricia Reserve is one of the only places on the planet sheltering Going Where the Birds Are the diminutive Long-whiskered Owlet, the leggy Ochre- ABC’s first land protection project outside the United fronted , the orange-headed Johnson’s Tody- States was the creation of El Carricito Reserve in Mexico Flycatcher, and an all-blue hummingbird known as the in 1998. There, 24,710 acres of highland pine-oak for- Royal Sunangel. est were protected via a conservation easement with our All four species are relatively new to science, described in partner Bosque Antiguo and the Huichol indigenous the 1970s or later. Established by ABC and its Peruvian community (see site 1, p. 18). The following year, the partner ECOAN in 2005, the Abra Patricia Reserve was reserve was expanded by 922 acres. This reserve protects created to save these and other species and to protect important habitat for the Military Macaw, which IUCN watersheds vital to surrounding communities (see site lists as Vulnerable, and the Eared Quetzal. 5, p. 18). Now the reserve also an- In some cases, reserves can be small, chors ecotourism in the region, while yet play a huge role in saving a spe- providing a shining example of how Saving the rarest birds cies. In brush-covered hills in south- conservation inspired the creation of is one of ABC’s core ern Ecuador, Yunguilla Reserve is an additional protected areas among sur- island of wild habitat surrounded by rounding communities. principles — an important arid lands degraded by over-grazing Through collaboration with more part of conserving all birds goats and agriculture. Between 2004 than 30 partner organizations like and 2014, ABC helped Fundación ECOAN, ABC has protected 1,053,879 in the Americas. Jocotoco (Jocotoco) purchase eight acres of bird habitat at more than tracts here totaling 321 acres, in- 90 sites in 15 countries across the cluding some of the first acreage. Celebrating a Million-Acre Western Hemisphere. The Abra Patricia Reserve is just This land is essential to the survival of the highly local- one of these, like a sparkling gem in a glittering crown ized Pale-headed Brushfinch (see site 4, p. 18). Without of protected areas that ABC and its partners have it, this cream-and-caramel-colored songbird would have secured for birds. These sites provide homes for 2,900 no safe refuge and likely would have gone extinct. In- MILESTONE stead, today the bird’s future looks bright: The reserve bird species — including 38 percent of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red-Listed has grown to 484 acres, habitat is being restored, and Endangered and Critically Endangered species in the the brushfinch’s population is expanding beyond the As ABC approaches its 25th anniversary, Americas, including, for example, the robust and rare reserve’s boundaries. Bay-breasted Cuckoo on Hispaniola and the dazzling Abra Patricia, El Carricito, and Yunguilla are just a few we are celebrating a reserve network Seven-colored Tanager, found only in Brazil’s remaining highlights among the million acres ABC and our partners Atlantic Forest (see sites 2 and 6, p. 18). that now protects more than 1 million have protected. If you look at the map on page 19, you Saving the rarest birds is one of ABC’s core principles will see that these protected sites pepper the Americas. acres of bird habitat for many of our — an important part of conserving all birds in the But their locations are not random. In fact, it is easy to Americas. Put together, these protected lands approach quickly spot some patterns: Much of ABC’s land protec- hemisphere’s rarest species. the size of Delaware, but when it comes to dwindling tion work has been focused in regions like the Andes species, careful land selection and protection matters and eastern Brazil — areas with high concentrations of by Daniel Lebbin more than overall size. endangered and endemic birds.

The Royal Sunangel These lands are important for more than just birds. At ABC and our partners are highly strategic in finding and is known only from Abra Patricia, the umbrella provided by protecting four securing reserves. Over the years, a priority has been a handful of sites in protecting Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites — last northern Peru and uber-rare species benefits more than 200 additional bird southern Ecuador. species, as well as the Critically Endangered Yellow-tailed (continued p. 21) Photo by Carlos Calle Quispe TOP: Abra Patricia Reserve, a verdant example of how strong partnerships can protect rare birds and their habitats. Photo by Fundación ProAves BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 17 1 MEXICO El Carricito Reserve 2 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Loma Charco Azul Reserve Total Area: 25,632 acres Total Area: 43,042 acres Partner: Bosque Antiguo White-necked Jacobin by Tim Zurowski, Shutterstock Focal Species: Eared Quetzal Partner: SOH Conservación 1

