Mountain Birdwatch

2012 Routes Now Available!

Mountain forests of the Northeast are under pressure from recreational development, cell tower construction, windfarm development, acid rain, and climate change. Of particular conservation concern is Bicknell's Thrush, a bird that breeds exclusively in the high-elevation forests of New York and northern New England, and in the spruce-fir highlands of Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Because of its specialized habitat requirements, limited breeding range, and small population size, the species has been listed as the top conservation priority among neotropical migratory songbirds in the Northeast.

Mountain Birdwatch, launched in the spring of 2000 to establish a long-term monitoring program for Bicknell's Thrush and other montane forest birds, incorporates some exciting changes in 2011. Trained volunteers will continue to conduct dawn surveys in some of the region's most awe-inspiring forests, and the typical time commitment will remain one to two mornings each June. The new program will include the following updates and revisions:

1. MBW2 incorporates an entirely new set of routes; randomly selected routes throughout BITH breeding habitat will allow us to draw conclusions across an entire ecosystem. Check out our new routes in the U.S. and the individual maps of each route!
2. MBW2 involves a new survey protocol that will allow us to draw even stronger conclusions about population trends, distribution, abundance, and occupancy patterns of forest birds. Unlike the original Mountain Birdwatch, with a primary focus on only five species, all MBW2 volunteers are asked to survey eleven high-elevation species. Our Protocol and Standard Operating Procedures manual details the specifics of the new survey protocol.
3. MBW2 initiates a partnership between VCE and Bird Studies Canada, Regroupment Québec Oiseaux, and the Canadian Wildlife Service. These four organizations spearhead an international monitoring effort that will allow us to draw conclusions across an entire habitat. Historically, Mountain Birdwatch has conducted bird surveys exclusively in the United States. However, birds are not confined by state and country borders, and the montane spruce-fir forest in which Bicknell's Thrush breeds extends north to Quebec and the Maritimes in Canada.

A standardized international protocol, aligned with the information needs of land stewards and policy makers, will promote conservation of a vulnerable bird community. A unified approach will allow us to sustain widespread high-elevation landbird monitoring over the long term.

Click here for a list of partners.