Conserving neo-tropical migratory and grassland birds on the Atlantic Flyway

Indigo Buntings

The Atlantic Flyway is one of the four major flyways in the Americas and twice a year thousands of birds follow part or all of its course from North to South America. Birds from Greenland, Eastern Canada and the US funnel into this route that runs down the east coast of North America through the Caribbean and into the tropics of South America.

Along its course the flyway passes some of the most highly developed urban areas of North America, including many major cities. The ever increasing levels of urban sprawl have led to the destruction, degradation and fragmentation of many key habitats that support the migrating birds. Two of the species groups that appear to be hardest hit by this changing landscape are the neo-tropical migrants and grassland species.

A typical example of this urbanisation trend is found in the Annapolis and County Anne Arundel area of Maryland on the US eastern seaboard. The area, which contains a population of about 500,000, is witnessing a continual expansion of the built environment into the surrounding green spaces and is threatening many ecologically valuable habitats and in particular grasslands. As a result of this and other factors around 20% of bird species in the area are of local, regional or continental conservation concern.

Banding a Yellow-breasted Chat at Greenbury Point

Since 2004 A Rocha USA has been undertaking bird monitoring and banding at Greenbury Point Nature Reserve and within some neighbourhoods in the area. Analysis of this data, together with other historical records in the area and within the Atlantic Flyway, has indicated decreases in the populations of neo-tropical migrants and grassland species. However monitoring of one urban area over a nine year period has shown an opposite trend. Habitat restoration and creation in this neighbourhood has lead to a dramatic increase in species abundance diversity from 6 recorded species to 64.

Long term monitoring of grassland birds began in 2006 through the running of the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station at Greenbury Point. Based on the findings of this programme, management recommendations shall be made to the Environmental Services Division managing Greenbury Point.

Broadening the field of research, A Rocha has identified the key habitat types for migrant neo-tropical and grassland birds as being the farming areas which have grown into suburban communities, urban neighbourhoods, wooded hillsides and ravines, and river and bay shoreline habitats. From 2007 a monitoring strategy of all these areas will be established to determine the yearly numbers and species diversity of breeding and passage migrants.

The collated research shall be analysed and disseminated in journals, papers and conferences to the wider scientific community to aid and guide future research and conservation strategies of neo-tropical migrant and grassland birds.

Project leader: Andy Sprenger
Partners: Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and Environmental Services Division