Greg Homel, Natural Elements Productions Focal Species: Bay-breasted Cuckoo 2 Cesar Abrill 3 3 El Dorado Reserve 4 Total Area: 2,211 acres ECUADOR Yunguilla Reserve ABC’s Partner: Fundación ProAves Total Area: 484 acres Partner: Fundación Jocotoco Focal Species: Santa Marta Parakeet Reserve 4 Murray Cooper Focal Species: Pale-headed Brushfinch 5 Francisco Sornoza Network 6 5 PERU Abra Patricia Reserve 6 7 Total Area: 24,783 acres BRAZIL Serra do Urubu (RPPN Pedra D’Anta) Partnering to Save Partner: ECOAN Total Area: 464 acres the Western Hemisphere’s Focal Species: Long-whiskered Owlet Partner: SAVE Brasil Rarest Birds Focal Species: Seven-colored Tanager Alan Van Norman

Ciro Albano 7

BOLIVIA Barba Azul Nature Reserve site of an ABC reserve Total Area: 26,459 acres Partner: Asociación Armonía Focal Species: Blue-throated Macaw

Daniel Alarcon, Asociación Armonía

Military Macaws by Vaclav Volrab, Shutterstock

18 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 Keel-billed Toucan by buteo, Shutterstock refugia for Endangered and Critically ABC does not prefer one tactic or Endangered species with 95 percent or another, but uses the most appropri- more of their population at one site. ate methods determined by the land Ecuador’s Pale-headed Brushfinch is tenure practices where the birds are. one such example. ABC also targets Some of our partners, like Fundación many other sites where imperiled bird ProAves (ProAves) in Colombia and species are now confined to scattered Jocotoco in Ecuador, specialize in habitat fragments (rather than a single protecting private lands through site), as is the case for the Orange- land acquisition, whereas our Peru- bellied Antwren and Seven-colored vian partner ECOAN does this in ad- Tanager in the few remaining patches dition to protecting public lands and of Atlantic Forest in northeast Brazil. working with communities to help them to protect their indigenous Overall, 71 percent of the acreage ABC territory. helped to protect lies in South Amer- ica and 24 percent is in Mexico and Land tenure and protection laws Central America — reflecting critically Land tenure and vary by country, and this can pro- important real estate for rapidly de- vide both challenges and opportuni- clining, isolated bird species. Though protection laws vary by ties for conservation. Brazilian law, they make up but a small fraction of for example, provides tax incentives the total, 4,401 acres sit within the country, and this can for private landowners who protect United States at seven sites, including provide both challenges a portion of their land as permanent Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for reserves called Private Natural Heri- Hummingbirds and lands within the and opportunities for tage Reserves, or RPPNs. All of the Mark Twain National Forest in Mis- private land we buy with partners in conservation. souri. (Watch this space for a future Brazil is ultimately registered under article on millions more acres man- this designation. This also presents Kaempfer’s Woodpecker by Tulio Dernas aged, but not acquired, for birds by a huge opportunity in Brazil to work ABC and our partners.) with private landowners to protect land without buying it, or by providing financial incentives that cost less than Varied Game Plans for Bird-Rich the full price of the land. Our partner Aquasis has done Real Estate this successfully to encourage protection of habitat for Gray-breasted Parakeets. This year, we are looking into In order to protect birds where they are, we need providing financial incentives to a private landowner to multiple methods for protection at the ready. protect part of his land as an RPPN for the Kaempfer’s One option is buying land directly. Challenges can in- Woodpecker, which was rediscovered in central Brazil in clude tricky negotiations. Landowner price expectations 2006, 80 years after the first confirmed bird was collected. vary widely, and landowners can change their minds. By working in partnership with the local organization In- While sellers frequently want to settle quickly, it can stituto Araguaia, we have more confidence that the forest take six months or more for ABC to acquire the necessary protected within the RPPN will not only be respected, but funds from multiple donors to seal a deal. will also be monitored as part of a larger wildlife conser- vation project in the area. Although 79 percent of individual land tracts ABC has helped protect were purchased, the majority of the acre- Sometimes multiple methods of land protection are age we protect — 78 percent — was not acquired, but needed to build a single reserve. This is what happened at rather protected via easements, conservation conces- Peru’s Abra Patricia Reserve. ABC and ECOAN protected sions, or other legal means without our partners owning a total of 24,783 acres at Abra Patricia between 2007 and the land. 2018 through a complex arrangement of 42 private land acquisitions and the creation of an additional 40-year The Endangered Gold-ringed Tanager and some 250 other bird species conservation concession on neighboring public lands. find refuge at the Tangaras Reserve, established in 2009 by ABC and Colombian partner Fundación ProAves. Photo by Christopher Becerra, Shutterstock 20 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 21 Many, but not yet all, of the private lands acquired Ensuring That Reserves Protect Birds Other income-generating enterprises under development conservation action that prevented these forests from have already been registered as a Private Conservation include sustainable cattle ranching at Barba Azul Nature succumbing to an expanding agricultural frontier, the Sustaining and managing reserves is a long-term under- Area (PCA) within the system of national protected Reserve in Bolivia. In this stunning savanna dotted with future looks bright for these species. They have emerged taking. Declaring a reserve is just the beginning of this areas in Peru. palm islands, ABC and our partner Asociación Armonía from obscurity to regularly delight visiting birders, who commitment. To ensure reserves are more than just lines (Armonía) protect the Critically Endangered Blue-throated contribute to the reserve’s upkeep by staying at Owlet on a map, guards and land managers must be hired and Abra Patricia was a great step forward for conservation Macaw and myriad other wildlife (see site 7, p. 18). Lodge and walking the reserve’s forested trails. in northern Peru and has since become a springboard well-trained. These staff deter poachers, settlers, and other trespassers who may want to remove timber, clear to protect much more. Funds spent by ABC and ECOAN Bird-fueled Conservation ABC and our partners are proud of the habitats we pro- protecting lands there helped ABC to raise additional vegetation, or hunt wildlife. tect for birds and are enormously grateful to all of the funding for conservation projects with neighboring com- Back in Peru, Abra Patricia is a great example of how a supporters and donors who helped achieve our million- They also maintain trails and nest boxes, monitor wildlife munities. ECOAN has planted more than 1 million trees birding lodge can help generate funds to pay for man- acre milestone. Together, we keep working hard to locate populations, and work with neighboring communities and shade-coffee bushes in northern Peru inside or near agement. ABC worked with ECOAN to build the Owlet and protect prime habitats for dwindling bird species. so the reserves’ purpose and value are understood and re- Abra Patricia with funding mostly secured through the Lodge and a research center; accommodation fees paid spected. Some reserves require even more active manage- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird by visitors support the reserve. Today, visitors to the ment, including habitat restoration, fire control, or other Daniel Lebbin is ABC’s Vice President of Conservation Act grant program, which requires three 12-room lodge enjoy a network of trails, hummingbird interventions to help the birds that live there thrive or Threatened Species. dollars in non-federal funding to match every dollar feeders, and a canopy tower. The lodge and its reserve, recover from past threats. In turn, on-site staff need hous- this program provides. Consequently, this engagement in turn, are a key stop along the Northern Peru Birding ing, appliances, equipment, and in some cases, vehicles. inspired participating communities to create their own Route and have inspired others in the region to conserve habitat and set up feeding stations for hummingbirds reserves and register these as PCAs. (The area is winter Ongoing management of protected lands costs money. and wood-quail, as well as observation towers and other home to species such as Canada and Blackburnian ABC works with our partners to ensure sustainability and amenities for birders. Owlet Lodge now earns enough Warblers and Swainson’s Thrush.) management of protected lands, and to strengthen our through tourism to cover ECOAN’s costs to manage the partner institutions themselves. In a growing number of ABC is grateful to the many donors who have In 2018, ABC and ECOAN celebrated the approval of two reserve, making Abra Patricia one of the best examples provided major support to our reserves, including: cases, we are working with partners to develop innova- new PCAs close to Abra Patricia, totaling 46,272 acres in our network of a self-sufficient reserve. tive ways for reserves to generate income to pay for man- — almost twice the area of the Abra Patricia Reserve and Anonymous (3) • Amazon Conservation Association • Amos Butler agement. For example, ABC is grateful to many donors Audubon • Beneficia Foundation • BirdLife International • blue moon protecting many of the same endangered birds. ABC is Beyond staffing and sustainability, we rely on who have supported us, enabling us and our partners to fund • Kathleen Burger and Glen Gerada • Conservation International now fundraising to support management of these new community support to protect our reserves and their build birding lodges and research stations at our reserves. • Warren and Cathy Cooke • David and Patricia Davidson • Disney conservation areas to sustain these successes. birds. Being a good neighbor is an ABC priority, and by Worldwide Conservation Fund • Richard and Nancy Eales • The reaching out to nearby communities, we gain increased Moses Feldman Family Foundation • Regina B. Frankenberg public support of these special places, and more eyes on Foundation • Jonathan Franzen • Robert Giles and Ana Contreras the ground. For instance, several years ago, a bulldozer New to science in 1976, the Ochre-fronted Antpitta now thrills • Global Conservation Fund • David Harrison and Joyce Millen birders at Abra Patricia Reserve. Photo by Carlos Calle Quispe was discovered testing the boundaries of the El Dorado • Joan Hero • Inter-American Development Bank • IUCN National Reserve, which is managed by ABC’s partner ProAves Committee of The Netherlands • Jeniam Foundation • Catherine C. in Colombia (see site 3, p. 18). The local community Ledec • Jim Macaleer • MacArthur Foundation • Noel Mann • March and police from the nearby town of Minca came to the Conservation Fund • The Marshall-Reynolds Foundation • Missouri assistance of ProAves to help stop this incursion. And Department of Conservation • Elisha Mitchell Audubon • Mitsubishi in Bolivia, ABC and Armonía established a regional Corporation Foundation for the Americas • Leo Model Foundation awareness campaign that helped curb illegal trade in the • Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation • John V. Moore • National endemic and Critically Endangered Red-fronted Macaw, Fish and Wildlife Foundation • New Venture Fund • Benjamin which travels between protected nesting sites and un- Olewine • Osa Conservation • The Frank E. and Seba P. Payne Foundation • Quick Response Fund for Nature at RESOLVE protected foraging areas. • Rainforest Trust • Southern Wings • Jennifer Speers • Swarovski Optik • Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency • Larry Thompson From the Shadows to a Bright Future • Tropical Forest Forever Fund at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Birds threatened by habitat loss can be protected into • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Weeden Foundation • Western the future by reserves large and small. Think back to the Alliance for Nature • The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust misty wilderness of Abra Patricia, where until the 1970s, • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources • Constance and Jeff Woodman • World Land Trust • World Land Trust - US four of the endemic species the reserve protects — the • The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund owlet, the antpitta, the tody-flycatcher, and the sunan- gel — remained unknown to science. Thanks to timely

