A land manager's guide to conserving habitat for forest birds in ...

Male Scarlet Tananger — Photo: Jeff Nadler
Skunk cabbage in swamp
Photo: Robert McCaw
PREFACE
Forests are important for our communities, socially, economically, and ecologically.
They maintain clean air and water, provide habitat for thousands of plants and animals,
present recreational opportunities, provide income, and contribute to human health
and general well being. In southern Ontario, the amount of forest has been
dramatically reduced from what it was before European settlement in the early
nineteenth century. Today, ensuring the quality and ecological integrity of those
remaining woodlands is vital. Healthy forests continue to provide natural goods and
services while maintaining biodiversity. Individual landowners are stewards over much
of these remaining woodlands. Though many recognize the value of ensuring long-term
health and ecological function, how to accomplish this is often unclear. For example,
landowners of forests with economically valuable mature trees may be interested in
harvesting, but are uncertain of the associated effects on wildlife and overall forest
health. Some may wish to identify the most appropriate harvesting method to meet
their management goals. Others may wish to employ management techniques that can
benefit wildlife, or preserve wildlife areas. Finally, some landowners may want to know
how their woodlot contributes to biodiversity conservation at a larger, landscape scale.
This guide is designed to address these questions and provide landowners with
information on the habitat requirements of local forest bird species, and the effects of
different land management strategies on their populations. A clever woodlot owner has
the awareness and knowledge to effectively manage his or her forests for profit and still
preserve diverse and healthy forests for future generations.
Although the forests of southern Ontario provide habitat for a variety of organisms
including plants, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals (some of
which may be sensitive to disturbances associated with timber harvesting), we have
chosen to focus this discussion on forest birds. Birds are one of the most visible wildlife
groups, comprising hundreds of different species of extraordinary variety from
hummingbirds to eagles. Each species is unique in appearance, habits, and habitat.
Some occur in huge numbers while others are sparse; some are sedentary, preferring to
spend their entire lives within a few hectares, while others
undertake extraordinary annual migrations. Birds are an
obvious and diverse component of our forest ecosystem and
among one of the most valued and appreciated components
of our biodiversity.
Land birds in particular, provide billions of dollars in
ecosystem services (natural processes that benefit humans) as
consumers of pest insects, pollinators, dispersers, and
predators of native seeds. They help maintain the same
ecosystems that support human life. Many forest birds are
sensitive to the structure, composition, and configuration of
forests and are good indicators of general forest health.
Because birds are valuable to humans in a multitude of ways,
current declines in some populations are cause for concern.
As wildlife habitat is directly affected by how humans use
the land, we all have a responsibility for not simply
preventing extinctions, but in maintaining healthy
populations of species that are still common.
Preface
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