This project will immediately improve conservation for bicknells thrush (bith) in new brunswick (NB 169,400 HA) and nova scotia (NS 66,176 HA) by addressing breeding habitat destruction and…

This $190,494 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation program (CFDA 15.635) will be used by Birds Canada to address conservation of the Bicknell's Thrush in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The key objectives are to: 1) facilitate communication between timber companies and regulators to implement best practices for preventing habitat degradation, 2) assess Bicknell's Thrush occupancy of potential habitat using automated recording units, and 3) continue long-term monitoring programs in the region to evaluate progress towards international conservation goals. This grant builds on previous work by Birds Canada and partners to protect this at-risk migratory bird species across its breeding range.

This project will immediately improve conservation for bicknells thrush (bith) in new brunswick (NB 169,400 HA) and nova scotia (NS 66,176 HA) by addressing breeding habitat destruction and degradation occurring in industrial forest and other unprotected areas. Building upon results of previous phases of this project, the primary objectives are to: 1) facilitate communications among timber companies and regulators to refine and increase implementation of beneficial management practices for preventing both incidental take and habitat degradation in high-elevation forest, 2) identify and assess bith occupancy of potentially suitable habitat with automated recording units to improve understanding of habitat use, distribution, and detection of bith in the industrial landscape, and 3) continue to deliver long term monitoring program in NB and continue refining monitoring protocol for NS bith to evaluate the success in achieving international bicknells thrush conservation group (ibtcg) goals at regional and international scales.