Minnesota birds at risk

The National Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy have identified 37 birds found in Minnesota as needing top-priority conservation attention to ensure their continued survival.

These birds are part of the 178 birds species found in the continental U.S. that have been placed on WatchList 2007, a list of America’s most imperiled birds, according to an Audubon Minnesota press release.

These birds are in the most imminent threat of extinction, often due to their rarity and limited range. For many of them, conservation efforts in Minnesota as well as nationally will determine their future health and survival.

“These birds are unfamiliar to most Minnesotans because of their scarcity, and people don’t notice how habitat loss or other threats impact their survival,” said Mark Peterson, Audubon Minnesota’s state director. “They could become extinct in our lifetime without people being aware that they are this close to the edge.”

The WatchList is based on an analysis of population size and trends, distribution, and environmental threats, informed by extensive scientific review from the bird conservation community along with data from the Christmas Bird Count and the annual Breeding Bird Survey.

“This list will be a useful reference that will be invaluable in helping identify bird conservation priorities,” stated Carrol Henderson, Supervisor, Minnesota DNR Nongame Program. “It will be used in conjunction with other current sources of bird status at the state and national level to determine how to use our time and resources in the most efficient manner.”

Among some of the most imperiled species on the list that regularly breed in Minnesota are:

Piping Plover. Historically, Piping Plovers nested in the St. Louis River Estuary on Lake Superior and on Lake of the Woods.

Human disturbance and encroachment of vegetation caused Piping Plovers to disappear from the Duluth/Superior area by 1985. Since then there have been only a few nesting pairs seen on Lake of the Woods every year.

Yellow Rail. National data show this rare and secretive bird in decline; however data is lacking from Minnesota. Found in only a few marshes and wetlands in the state.

Short-eared Owl. A ground nester on western grasslands in the state. Little is known about population numbers in Minnesota, but as prairie and wetland associated habitat disappears, their survival becomes more difficult.

Golden-winged Warbler. A rare and declining species. Over 40 percent of the world’s population breeds in Minnesota, although little is known about population trends here as they nest in inaccessible bog areas in northern Minnesota.

Cerulean Warbler. A deciduous forest nester and feeder, it has limited breeding range mostly in parts of the metro and southeastern portion of the state.

Nationally, it has one of the sharpest population declines of any warbler, averaging a 4.5 percent decline from 1966 – 2001 due in part to habitat fragmentation.

“The WatchList is a critical science-based call to action to save species that are teetering toward extinction,” Peterson said. “It’s a tool to help us prioritize our policies and our conservation investments while there’s still time to do more than watch those species disappear.”

For the complete Audubon Minnesota action list of state birds in greatest conservation need, visit http://mn.audubon.org.