22 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 23 One Snapshot of the Million-Acre Network TAPICHALACA RESERVE As our small group carefully navigated the slippery, winding trail through the misty forest, all sorts of avian treasures appeared from the shadows: Grass-green Tanager, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, White-throated Quail-Dove….

ECUADOR Finally, the park guards guiding us stopped at a point in the trail. One opened a tin, pulling out a few earthworms, which he then dropped on the side of the trail. We settled in to wait for the star of the show.

Within seconds, an ash-colored Chestnut-naped Antpitta slipped out of the dense PERU undergrowth and began to gobble worms. Then as fast as it appeared, it vanished, replaced by a larger bird that bounded into view on long blue-gray legs. Black crown, rusty eye, bold white “moustache” — the Jocotoco Antpitta! What a thrill to see so easily this large, secretive, and super-rare bird, and on the same trail where it was discovered just 22 years ago!

— Gemma Radko, ABC Communications and Media Manager

he 1997 discovery of the Jocotoco Antpitta Other Wildlife: The reserve is part of an important sparked a series of events that would forever corridor for populations of Andean Tapir, Spectacled T change conservation in Ecuador. Ten months Bear, Puma, Andean Coati, and a large, spotted, nub- after the sighting, ABC’s Ecuadorian partner Fundación tailed rodent called the Mountain Paca. Jocotoco (Jocotoco) was founded and the Tapichalaca Reserve created to protect this and many other globally Amenities: The reserve has a comfortable lodge, called threatened birds. Now, birders enjoy visiting the antpittas Casa Simpson, which sits a short hike from trails and their habitat, while helping to support further leading to antpittas, parakeets, and mixed feeding flocks protections here and elsewhere. including many tanagers.

