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 rain forest. 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.
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 perspicillataWhite-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandiBlack scoter, Melanitta americanaBufflehead, Bucephala albeolaCommon goldeneye, Bucephala clangulaSpruce grouse, Falcipennis canadensisCommon loon, Gavia immerHorned grebe, Podiceps auritusRed-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegenaWhooping crane, Grus americanaGreater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleucaLesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipesSolitary sandpiper, Tringa solitariaWandering tattler, Tringa incanaSpotted sandpiper, Actitis maculariusWhimbrel, Numenius phaeopusSurfbird, Aphriza virgataShort-billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseusCommon black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundusBonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphiaHerring gull, Larus argentatusGreat black-backed gull, Larus marinusCommon tern, Sterna hirundoNorthern hawk owl, Surnia ululaGreat gray owl, Strix nebulosaBoreal owl, Aegolius funereusAmerican three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalisBlack-backed woodpecker, Picoides arcticusYellow-bellied flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventrisAlder flycatcher, Empidonax alnorumNorthern shrike, Lanius excubitorPhiladelphia vireo, Vireo philadelphicusGray jay, Perisoreus canadensisBoreal chickadee, Poecile hudsonicaRuby-crowned kinglet, Regulus calendulaGray-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimusBicknell's thrush, Catharus bicknelliSwainson's thrush, Catharus ustulatusHermit thrush, Catharus guttatusBohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulusTennessee warbler, Oreothlypis peregrinaMagnolia warbler, Setophaga magnoliaCape May warbler, Setophaga tigrinaYellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronataKirtland's warbler, Setophaga kirtlandiiPalm warbler, Setophaga palmarumBay-breasted warbler, Setophaga castaneaBlackpoll warbler, Setophaga striataNorthern waterthrush, Parkesia noveboracensisConnecticut warbler, Oporornis agilisMourning warbler, Geothlypis philadelphiaLe Conte's sparrow, Ammodramus leconteiiLincoln's sparrow, Melospiza lincolniiSwamp sparrow, Melospiza georgianaWhite-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollisDark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalisRusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinusPine grosbeak, Pinicola enucleatorRed crossbill, Loxia curvirostraWhite-winged crossbill, Loxia leucopteraCommon redpoll, Acanthis flammeaThese 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 buccinatorAmerican wigeon, Anas americanaAmerican black duck, Anas rubripesGreen-winged teal, Anas creccaRing-necked duck, Aythya collarisGreater scaup, Aythya marilaLesser scaup, Aythya affinisBarrow's goldeneye, Bucephala islandicaHooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatusCommon merganser, Mergus merganserRuffed grouse, Bonasa umbellusWhite-tailed ptarmigan, Lagopus leucuraPacific loon, Gavia pacificaNorthern goshawk, Accipiter gentilisMerlin, Falco columbariusYellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensisSora, Porzana carolinaSemipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatusHudsonian godwit, Limosa haemasticaPectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotosWhite-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollisLeast sandpiper, Calidris minutillaCommon snipe, Gallinago gallinagoRed-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatusMew gull, Larus canusRoss's gull, Rhodostethia roseaArctic tern, Sterna paradisaeaYellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus variusOlive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperiLeast flycatcher, Empidonax minimusBlue-headed vireo, Vireo solitariusNorthern wheatear, Oenanthe oenantheOrange-crowned warbler, Oreothlypis celataNashville warbler, Oreothlypis ruficapillaChestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanicaBlack-throated green warbler, Setophaga virensBlackburnian warbler, Setophaga fuscaBlack-and-white warbler, Mniotilta variaOvenbird, Seiurus aurocapillaWilson's warbler, Cardellina pusillaCanada warbler, Cardellina canadensisClay-colored sparrow, Spizella pallidaAmerican tree sparrow, Spizelloides arboreaFox sparrow Passerella iliacaWhite-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrysGolden-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapillaGray-crowned rosy-finch, Leucosticte tephrocotisAlthough 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 albifronsSnow goose Chen caerulescensCanada goose Branta canadensisMallard, Anas platyrhynchosNorthern shoveler, Anas clypeataNorthern pintail, Anas acutaCanvasback, Aythya valisineriaHarlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicusCommon eider, Somateria mollissimaLong-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalisRed-breasted merganser, Mergus serratorWillow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopusRock ptarmigan, Lagopus mutaArctic loon, Gavia arcticaRed-throated loon, Gavia stellataAmerican white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchosDouble-crested cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritusAmerican bittern, Botaurus lentiginosusOsprey, Pandion haliaetusBald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalusNorthern harrier, Circus cyaneusSharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatusBroad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterusSwainson's hawk, Buteo swainsoniRed-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensisRough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopusGolden eagle, Aquila chrysaetosGyrfalcon, Falco rusticolusSandhill crane, Grus canadensisPacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulvaAmerican golden-plover, Pluvialis dominicaPiping plover, Charadrius melodusRock sandpiper, Calidris ptilocnemisWestern sandpiper, Calidris mauriBaird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdiiSemipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusillaDunlin, Calidris alpinaStilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopusLong-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceusAmerican woodcock, Scolopax minorWilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolorFranklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcanRing-billed gull, Larus delawarensisBlack tern, Chlidonias nigerLong-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudusParasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticusBlack-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmusGreat horned owl, Bubo virginianusBarred