Bicknell’s Thrush in Winter

Posted by
Rosemary Drisdelle
Sep 23, 2007

Bicknell’s Thrush, a songbird that spends its summers in northeastern North America, is a declining species—a subject of conservation efforts in Canada and the United States. Unfortunately, although these efforts have increased the species’ chances of survival, destruction of its winter habitat is still a significant cause of decline.

Bicknell’s Thrush winters in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. On these islands, the high wet forests that the birds frequent are being rapidly cleared. It’s clear that conservation in the north is ultimately a waste of time and resources unless the winter habitat is also protected.

A dispute over plans by New York’s Whiteface Mountain Ski Area to clear mountain terrain for ski trails resulted in many New Yorkers learning about the plight of the bird. The end result was an agreement not to disturb sensitive high altitude forest habitat until after the breeding season, ongoing conservation efforts in support of Bicknell’s Thrush, and a partnership to financially support conservation groups in the Caribbean in protecting winter habitat for the species. Participating organizations included Adirondack Park Agency, Audubon New York, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, among others.

If this effort to conserve the winter habitat of Bicknell's thrush is effective, it may mark a turning point in the bird's fortunes.