Overview: Tapichalaca is situated in the Andes a bit Support: The 1997 discovery of the Jocotoco Antpitta east of the Continental Divide. It adjoins the southern sparked the creation of both the reserve and Fundación extremity of Podocarpus National Park and sits just north Jocotoco itself, which now administers 12 reserves of the Peruvian border, making it an integral part of a around the country. ABC worked with Jocotoco to significant conservation corridor in southern Ecuador. purchase 2,754 of the reserve’s 8,305 acres and has also This cloud forest reserve ranges in altitude from 6,500 supported tourism, management, parakeet nest boxes, to 11,000 feet. Over 16 feet of rain falls annually in this and reforestation on degraded lands at this reserve. zone, compared to a typical 6.5 feet in Ecuador’s lowland Insider Tips: Bring rain gear; you will be very lucky if it Amazon forest. doesn’t rain. And, of course, get up early: Each morning Birds: This is the only place in the world where birders at 6 a.m., the Jocotoco Antpitta reveals itself, hopping can expect to see the Jocotoco Antpitta. Among the other into view from the dense foliage to snap up worms placed rare, range-restricted species found here: the Bearded on the ground by a guard. Guan, Golden-plumed Parakeet, and White-necked To visit Tapichalaca, contact JocoTours: Parakeet. Additional birds of interest include the Rufous- [email protected] capped Thornbill, Ocellated , and Masked Mountain-Tanager. To read more: Visit conservationbirding.org and search Tapichalaca

Adult and immature Jocotoco Antpittas by 24 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 Greg Homel, Natural Elements Productions BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 25 NEW EYES on WILDLIFE

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3 4 A camera trap rigged by a flourished on a parent-supplied diet of 13-year-old at his Nicaragua home 2 captured this bird’s-eye view of a A team of British and Peruvian sci- howler and squirrel monkeys, sloths, 1 Great Kiskadee visiting a bird bath. 1 entists documenting the unique flora and other prey. and fauna of Peru’s Cerros del Sira Photo by Rainforest Expeditions Resident from southern Texas to by Howard Youth range relied upon 22 carefully placed central Argentina, this boldly colored camera traps to find skittish species, 3 Even though it looks like a gaudy flycatcher catches the attention of including the first-ever camera-trap jungle roadrunner, the Rufous-vented birders and non-birders alike. Camera Traps and Web Cams Reveal Wildlife Secrets footage of the Critically Endangered, Ground-Cuckoo is very hard to find Camera traps provide backyard 3-foot-tall Sira Curassow in 2015. and poorly known. Enter a camera naturalists the chance, day or night, ueled by curiosity and a can-do attitude, former U.S. Congressman George Shiras rigged a ABC supported Exploration Sira, pro- trap, set up in the Peruvian Amazon to record sightings of birds and other viding funding for field equipment by Renzo Piana of the Amazon camera and explosive magnesium-powder flash to string and rope trip lines, capturing what’s wildlife neighbors they otherwise and other expedition costs. Conservation Association and his might miss. likely the first-ever remote-activated wildlife photos. This breakthrough occurred in the early colleagues. F Photo by Exploration Sira Photo by Thomas Youth 1900s. Today, tiny infrared motion sensors, compact flashes, and digital technology allow modern This image is part of a series that 2 The first-ever Harpy Eagle Cam documents — for the first time — this camera traps to keep an unblinking eye on shy wildlife. Video camera technology is also advanced 5 A feral cat drags an adult Hawaiian in 2017 transmitted rare footage species following a Collared Peccary. Petrel from its nest burrow. Cats are and miniaturized. from a camera rigged 90 feet up in a (Ground-cuckoos were already known a persistent threat to this and other massive rainforest tree. Put online by to follow White-lipped Peccaries, rare, slowly reproducing seabirds. Producing both stills and video, day or night, camera traps are now essential equipment for Rainforest Expeditions and the focus which travel in larger herds.) ABC and its partners in Hawai’i rely of a nesting behavior study by San conservationists monitoring — or trying to locate — rare, elusive species. They’re also handy all-seeing This large cuckoo tails peccaries as upon camera traps to alert them to Diego Zoo Global and Wired Amazon, they root around on the forest floor, the presence of introduced predators, eyes that catch poachers or marauding introduced predators in action. Readily available and inexpensive, it followed the progress of a Harpy stirring up insects and other small including cats, rats, and mongooses. Eagle nest at Tambopata, Peru. camera traps also thrill backyard wildlife aficionados, while web cams bring wildlife to the masses. creatures, as well as fallen fruits. Such footage helps them to site From late June to December, a downy The bird’s alarm calls possibly alert locations for active management, On these pages, we share but a few examples of the wildlife secrets revealed by these versatile, white hatchling gradually transformed peccaries to predators. knowing, for example, where to install into a full-sized immature bird, taking predator-free enclosures. quickly improving cameras. Photo by Amazon her first flights from the nest. She Photo by Kaua'i Endangered Seabird Conservation Association Recovery Project