owl, Strix variaLong-eared owl, Asio otusNorthern saw-whet owl, Aegolius acadicusBelted kingfisher, Ceryle alcyonHairy woodpecker, Picoides villosusNorthern flicker, Colaptes auratusPileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatusWestern wood-pewee, Contopus sordidulusEastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebeEastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannusWarbling vireo, Vireo gilvusRed-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceusBlue jay, Cyanocitta cristataBlack-billed magpie, Pica hudsoniaAmerican crow, Corvus brachyrhynchosCommon raven, Corvus coraxHorned lark, Eremophila alpestrisTree swallow, Tachycineta bicolorBank swallow, Riparia ripariaBlack-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapillusRed-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensisBrown creeper, Certhia americanaWinter wren, Troglodytes hiemalisGolden-crowned kinglet, Regulus satrapaArctic warbler, Phylloscopus borealisVeery, Catharus fuscescensVaried thrush, Ixoreus naeviusAmerican pipit, Anthus rubescensSprague's pipit, Anthus spragueiiTownsend's solitaire, Myadestes townsendiAmerican robin, Turdus migratoriusCedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorumYellow warbler, Setophaga petechiaBlack-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescensCommon yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichasAmerican redstart, Setophaga ruticillaChipping sparrow, Spizella passerinaNelson's sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoniSavannah sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensisSong sparrow, Melospiza melodiaSmith's longspur, Calcarius pictusLapland longspur, Calcarius lapponicusSnow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalisRose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianusCommon grackle, Quiscalus quisculaPurple finch Haemorhous purpureusPine siskin, Spinus pinusHoary redpoll, Acanthis hornemanniEvening grosbeak, Hesperiphona vespertinaThese 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 rossiiWood duck, Aix sponsaGadwall, Anas streperaBlue-winged teal Anas discorsCinnamon teal, Anas cyanopteraRedhead, Aythya americanaRuddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensisYellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsiiPied-billed grebe Podilymbus podicepsEared grebe, Podiceps nigricollisWestern grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalisGreat blue heron, Ardea herodiasGreen heron, Butorides virescensBlack-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticoraxTurkey vulture, Cathartes auraTundra swan, Cygnus columbianusCooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperiiAmerican kestrel, Falco sparveriusPeregrine falcon, Falco peregrinusSharp-tailed grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellusGray partridge, Perdix perdixRing-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicusWild turkey, Meleagris gallopavoVirginia rail, Rallus limicolaAmerican coot, Fulica americanaBlack-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarolaKilldeer, Charadrius vociferusAmerican avocet, Recurvirostra americanaWillet, Tringa semipalmataUpland sandpiper, Bartramia longicaudaMarbled godwit, Limosa fedoaBar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponicaBristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensisLong-billed curlew, Numenius americanusRuddy turnstone, Arenaria interpresBlack turnstone, Arenaria melanocephalaBuff-breasted sandpiper, Tryngites subruficollisRed phalarope, Phalaropus fulicariaCalifornia gull, Larus californicusGlaucous-winged gull, Larus glaucescensGlaucous gull, Larus hyperboreusSabine's gull, Xema sabiniCaspian tern, Hydroprogne caspiaForster's tern, Sterna forsteriRock pigeon, Columba liviaMourning dove, Zenaida macrouraEastern screech-owl, Megascops asioSnowy owl, Nyctea scandiacaNorthern pygmy-owl, Glaucidium gnomaShort-eared owl, Asio flammeusCommon nighthawk, Chordeiles minorWhip-poor-will, Caprimulgus vociferusChimney swift, Chaetura pelagicaRuby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubrisRufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufusRed-naped sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalisRed-breasted sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruberDowny woodpecker, Picoides pubescensEastern wood-pewee, Contopus virensWillow flycatcher, Empidonax trailliiHammond's flycatcher, Empidonax hammondiiDusky flycatcher, Empidonax oberholseriCordilleran flycatcher, Empidonax occidentalisSay's phoebe, Sayornis sayaGreat crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitusWestern kingbird, Tyrannus verticalisYellow-throated vireo, Vireo flavifronsCassin's vireo, Vireo cassiniiSteller's jay, Cyanocitta stelleriClark's nutcracker, Nucifraga columbianaPurple martin, Progne subisViolet-green swallow, Tachycineta thalassinaCliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonotaBarn swallow, Hirundo rusticaMountain chickadee, Poecile gambeliChestnut-backed chickadee, Poecile rufescensWhite-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensisHouse wren, Troglodytes aedonSedge wren, Cistothorus platensisMarsh wren, Cistothorus palustrisAmerican dipper, Cinclus mexicanusRed-throated pipit, Anthus cervinusYellow wagtail, Motacilla flavaBluethroat, Luscinia svecicaEastern bluebird, Sialia sialisMountain bluebird, Sialia currucoidesWood thrush, Hylocichla mustelinaGray catbird, Dumetella carolinensisBrown thrasher, Toxostoma rufumEuropean starling, Sturnus vulgarisGolden-winged warbler, Vermivora chrysopteraNorthern parula, Setophaga americanaTownsend's warbler, Setophaga townsendiPine warbler, Setophaga pinusPrairie warbler, Setophaga discolorMacGillivray's warbler, Geothlypis tolmieiScarlet tanager, Piranga olivaceaWestern tanager, Piranga ludovicianaSpotted towhee, Pipilo maculatusEastern towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmusBrewer's sparrow, Spizella breweriLark sparrow, Chondestes grammacusVesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineusBaird's sparrow, Ammodramus bairdiiGrasshopper sparrow, Ammodramus savannarumHarris's sparrow, Zonotrichia querulaNorthern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalisIndigo bunting, Passerina cyaneaBobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorusRed-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceusEastern meadowlark, Sturnella magnaWestern meadowlark, Sturnella neglectaBrewer's blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalusYellow-headed blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusBrown-headed cowbird, Molothrus aterBaltimore oriole, Icterus galbulaCassin's finch, Carpodacus cassiniiHouse finch, Carpodacus mexicanusAmerican goldfinch, Spinus tristisHouse sparrow, Passer domesticus
