Billions of Boreal Bird in Fall Migration–from Canada to Colombia and Beyond
October 1, 2024
Fall is upon us. The days are growing shorter, temperatures are dropping, and the leaves are changing. With the arrival of autumn, between 3 billion to 5 billion birds are preparing to travel from their nesting grounds in the Boreal Forest in Canada to wintering grounds thousands of miles away. More than 1 billion of these migrating birds will end up in the United States, with the rest reaching as far as Mexico and South America. This feat of nature is one of the largest migration events on Earth.
This fall is also when the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, will be held in Cali, Colombia. This gathering is a place for world leaders to discuss progress in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework, which was signed at COP15 in Montreal two years ago. It’s also an opportunity to showcase the global significance of the Boreal Forest and the leadership of the Indigenous Nations that sustain it.
Migrating birds reveal the interconnectedness of nature. They link Canada and Colombia–two seemingly disparate places–through their life cycles. And they rely on both of these places to thrive.
In the face of mounting species extinctions around the world, intact landscapes are needed now more than ever. The fall migration unfurling in the skies above COP16 is a reminder to sustain forests from the boreal and beyond.
THe bird nursery of north america
Months before fall arrives in the boreal, a spring mass migration takes place, largely under the cover of darkness. Birds fly from all corners of the Western Hemisphere to breed and raise young in the Boreal Forest. Scientists estimate a whopping 1.5 billion to 3 billion birds come in to breed each year. This amounts to almost half of all common North American birds–around 325 species–that rely on the boreal for breeding, nesting, or migratory stopover habitat (Blancher and Wells 2005, Wells and Blancher 2011).
The boreal offers everything that a bird parent could ask for: healthy forests, uninterrupted wilderness, and seemingly endless food in the form of seeds, berries, fish, insects, and invertebrates. And while it may not be the only habitat they need, it’s hard to understate just how important the Boreal is for birds.
The Blackpoll Warbler is just one example of how reliant birds are on the boreal: more than 80% of this species' population nests in the Boreal Forest. In addition, 70% of the world’s Whooping Cranes breed in the many marshes and wetlands of the forest, and around 85% of the Rusty Blackbird population.
But in case that isn’t enough of a reason to coin the boreal as “North America’s Bird Nursery”, research has shown an astonishing 30% of all landbirds, 30% of all shorebirds, and 38% of all waterfowl originate in the Boreal (Blancher and Wells 2005, Wells and Blancher 2011). And if you’re curious just how many birds this is, scientists estimate about 2 billion migratory landbirds, 7 million shorebirds, and an astonishing 26 million ducks breed in the Boreal each year.
In essence - sustaining the boreal ALSO sustains billions of the Western Hemisphere’s birds.
The miracle of migration
As if it wasn’t enough that almost every Blackpoll warbler begins its life in the boreal, after the breeding season, they embark on a seemingly impossible journey – traveling from the Boreal Forest to the Amazon basin where they will spend the winter. This species gives a whole new meaning to the term “snowbird”, as it travels close to 5,000 km to lush rainforests in Colombia.
Thanks to new technology that allows scientists to closely and precisely track migration routes, we now know their trip includes a 3,000 km non-stop sprint over the Atlantic Ocean, despite only weighing around 12 grams–the same as a AAA battery! New data has also shown these birds don’t follow the same route each time but opt for an elliptical migration. While the species takes its fall migrations incredibly seriously, at times flying for up to 80 hours non-stop, they like to take their time on the return trip each spring. This includes stopping at all their favorite spots, in places including the West Indies and Florida. Using the stars as their guide, this species travels 20,000 km annually between breeding and wintering sites – showing just how interconnected nature and our planet is.
As unbelievable as this may seem, this species is one of many traveling from the Boreal Forest to wintering areas in South America. Yellow Warblers, Orange-crowned warblers, and Wilson’s Warblers are just a few of the Blackpoll’s companions on this journey. Birds such as the Pectoral Sandpiper, often stop to refuel in the boreal as they travel from far north in Alaska to Argentina. Other species spread out across North America, filling neighborhood parks, backyards, and natural areas, and bringing joy to birders everywhere as they feed and rest.
it’s time to rise to the occasion
While the boreal is a crucial haven for birds of all shapes, sizes, colors, and species, it is one of many habitats they need to truly thrive. Research on boreal-breeding birds and their migration routes directly links them to almost all of the healthy, intact habitats remaining in the Americas (Wells et al. 2016). From the Pacific Coast to the forests of the Northwest, all the way to the tropical forests of Colombia, a loss in any of these habitats will have a substantial impact on bird populations.
We are already seeing this play out. The 2022 State of the Birds reported that the United States and Canada have lost 3 billion breeding birds in the last 50 years, or the equivalent of 1 in 4 birds. Another study from Audubon shows that ⅓ of wintering North American bird populations have declined since 1966. And the first State of the World’s Migratory Species report from the United Nations sounds a similar alarm – nearly half the world’s migratory species are in decline, with 20% at risk of extinction.
indigenous nations sustain bird habitat
Many of our planet’s healthiest, thriving habitats can be found on lands managed by Indigenous Peoples. This is not a coincidence – Indigenous communities worldwide have stewarded lands, waters, and animals for millennia, and continue to do so today. In Canada, Indigenous Nations are leading some of the biggest, most ambitious stewardship projects, with around 100 million acres of boreal forest up for protection in Indigenous-led projects.
This includes more than a handful with a birdy focus. In 2021, the Seal River Watershed Alliance of four First Nations is working to protect almost 20,000 square miles of intact lands in northern Manitoba. The Alliance and the National Audubon Society began monitoring bird songs within the watershed, and their newly released report said they found more than 100 bird species within the proposed Indigenous Protected Area–far more than had been documented previously. Another project with the Poplar River First Nation identified 71 species that rely on or breed in the area, including three listed species. Additionally, the research identified 18 species with over 70% of their breeding range in the boreal.
Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, or IPCAs, are one method by which Indigenous Nations are taking conservation to the next level. Led by Indigenous Nations, IPCAs represent a new era in conservation and bring together the cultural, environmental, and community aspects of land stewardship. They are also helping reach Canada’s conservation goals, including protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030.
Biodiversity summit and the future of boreal birds
World leaders will come together at COP16 to demonstrate how they are implementing national commitments to conserve biodiversity. It’s also a massive opportunity. Canada is one of five countries holding the remaining 70% of the healthy, intact landscapes, in addition to its outsized role in supporting hundreds of bird species.
COP16 is a chance to showcase this to the world, and for Canada to demonstrate the benefits of respecting Indigenous Nations’ vision for conserving lands and waters–and birds–across the Boreal Forest and beyond.
