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Boreal Forest
The boreal forest stretches south from the arctic tundra across an
area larger than the Amazon rainforest, a blanket of spruces, birch,
peat bogs, and other wetlands. Occurring mostly within Canada, the
North American boreal forest extends into the United States in Alaska,
in states bordering the Great Lakes, and in northern New England. Photo
by Garth Lenz
Birds in Trouble
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| Rusty Blackbird by Jack Bartholomai |
Federally listed as endangered: Whooping
Crane.
- Lesser Scaup and White-winged Scoter nest in boreal forests and
winter in coastal regions; both have declined by more than 50% in 40
years.
- The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan identifies four boreal-nesting
species that are of high conservation concern: Whimbrel, Hudsonian
Godwit, Solitary Sandpiper, and Short-billed Dowitcher. Lesser
Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper also are experiencing long-term
declines.
- Harris’s Sparrow and Rusty Blackbird are temperate migrants that
winter entirely within the U.S.; causes of their steep declines have
yet to be determined (Rusty Blackbirds have declined by 75% in 40
years).
- Birds that periodically come south in winter, such as Bohemian
Waxwing, Pine Siskin, White-winged Crossbill, and Evening Grosbeak,
have experienced long-term declines.
- Many Neotropical migrants show consistent declines, including boreal specialists such as Blackpoll Warbler, Cape May Warbler, and Connecticut Warbler.
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| Trumpeter Swan by Deb Simon |
Reasons for Hope
Boreal wetland birds such as Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and Bonaparte’s Gull have increased. Management efforts for Trumpeter Swans throughout their historic range have been highly successful.
Vast areas of virgin boreal forest still remain, presenting opportunities for large-scale conservation. In 2007 and 2008, Ontario and Quebec promised to protect more than 120 million acres of Canada’s boreal forest—one of the largest conservation actions in North American history if implemented.
See next page for information about subtropical forests.
