The boreal forest or taiga of the North American continent stretches through a majority of Canada and most of central Alaska, extending spottily into the beginning of the Rocky Mountain range in Northern Montana and into New England and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This habitat extends as far north as the tree line (replaced by the High Arctic tundra) and discontinues in mixed deciduous-coniferous forests to the south. The "taiga", as it is called there, of Eurasia occupies a similar range on those continents. Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the boreal forest covers 2.3 million square miles, a larger area than the remaining Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Although it is largely forest, the boreal forests include a network of lakes, river valleys, wetlands, peat lands and semi-open tundra.
Only 8% of the Canadian boreal forest is protected and over 30% has already been designated for logging, energy and other development, much of it within the last decade. The U.S. is the leading importer of Canadian wood products as well as oil and gas, having purchased 20 billion dollars (approximately 80% of Canada's timber exports) worth of Canadian forest products in 2001. Presently trees being logged in the Boreal are primarily pulped and turned into disposable products such as toilet tissue, junk mail, and catalogs. Decisions will be made in the next several years regarding the remaining lands and where development will take place.
Historically, this wilderness has long remained vast and little-known to birding and naturalist groups, who have placed their attentions southwards. Although, the wintering grounds of many North American migratory birds also requires attention, now it has become apparent that our attention must be focused north on the Boreal breeding grounds of many of these birds. It is estimated that about 60% of the American bird population found North of the Mexican border nests in the boreal forest. About half of North America's breeding species (over 300) make their home there. The following is a list of the North American birds reliant on the boreal forests.
Birds almost totally dependent on the boreal forests The following is a list (taxonomically organized) of the breeding species of which at least 70% of their North American population rely upon the boreal forest for nesting. If the boreal forests were cleared, these species would almost surely perish or be endangered.
Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi Black scoter, Melanitta americana Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula Spruce grouse, Falcipennis canadensis Common loon, Gavia immer Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena Whooping crane, Grus americana Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca
Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria Wandering tattler, Tringa incana Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Surfbird, Aphriza virgata Short-billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Common black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Bonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia Herring gull, Larus argentatus Great black-backed gull, Larus marinus Common tern, Sterna hirundo Northern hawk owl, Surnia ulula Great gray owl, Strix nebulosa Boreal owl, Aegolius funereus American three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis Black-backed woodpecker, Picoides arcticus
Yellow-bellied flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris Alder flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum Northern shrike, Lanius excubitor Philadelphia vireo, Vireo philadelphicus Canada jay, Perisoreus canadensis Boreal chickadee, Poecile hudsonica Ruby-crowned kinglet, Regulus calendula Gray-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimus Bicknell's thrush, Catharus bicknelli Swainson's thrush, Catharus ustulatus Hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus
Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus Tennessee warbler, Oreothlypis peregrina Magnolia warbler, Setophaga magnolia Cape May warbler, Setophaga tigrina Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata Kirtland's warbler, Setophaga kirtlandii Palm warbler, Setophaga palmarum Bay-breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea Blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata Northern waterthrush, Parkesia noveboracensis Connecticut warbler, Oporornis agilis Mourning warbler, Geothlypis philadelphia
Le Conte's sparrow, Ammodramus leconteii Lincoln's sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii Swamp sparrow, Melospiza georgiana White-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis Dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis Rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus Pine grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator Red crossbill, Loxia curvirostra White-winged crossbill, Loxia leucoptera Common redpoll, Acanthis flammea
Birds that are very dependent on the boreal forests These are birds that more than half of the North American populations nest in the boreal forest. Many of these birds need mature forests or isolated, non-populated wetlands that now have been largely cleared outside of the boreal forests.
Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator American wigeon, Anas americana American black duck, Anas rubripes Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Greater scaup, Aythya marila Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis Barrow's goldeneye, Bucephala islandica Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus Common merganser, Mergus merganser
Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus White-tailed ptarmigan, Lagopus leucura Pacific loon, Gavia pacifica American goshawk, Astur atricapillus Merlin, Falco columbarius Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis Sora, Porzana carolina Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago
Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus Mew gull, Larus canus Ross's gull, Rhodostethia rosea Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperi Least flycatcher, Empidonax minimus Blue-headed vireo, Vireo solitarius Northern wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe Orange-crowned warbler, Oreothlypis celata Nashville warbler, Oreothlypis ruficapilla Chestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanica Black-throated green warbler, Setophaga virens
Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca Black-and-white warbler, Mniotilta varia Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla Wilson's warbler, Cardellina pusilla Canada warbler, Cardellina canadensis Clay-colored sparrow, Spizella pallida American tree sparrow, Spizelloides arborea Fox sparrow Passerella iliaca White-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys Golden-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapilla Gray-crowned rosy-finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis
Birds that are partially dependent on the boreal forests Although less than half of the following birds' North American populations nest in the boreal forests, a major portion of their species is reliant on this habitat. Many of these birds are more often aquatic and woodland generalist than species more dependent on the taiga. Greater white-fronted goose Anser albifrons Snow goose Chen caerulescens Canada goose Branta canadensis
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Northern shoveler, Anas clypeata Northern pintail, Anas acuta Canvasback, Aythya valisineria Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus Common eider, Somateria mollissima Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator Willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus Rock ptarmigan, Lagopus muta Arctic loon, Gavia arctica Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata
American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus Osprey, Pandion haliaetus Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus Northern harrier, Circus cyaneus Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus Swainson's hawk, Buteo swainsoni Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus Sandhill crane, Grus canadensis Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica Piping plover, Charadrius melodus Rock sandpiper, Calidris ptilocnemis Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Dunlin, Calidris alpina
Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus American woodcock, Scolopax minor Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor Franklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis Black tern, Chlidonias niger Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus Barred owl, Strix varia
Long-eared owl, Asio otus Northern saw-whet owl, Aegolius acadicus Belted kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon Hairy woodpecker, Picoides villosus Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus Pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus Western wood-pewee, Contopus sordidulus Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus Warbling vireo, Vireo gilvus Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata Black-billed magpie, Pica hudsonia American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Common raven, Corvus corax Horned lark, Eremophila alpestris Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor Bank swallow, Riparia riparia
Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapillus Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis Brown creeper, Certhia americana Winter wren, Troglodytes hiemalis Golden-crowned kinglet, Regulus satrapa Arctic warbler, Phylloscopus borealis Veery, Catharus fuscescens Varied thrush, Ixoreus naevius American pipit, Anthus rubescens Sprague's pipit, Anthus spragueii
Townsend's solitaire, Myadestes townsendi American robin, Turdus migratorius Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum Yellow warbler, Setophaga petechia Black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens Common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas American redstart, Setophaga ruticilla Chipping sparrow, Spizella passerina Nelson's sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni Savannah sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis Song sparrow, Melospiza melodia Smith's longspur, Calcarius pictus Lapland longspur, Calcarius lapponicus Snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis
Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus Common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula Purple finch Haemorhous purpureus Pine siskin, Spinus pinus Hoary redpoll, Acanthis hornemanni Evening grosbeak, Hesperiphona vespertina
Birds that are minimally dependent on boreal forests These are birds usually at their fringe of their ranges in the boreal forest or that occur less frequently as breeders in the boreal forest because their ideal habitat is not included in the taiga. Ross's goose, Chen rossii Wood duck, Aix sponsa Gadwall, Anas strepera
Blue-winged teal Anas discors Cinnamon teal, Anas cyanoptera Redhead, Aythya americana Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsii Pied-billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis Western grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis Great blue heron, Ardea herodias Green heron, Butorides virescens Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii American kestrel, Falco sparverius
Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus Sharp-tailed grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus Gray partridge, Perdix perdix Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo Virginia rail, Rallus limicola American coot, Fulica americana Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus American avocet, Recurvirostra americana Willet, Tringa semipalmata Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Bristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensis Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus