Josh, Great job compiling conservation status information on these birds! Sorting through all the various lists at state, national, and global scales can be very challenging. I think you’re approach of combining state-listed species, global concern lists, and eBird records is exactly the right approach to take.
Another recent source with additional information on these species is the Partners in Flight Landbird Conservation Plan, also published in 2016: http://www.partnersinflight.org/ The only minor change since the State of the Birds report, is that Evening Grosbeak was added to the Watch List because of its steep declines — it could be added to your list as a winter visitor (now rare) on FLNF. Olive-sided Flycatcher (also on the Watch List) also could potentially be added as a migrant. The Partners in Flight Plan also lists a group of “Common Birds in Steep Decline,” which are not yet on the Watch List, but have lost 50% or more of their global population since 1970 (according to the BBS), and are often representative of degraded habitats. These include the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Field Sparrow, and Rusty Blackbird, which you have already listed as “honorable mentions,” as well as some other common local species — Bank Swallow (B), Blackpoll Warbler (migrant), Pine Siskin (W), Eastern Meadowlark (B), Chimney Swift (B), Wilson’s Warbler (M), Least Flycatcher (B), American Tree Sparrow (W), and Common Grackle (!). If the FLNF has additional questions, or is going through a formal process to update their list, I would be happy to provide more input. KEN Kenneth V. Rosenberg Conservation Science Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology Office: 607-254-2412 cell: 607-342-4594 k...@cornell.edu<mailto:k...@cornell.edu> On Mar 15, 2017, at 12:42 PM, Joshua Snodgrass <cedarsh...@gmail.com<mailto:cedarsh...@gmail.com>> wrote: Hello all, I've been volunteering in the Finger Lakes National Forest checking on the condition of bird boxes for the new biologist there. He is currently updating the Regional Forester Sensitive Species list for the forest, and asked for my input on any birds that should be added to the list that are in trouble. It would be irresponsible of me to give advice without asking for input from this community, who are far more knowledgeable than I am. What I have done in my efforts to make good recommendations are to crosscheck eBird sightings with the NY DEC's list of state Endangered, Threatened, and Species of concern, as well as the most recent State of the Birds report for species that are in trouble versus those that occur in the forest. I included any birds in the SotB report that received a score of "13" or higher. If any of you have recommendations for additional species, or other edits, please let me know. Thank you all for any input. Below is the list of bird species I came up with that have been recorded in eBird as occuring in the Finger Lakes NF, with NYDEC sensitive species first. Short-eared Owl- NY Endangered Golden Eagle- NY Endangered (usually a migrant, one recent record of a perched bird) Pied-billed Grebe- NY Threatened Bald Eagle- NY Threatened Northern Harrier- NY Threatened Henslow's Sparrow- NY Threatened Upland Sandpiper- NY Threatened (flyover record, but habitat seems amenable) Northern Goshawk- NY Species of Concern (SoC) Cooper's Hawk- NY SoC Sharp-shinned Hawk- NY SoC Red-shouldered Hawk- NY SoC Common Nighthawk- NY Soc Horned Lark- NY SoC Vesper Sparrow- NY SoC Grasshopper Sparrow- NY SoC Birds not listed by NY DEC, but in trouble globally according to 2016 State of the BIrds report follow. The State of the Birds Watch List includes any species with a score of 14 or higher, as well as those with a score of 13 and a rapidly declining population. I have included all species that scored a 13 or higher that are known to occur in the Finger Lakes NF below: Bobolink- 14 breeding Wood Thrush- 14 breeding Canada Warbler- 14 breeding? American Woodcock- 13 breeding Black-billed Cuckoo- 13 breeding Blue-winged Warbler- 13 breeding Prairie Warbler- 13 breeding Cape May Warbler- 13 migrant Connecticut Warble- 13 migrant Honorable mentions- birds that score a 12 that breed on Finger Lakes NF lands: Yellow-billed Cuckoo Chestnut-sided Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush Mourning Warbler (breeds?) Veery Field Sparrow Rusty Blackbird (migrant?) Links to the State of the Birds, and NYDEC species list, and breeding bird atlas http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2016/ http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7494.html http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/bba/ State of the Birds species table: http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2016/resources/species-assessments/ Thank for any input! Josh -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