26 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 27 6 “Atlantic Puffins like you’ve never 7 Known in Spanish as oso 8 The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Maryland’s Eastern Shore without 11 At the Tucson Audubon Society’s seen them” might be a tagline for hormiguero gigante, or giant ant Canopy Family, and explore.org stressing the birds. By posting the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in this web cam, which takes viewers to bear, the Giant Anteater roams both maintain a web cam at the Canopy herons’ private nest life online, the southeastern Arizona, birders flock Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge grassland and forest, flicking its Lodge in Panama, where viewers Chesapeake Conservancy hopes to to one of North America’s top places in Maine, directly inside a puffin 2-foot-long tongue to gather up to can enjoy wild birds — including inspire viewers to better understand to see the localized Violet-crowned nesting site. The background chorus 30,000 ants and termites a day. these Collared Aracaris — coming for North America’s largest heron and Hummingbird. Today, even if birders of fussing terns is occasionally bananas, oranges, and papayas. work to protect its habitat, both can’t make it there, they can still punctuated by the puffin’s moaning This adult and its young were in and beyond the United States’ watch the birds in real time via a live call, which sounds like a far-off snapped in Bolivia at the Barba Azul Other feeder birds regularly sighted, largest estuary. feeder web cam. ABC supported Nature Reserve via a camera trap set both on the camera and by lodge chainsaw or a lowing cow. Atlantic Photo by Chesapeake Conservancy this reserve’s creation in 2014, Puffins lay one white egg, which both by a visiting Glasgow University team, visitors: Gray-headed Chachalacas, after Marion and Wally Paton, who parents take turns incubating for up there to survey the reserve’s wildlife. Chestnut-headed Oropendolas, 10 ABC’s Ecuadorian partner welcomed birders to their home for to 30 hours at a stretch. Among the other photogenic species Red-crowned Woodpeckers, Flame- Fundación Jocotoco deploys camera decades, passed away. caught in action: Puma, Pampas Cat, rumped Tanagers, Thick-billed traps to monitor Spectacled Bears Another web cam covers a “loafing Ocelot, Marsh Deer, and Maned Wolf. Euphonias, Rufous Motmots, Gray- at several of its reserves. The traps Photo by Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Arizona ledge,” where the birds congregate. cowled Wood-Rails, omnipresent enable scientists to monitor the Atlantic Puffin by Eric Isselee, Shutterstock Barba Azul Nature Reserve is run by Seal Island is one of the sites where Clay-colored Thrushes, and others. , document their young, and Asociación Armonía (Armonía), ABC’s the National Audubon Society’s The web cam allows viewers world- watch for poachers who might slip Howard Youth is ABC’s Tiny infrared motion sensors, Bolivian partner. In 2008, ABC helped Project Puffin has supported the wide to view these wild birds, no in and hunt wildlife. This adult bear Senior Writer/Editor. Armonía create the Barba Azul compact flashes, and digital return of Atlantic Puffins to islands doubt enticing some to visit Panama. was “captured” wandering through Nature Reserve to reverse the decline off the coast of Maine. its cloud forest home at the ABC- technology allow modern camera of the Critically Endangered Blue- Photo by Canopy Lodge, Panama supported Tapichalaca Reserve. Photo by explore.org throated Macaw and to restore the traps to keep an unblinking eye 9 Close human presence can cause once-degraded landscape. In 2014, (For more information on Great Blue Herons and other wading on shy wildlife. ABC and other supporters helped Tapichalaca Reserve, see page 25.) birds to abandon rookeries, but this to double the reserve’s size. web cam, run by the Chesapeake Photo by Fundación Jocotoco Photo by Asociación Armonía/ Conservancy, lets people follow 6 Glasgow University the nesting activity at a rookery on 7 8 9 10 11

