Birds of the Boreal FOREST

The boreal forest of the North American continent stretches through a majority of Canada and most of central Alaska, extending spottily into the beginning of the Rocky Mountain range in Northern Montana and into New England and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This habitat extends as far north as the tree line (replaced by the High Arctic tundra) and discontinues in mixed deciduous-coniferous forests to the south. The "taiga", as it is called there, of Eurasia occupies a similar range on those continents. Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the boreal forest covers 2.3 million square miles, a larger area than the remaining Brazilian Amazon rain forest. Although it is largely forest, the boreal forests include a network of lakes, river valleys, wetlands, peat lands and semi-open tundra.

Only 8% of the Canadian boreal forest is protected and over 30% has already been designated for logging, energy and other development, much of it within the last decade. The U.S. is the leading importer of Canadian wood products as well as oil and gas, having purchased 20 billion dollars (approximately 80% of Canada's timber exports) worth of Canadian forest products in 2001. Presently trees being logged in the Boreal are primarily pulped and turned into disposable products such as toilet tissue, junk mail, and catalogs. Decisions will be made in the next several years regarding the remaining lands and where development will take place.

Historically, this wilderness has long remained vast and little-known to birding and naturalist groups, who have placed their attentions southwards. Although, the wintering grounds of many North American migratory birds also requires attention, now it has become apparent that our attention must be focused north on the Boreal breeding grounds of many of these birds. It is estimated that about 60% of the American bird population found North of the Mexican border nests in the boreal forest. About half of North America's breeding species (over 300) make their home there. The following is a list of the North American birds reliant on the boreal forests.

• Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata

• White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi

• Black scoter, Melanitta americana

• Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola

• Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula

• Spruce grouse, Falcipennis canadensis

• Common loon, Gavia immer

• Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus

• Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena

• Whooping crane, Grus americana

• Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca

Greater yellowlegs

• Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes

• Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria

• Wandering tattler, Tringa incana

• Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius

• Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus

• Surfbird, Aphriza virgata

• Short-billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseus

• Common black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Bonaparte's gull

• Bonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia

• Herring gull, Larus argentatus

• Great black-backed gull, Larus marinus

• Common tern, Sterna hirundo

• Northern hawk owl, Surnia ulula

• Great gray owl, Strix nebulosa

• Boreal owl, Aegolius funereus

• American three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis

• Black-backed woodpecker, Picoides arcticus

Boreal owl

• Yellow-bellied flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris

• Alder flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum

• Northern shrike, Lanius excubitor

• Philadelphia vireo, Vireo philadelphicus

• Canada jay, Perisoreus canadensis

• Boreal chickadee, Poecile hudsonica

• Ruby-crowned kinglet, Regulus calendula

• Gray-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimus

• Bicknell's thrush, Catharus bicknelli

• Swainson's thrush, Catharus ustulatus

• Hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus

Canada jay

• Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus

• Tennessee warbler, Oreothlypis peregrina

• Magnolia warbler, Setophaga magnolia

• Cape May warbler, Setophaga tigrina

• Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata

• Kirtland's warbler, Setophaga kirtlandii

• Palm warbler, Setophaga palmarum

• Bay-breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea

• Blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata

• Northern waterthrush, Parkesia noveboracensis

• Connecticut warbler, Oporornis agilis

• Mourning warbler, Geothlypis philadelphia

Cape May warbler

• Le Conte's sparrow, Ammodramus leconteii

• Lincoln's sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii

• Swamp sparrow, Melospiza georgiana

• White-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis

• Dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis

• Rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus

• Pine grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator

• Red crossbill, Loxia curvirostra

• White-winged crossbill, Loxia leucoptera

• Common redpoll, Acanthis flammea