Despite being a bird of mudflats and saltmarshes, 90% of Short-billed Dowitchers {Limnodromus griseus} breed in the Boreal Forest of Canada. An approximate decline of 50% has gained this fun-to-watch shorebird a spot on the conservation concern list.
The threats facing Short-billed Dowitchers are not fully known, but habitat loss and habitat degradation from oil and gas development and industrial pollution are probable causes.
Conservation Needs
- Increase the number of protected areas in Canada’s Boreal Forest
- Support Boreal Forest Conservation Framework with a goal to protect 50% of the Boreal region
- Decrease pollution that leads to acid rain
- Increase conservation of winter range coastal habitat
- Implement range-wide wintering and migration surveys to help identify important wintering and stopover locals
Recent conservation efforts have been successful due to the work of the Boreal Songbird Initiative and in recent news, the Ontario Government has decided to protect 55 million acres of Canadian Boreal Forest.
Using and insisting companies use recycled paper is one way to help protect the Boreal Forest and the Short-billed Dowitcher.
Full details on this species and 99 other North American birds at risk can be found in Jeffrey V. Wells’ Birder’s Conservation Handbook.
I like the 2nd image the best. Good composition and pose. Your blog is awesome!
I saw my first Short-billed Dowitcher just last weekend. It was fun to watch it feeding. And, yes, that second picture is charming.
I was walking a group of dogs through Bronte Creek Provincial Park today, and they scared up what I believe was a Short-billed Dowitcher. Very cool!