Bird species abundance in the working forest

In light of World Migratory Bird Day, J.D. Irving, Limited is highlighting research published this year that found its managed freehold land provides effective habitat options for two songbird species.

Dr. Lisa Venier’s research, published this January in the peer-reviewed journal Forest Ecology and Management, showed there is important habitat within the managed working forest landscape of Black Brook, NB for the Canada warbler and olive-sided flycatcher. The five-year research project, conducted with J.D. Irving, Limited’s Forest Research Advisory Committee, used acoustic recordings to describe habitat use for the two species at a larger landscape level.

Acoustic recording units were placed in 17 different forest communities in the Black Brook district to record singing birds. These recordings were sampled by an independent lab to identify the species heard in the recordings. The presence or absence of both species in each of the forest communities was used to determine the birds’ habitat use, which was then modeled across the district. 

The study identified significant occupancy for both the Canada warbler and the olive-sided flycatcher on intensively managed Black Brook forestland, and there were no landscape environmental variables influencing species occupancy. 

Songbirds and migratory birds are important indicators of forest ecosystem health. J.D. Irving, Limited is proud to make the working forest work for biodiversity. Learn more here: https://jdirvingconservation.com