More and more migratory birds are filtering into Vermont each day. I
heard American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, and Black-and-white Warblers at
Lake Runnemede yesterday morning on an early morning bird walk. It was
amazing to think that just a few months ago I saw large numbers of these
birds in the Dominican Republic. I was there with VCE Director, Chris
Rimmer, in his 15th year of studying Bicknell's Thrush in the heart of
its wintering range. If you are as amazed and inspired by these small
birds migrating such long distances despite serious conservation issues,
come to the Montshire tomorrow evening and learn more about the
Northeast's only endemic bird species--Bicknell's Thrush.
Chris Rimmer will be presenting at the Montshire Museum Tuesday, May
13th, at 7pm.*
*
*
Bicknell's Thrush: Conserving a Bird of Two Worlds*
The Bicknell’s Thrush is one of North America’s most rare and vulnerable
songbirds. Nesting only in mountaintop forests of the Northeast and
wintering primarily on the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and
Haiti), Bicknell’s Thrush faces numerous threats to its long-term
survival. On its breeding grounds, these include acid precipitation, ski
area development, communications tower construction, wind power
development, mercury contamination, and climate change. The species’
limited winter habitats are under siege from deforestation, caused by
human population pressures. Since 1992, Vermont Center for Ecostudies
(VCE) Director Chris Rimmer has led efforts to conserve the species and
these habitats on which it depends. Chris will discuss this fascinating
and rare songbird, VCE’s efforts to study it in New England and the
Caribbean, and how Bicknell’s Thrush represents a vital conservation
link across international boundaries.
--
Julie Hart
Mountain Birdwatch Coordinator
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 • Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-1431 x 6
http://www.vtecostudies.org/MBW/
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