Belwin Conservancy part of Breeding Bird Survey
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The woodland forests located in the St. Croix River valley provide a key north–south migration corridor and offer habitat for a suite of wildlife species identified by scientists as needing enhanced attention and action to preserve their habitat needs. The Belwin Conservancy, Aubudon Minnesota, Great River Greening, Washington Conservation District and other partners are working to identify these important areas and restore migratory bird habitat within the valley. This is part of a process to designate the Lower St. Croix Valley as an Important Bird Area by the national Audubon Society.
At the Belwin Conservancy’s preserve, thirty sites were selected to monitor the migratory bird populations. These sites will be visited by volunteers during the breeding season from mid-May through June. Three species that are of particular interest at the Belwin Conservancy include the Hooded Warbler, the Red-shouldered Hawk, and the Redheaded Woodpecker.
The Hooded Warbler is listed as “special concern” as it is in the northwestern extent of its range. There are very few breeding pairs know to occur in the state of Minnesota. Its habitat preference is mature deciduous forest with a dense understory of shrubs. Forest fragmentation and nest parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbirds are threatening this species. There are records of Hooded Warbler sightings at the Belwin Conservancy near Bell’s Fen and breeding was inferred at this location.
Another species that prefers mature deciduous forest is the Red-shouldered Hawk. It nests in larger tracts of forest and defends about 500 acres of territory. The Red-shouldered Hawk hunts during the day for small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians from a perch in the forest. This species is threatened due to the fragmentation of large, contiguous forest tracts it depends upon resulting in habitat that is more suitable to the Red-tailed Hawk. At the Belwin Conservancy, this species has been frequently spotted near the education center, but the location of nesting has not been identified.
Unlike the Hooded Warbler and the Red-shouldered Hawk, the Red-headed Woodpecker prefers more open habitat such as the oak savanna. Oak savannas provide snags for cavity nesting and acorns for caching. Also, the well-spaced trees in oak savanna allow for the Red-headed Woodpeckers to catch insects on the fly. This bird has been declining in numbers recently due to removal and degradation of oak savanna habitat. This species was spotted just last year after the savanna restoration at the Lake Edith site; we are hopeful that Red-headed Woodpecker will continue to use the Lake Edith savanna for breeding in the coming years.
As part of the ‘Restoring the Lower St. Croix Floodplains and Blufflands program, species surveys at the Belwin Conservancy will provide much more information on these rare birds as well as many other migratory birds. In addition to the Belwin Conservancy preserve, monitoring and restoration projects are taking place throughout the Lower St. Croix River valley. Properties adjacent to the program focal areas may be eligible for cost share funding for conservation practices such as the planting of ecologically appropriate trees and understory shrubs, invasive species removal, and the restoration of erosive bluffland areas. If you would like more information on participation in the program, please contact me at 651-436-5189 x102 or tara.kelly@belwin.org.