Simply in time for fall migration, Dominican Republic conservation group SOH Conservación has bought 432 acres of land with monetary assist from American Hen Conservancy (ABC). The brand new acquisition will significantly develop the 35-acre Bosque de las Nubes (“Forest of the Clouds”) Reserve and act as a buffer in opposition to unlawful incursions into the adjoining 277,964-acre Sierra de Bahoruco Nationwide Park. It would additionally develop habitat safeguards for Neotropical migrants just like the weak Bicknell’s Thrush and quite a lot of endemic species such because the endangered Hispaniolan Crossbill and the Dominican Republic’s nationwide hen, the Palmchat.
“When most individuals consider the Dominican Republic, they usually consider its stunning Caribbean seashores and waters. Nonetheless, the nation can also be house to an unbelievable range of mountainous forest habitats which might be crucial for a lot of species of migratory birds that we see in North America throughout our summer season,” stated Marci Eggers, ABC’s Director of Migratory Hen Habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean. “This growth of the Bosque de las Nubes Reserve is a crucial step in the direction of making a protected hall for Neotropical migrants within the Dominican Republic.”
The Dominican Republic is without doubt one of the most vital international locations for hen conservation within the Caribbean. Its numerous habitats and heat local weather shelter Neotropical migrants in the course of the North American winter. The nation additionally hosts greater than 30 hen species discovered solely on the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti.
The Bosque de las Nubes Reserve and adjoining Sierra de Bahoruco Nationwide Park are situated within the Sierra de Bahoruco BirdScape, a precedence area recognized by ABC and companions for the nation’s migratory species. Situated within the Dominican Republic’s southwest nook, this BirdScape stretches throughout the plush Bahoruco mountains, the place broadleaf, pine, and cloud forest habitats all host numerous avian communities at totally different elevations. The realm is critically vital to the Bicknell’s Thrush, which breeds within the coniferous forests of New England and southeastern Canada, and winters totally on Hispaniola.
Sadly, the Bicknell Thrush’s comparatively small nonbreeding vary has left it significantly weak to the impacts of habitat loss on the island, and its inhabitants is declining by at the very least 7 % per 12 months. ABC has been working with companions since 2006 to reverse this development by addressing unsustainable logging and agriculture, together with different sources of forest loss within the Dominican Republic. Actions to this point have included facilitating reforestation efforts and supporting enhancements to protected space administration.
Enlargement of the SOH Conservación-managed Bosque de las Nubes Reserve is the newest vital step within the technique of making certain sufficient nonbreeding habitat for Bicknell’s Thrush. The addition brings ABC one step nearer to establishing a conservation hall that spans the whole Sierra de Bahoruco BirdScape.
Species profile: Bicknell’s Thrush
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