Anyone who regularly reads our newsletter, blog, or attends our programs knows that Audubon North Carolina has spent a lot of time and effort over the last few years working to learn about and conserve Golden-winged Warblers (GWWA). And we are not alone. The Golden-winged Warbler Working Group (GWWAWG)was established in 2005, by more than 75 partners, to dig deep into the science and life cycle of this species. In this series of blog posts, learn about all the work of the GWWWG and what this collaborative effort has done to protect this tiny gem of our forests.
Post by Curtis Smalling, Coordinator NC IBA Program & Mountain Program Manager
Both here and on the wintering grounds, we must implement these findings for the conservation of the bird. We have worked hard over the past year to complete and produce best management guides and a species conservation plan to help landowners and managers better manage land for Golden-wings. We were awarded three grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Natural Resource Conservation Service to support our work to implement these best management practices, and to test if they are working.
We are working with partners in Nicaragua on a corridor project to protect forest and Golden-wings. The Golden-winged Working Group hopes to halt the decline in the population by 2020 and increase the species population by 50% by 2050.
It will take a huge effort and many partners to accomplish these goals. But now we have a good understanding of how we can do that throughout a bird’s life cycle, and our science is giving us the answers to do this in an efficient, effective and sensitive manner. Our early successional and our forest bird species need us to get this right, and we think we are on the right track.
For more information about the Golden-winged Working Group please visit our website.
