The Upper Delaware Watershed provides forest habitat important to the survival of at-risk bird species such as Wood Thrush, Cerulean Warbler, and many others.

Harvests for Habitat is a collaborative partnership between Audubon New York, New York Forest Owners Association, Watershed Agricultural Council, and New York Tree Farm Program that enables bird habitat improvements through active forest management and financial incentives.

Harvests for Habitat is currently seeking professional foresters and loggers that may have clients interested in participating in the project, as well as family forest owners interested in improving forest habitat on their properties. Participants must be interested in or planning a harvest that improves forest habitat conditions for birds before September 30, 2022. See contact info at bottom.

Staff from one of our partner organizations will work directly with practitioners and/or family forest owners to provide you with the resources you need to participate in this habitat project, including on-the-ground technical assistance, connecting foresters and loggers with interested family forest owners, and financial assistance, if needed, to ensure a successful and beneficial harvest.

The Birds That Benefit

Forest management can be used to improve current habitat conditions for these priority forest birds as well as many other species that use similar forest habitat.

CERULEAN WARBLER

Habitat: Mature, deciduous forests with a tall canopy and well-developed understory
Trend: Declining across its range
ID Tips: Sky-blue head and back, white throat and belly, two white wing bars
Song: Series of short buzzy notes, followed by a higher pitched buzz
Management: Use shelterwood or group/patch cuts to improve vertical structure and create a robust understory, retain large diameter trees (> 16 inches DBH), retain native grapevine

WOOD THRUSH

Habitat: Mature, moist deciduous woods with mid and understory present with thick layer of leaf litter
Trend: Declining in New York and a cross its range
ID Tips: Brown back, heavily spotted white breast, large thrush that is a little smaller than a robin
Song: A flute-like ee-oh-layy, ending in a sound like shattering glass
Management: Improve vertical structure and create mid and understory layers through group/small patch cuts

For more information about the project, please contact one of the following project partners:

Suzanne Treyger
Forest Program Manager, Audubon NY
607-254-2122
streyger@audubon.org

Craig Vollmer
Executive Director, New York Forest Owners Association
(716) 237-0880
cvollmer@nyfoa.org

Tom Pavlesich
Forestry Program Director, Watershed Agricultural Council
(607) 865-7790 ext. 113
tpavlesich@nycwatershed.org

Christa Campbell
Tree Farm Administrator, NY Tree Farm Program
(518) 854-7386
nytreefarm@gmail.com

Harvests for Habitat is funded by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and American Forest Foundation.