28 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 29 Blackburnian Warbler by Frode Jacobsen FINAL GLIMPSE Joint Venture Restores the Wonder of Glades by Jane Fitzgerald

can’t help but feel happy when I in need of conservation attention. walk in the glades. Maybe it’s the There are 22 joint ventures across the Igreat diversity of native grasses United States and Canada. Mine is and flowering plants in these special but one of these, spanning portions open patches. Glades punctuate of eight states, from Indiana to forests here in Missouri, usually Oklahoma. on rocky, dry, south- and west- facing slopes and hilltops. As I hike Our work is guided by a management and take stock of how our habitat board of representatives from restoration work is progressing, three federal and four state wildlife Glades punctuate forests agencies and four nongovernmental I frequently see the eye-popping here in Missouri, usually on scarlet of Indian Paintbrush, whites organizations, including ABC. The and violets of Shooting Star and CHJV partnership works to restore rocky, dry, south- and west- blazing stars, Pale Purple and Yellow high-priority bird populations, Coneflowers, and other plants with including those of the Red-headed facing slopes and hilltops. fun names like supplejack, palafoxia, Woodpecker and Prairie Warbler, by improving and restoring the and Gum Bumelia. holdings, alone or in concert with native habitats needed to support our other partners and surrounding My other senses are tickled as well. them. Along the way, many other Creating a Legacy for Birds private landowners. Just setting foot on a diminutive species benefit from these efforts. Of calamint is a real treat, as its lovely, the habitat types, I have to say that Over the course of the last year, our “My husband and I have enjoyed so many minty scent hovers in the air long glades and open woodlands have partners collectively reported over unforgettable experiences and received so enough to fully delight. The glade become my favorites. 193,000 acres of habitat improve- bird community is an interesting ments for woodland and, to a lesser much meaning and pleasure from birds and Glade-woodland complexes were mix, providing a feast for the ears extent, grassland birds. Of these, relatively common in the Central birding over the years that it just made sense during spring and early summer. 136,000 acres were treated with tree Hardwoods region, but many glades That’s when I hear the robin-like thinning and/or prescribed fire, help- to try and help ensure the conservation of landscapes have been degraded by song of Summer Tanagers in the wide ing, in large part, to restore those decades of fire suppression, which bird species for future generations. canopies mingling with the repeated glades and open woodlands I’ve allowed Eastern Redcedar and other renderings of early-successional spe- come to hold dear. “It was a 'no brainer' to add ABC to our dense, woody vegetation to invade. cies, including Prairie Warblers, with estate plans because no other organization their ascending “zee, zee, zees,” and Glades occur in patches from tens to thousands of acres, interspersed Blue-winged Warblers, with their Jane Fitzgerald is an has been as focused or as effective for bird dropping “bee-buzzes.” with more densely forested patches ABC Vice President conservation as ABC.” on lower slopes and in moist and the Central Hard- Whenever possible, I get out to bottomlands. woods Joint Venture — Marianne Mooney glades. Thankfully, it’s part of my Coordinator. job as ABC’s Central Hardwoods The CHJV and its broad-scale Marianne Mooney and Joseph Sasfy, May 2015 Joint Venture (CHJV) Coordinator. coordination is key because habitat Migratory Bird Joint Ventures are restoration work can more easily cooperative, regional partnerships be carried out at appropriate scales by state and federal land-managing TOP: A restored glade habitat in bloom with You too can leave a legacy for birds when you join ABC’s Legacy Circle with an estate gift through that work to conserve habitat, native blazing stars (Liatris sp). Photo by primarily for the benefit of birds agencies on large public land Susan Farrington your will, retirement plan, trust, or life insurance policy. If you would like more information, or if you have already included ABC in your estate plans, please contact Jack Morrison, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, at 540-253-5780 or at [email protected]. 30 BIRD CONSERVATION | SPRING 2019 P.O. Box 249 The Plains, VA 20198 abcbirds.org 540-253-5780 • 888-247-3624

A vibrant male Magnolia Warbler nabs a caterpillar meal. Photo by Glenn Bartley