Black-throated Blue Warbler
Latin: Setophaga caerulescens
Pisgah Natl Forest. Photo: Jeff Gunn/Flickr CC
As one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains are a biodiversity hotspot and contain one of the largest, most important climate strongholds for birds. Significant elevation changes, complex terrain and associated rain and snow conditions support birds with diverse climate requirements in this area. This includes birds that require deciduous forest, high elevation and open/agricultural habitat conditions. Audubon’s climate models predict that many songbird species will migrate from other parts of the state into the mountains in search of cooler, wetter conditions. Protecting land in the mountains, ensuring forests are managed in a bird-friendly way and growing native plants in mountain towns and cities, are key priorities for Audubon in this area.
Climate-threatened birds can be grouped according to the type of habitat that they prefer. This climate stronghold is likely to include suitable habitat and climate conditions for many birds threatened by climate change, including key birds listed below.
Government: National Park Service, National Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Carolina State Parks, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina Forest Service, North Carolina Division of Soil & Water Conservation
National & State NGOs: The Nature Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, Conservation Trust for North Carolina
Local Land Trusts: Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Blue Ridge Conservancy, New River Conservancy, Piedmont Land Conservancy
Blue Ridge Mountains Photo: Akshay/Flickr CC
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