Golden-winged Warbler Conservation

Learn about our work to conserve Golden-winged Warblers.

Photo: Ed Buress

Golden-winged Warbler populations are on the decline in the United States. One way that Audubon North Carolina is impacting that decline is through mitigating and reversing habitat loss.

Considered a forest bird, the Golden-winged Warbler needs at least 70 percent of the surrounding landscape to be forested. Having access to ample shrubland is also critical for nest site locations.

The need to restore shrubland, or the earliest stage of forest growth, is becoming more important as land use changes for the Golden-winged Warbler breeding grounds in North Carolina. Biologists are working with farmers, forest managers and private landowners to steward sustainable practices that support suitable habitat. By connecting private and public forest managers with technical and financial resources, we are curtailing the population decline of this species.

Habitat loss also impacts the Golden-winged Warbler’s wintering grounds. Audubon NC is collaborating with our partners to further understand the full life cycle biology of this warbler, including conducting field research in Nicaragua.

Golden-winged Warbler
Priority Birds

Golden-winged Warbler

The rapid decline of the Golden-winged Warbler since the 1980s cannot be explained solely by habitat loss, and that mystery has attracted many scientists to study this beautiful warbler.

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Letting it Grow: How Landowners are Helping Birds by Mowing Less
Forest Legacy Landbird Project - Working Lands

Letting it Grow: How Landowners are Helping Birds by Mowing Less

Allison Bovée and Mary Vogel have changed their landscaping practices at BirdTown Cabins in western North Carolina to create new bird habitat.

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Golden-winged Warbler Tracking Report
Conserve Golden-Wings

Geolocation Tracking Golden-winged Warblers

Geolocation tracking migration routes is essential to the success of the Golden-winged Warbler.

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Neighbors Band Together for Golden-winged Warblers
Conservation

Neighbors Band Together for Golden-winged Warblers

In Mitchell County, landowners are turning a power line right-of-way into prime habitat for a declining warbler.

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Geolocators Flying North and South
Working Lands

Geolocators Flying North and South

Geolocator data will inform our work in Western North Carolina that protects the habitats Golden-winged Warblers need for their survival. Learn more!

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How to Conserve the Golden-winged Warbler
Conserve Golden-Wings

How to Conserve the Golden-winged Warbler

Golden-winged warbler populations are on the decline in the United States. One way that Audubon North Carolina is impacting that decline is through mitigating and reversing habitat loss.

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Private Lands Protection
Landowners Protection - Working Lands

Private Lands Protection

Habitat on private lands plays a critical role in bird conservation in the southeastern U.S.

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Research in North Carolina
Research – Working Lands

Research in North Carolina

Audubon NC is involved in regional and international research in the quest to better understand bird ecology.

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Published Work on Golden-winged Warbler Conservation and Biology
Working Lands

Published Work on Golden-winged Warbler Conservation and Biology

Review recent peer reviewed and thesis papers done by Audubon staff, our academic partners at Appalachian and elsewhere.

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Goats Help Restore Golden-wing Habitat
Forest Management - Working Lands

Goats Help Restore Golden-wing Habitat

Goats will munch the leaves, woody stems, and high vegetative growth that many grazing animals will not. They don’t like to eat grass. This makes them the perfect partner in Golden-winged Warbler habitat management.

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News & Updates

GWWA Workshop Presentations
Working Lands

GWWA Workshop Presentations

Read great presentations from the last GWWA Working Group Summit.

Landowners Meet For the Golden-wings
Working Lands

Landowners Meet For the Golden-wings

For the last decade, Audubon NC has been a leader in the conservation of the Golden-winged and the GWW working group.

Golden-winged Wonders
Working Lands

Golden-winged Wonders

Join Shelley Rutkin author of "Birding for Life" and Cynthia Donaldson on a day hike with Golden-winged Warblers near Boone, NC.

The Golden-Wing Team Is Back!
Working Lands

The Golden-Wing Team Is Back!

Guest post by Anna Tisdale, a member of the Golden-winged Warbler field team. Anna’s research this season will help Audubon North Carolina’s conservation efforts to protect the birds in Western North Carolina.

Golden-winged Warbler Biologists Plan Training Workshop
Working Lands

Golden-winged Warbler Biologists Plan Training Workshop

In an effort to further expand the reach of this program, a team of biologists and organizations are developing a training workshop for professional land managers in the Central and Southern Appalachian Conservation Regions to be held this Fall.

Golden-winged Warblers Return to the Mountains
Working Lands

Golden-winged Warblers Return to the Mountains

In North Carolina, GWWA populations have declined an average of 10 percent every year for the past decade. Even more concerning, these warblers have seen a decline of nearly 98 percent in their entire Appalachian region breeding range.

Putting Working Lands to Work for Birds and People
Working Lands

Putting Working Lands to Work for Birds and People

Audubon has crafted a collaborative approach to forest management to restore habitats for birds and wildlife in Western North Carolina.

How you can help, right now