Photo top left: Bald Eagles soar again in Connecticut, thanks in part to the efforts of citizen-science volunteers; juvenile Bald Eagle photo by Dr. Twan Leenders.

Photo top right: Citizen scientists at work in Connecticut monitoring birds; photo copyright Julian Hough.

An Eastern Meadowlark sings from an exposed perch in its grassland habitat. The species has been dramatically affected by loss of grassland habitat and by changes in farm practices in the existing habitat, suffering a 72% decline in the past 40 years. It is one of our “Top 20 Conservation Priority” bird species. Photo © Paul J. Fusco.

Connecticut Audubon Society’s
Top 20 “Conservation Priority” Bird Species (in alphabetical order)

American Black Duck
American Woodcock
Blue-winged Warbler
Bobolink
Brown Thrasher
Cerulean Warbler
Common Nighthawk
Common Tern
Eastern Meadowlark
Golden-winged Warbler
Grasshopper Sparrow
Least Bittern
Least Tern
Piping Plover
Prairie Warbler
Roseate Tern
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Sanderling
Seaside Sparrow
Wood Thrush

The Cerulean Warbler (above) is one of 9 “at risk” species listed by major conservation organizations but not covered by the Connecticut Endangered Species Act. Connecticut Audubon Society selected it as a Top 20 “Conservation Priority” indicator species of important forest habitat. Photo © Paul J. Fusco.

Human actions, including passive recreation at the wrong place and/or wrong time, can cause at-risk bird species to change their natural behavior. Disturbance of their breeding colony can reduce the nesting success of these Least Terns, a state-listed “threatened” species and one of Connecticut Audubon Society's Top 20 “Conservation Priority” indicator species of important coastal habitat. Photo © Paul J. Fusco.

Connecticut Audubon Society's Recommendations for
re-vamping the state's
land-acquisition process in order to restore and maintain biological diversity, as described in "Connecticut State of the Birds 2010" report:

1. Create a state map of all known protected public and private land.

2. Analyze the usefulness of these lands for protecting species of conservation concern.*

3. Identify and prioritize lands that need to be acquired in order to protect habitats of greatest conservation need.

*4. Establish an independent review board to help develop acquisition priorities and to oversee activities and progress.

*5. Create a funding plan.

*Land should be analyzed and valued using the “Biological Conservation Unit” concept outlined in Connecticut Audubon Society’s Connecticut State of the Birds 2009 report, thus enabling protection of a broader range of wildlife species as well as the key species of conservation concern.

Connecticut Audubon Society is an independent science-based conservation organization focused on Connecticut’s native birds and habitats. In keeping with our mission and beginning in 2006, Connecticut Audubon Society has released an annual “Connecticut State of the Birds” report. This remains a first-of-its-kind report for Connecticut, each

Our 2010 report also describes a great, modern-day citizen-science success story, the Raptor Population Index, which involves tens of thousands of citizen scientists at sites throughout North America. The RPI had its beginnings in organized "hawk watches" that started in 1886, when volunteers gathered at New Haven’s Lighthouse Point to count migrating hawks and monitor migration patterns and species. In the 1950s, scientists and bird watchers noted correlations between hawk populations and the health of the environment. And in her ground-breaking book, “Silent Spring,” Rachel Carson used data from hawk watches to document declines in Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon populations that dramatically illustrated the dangers of widespread use of DDT. In 2003, three Hawk Watch organizations joined forces to form the Raptor Population Index project in order to provide scientifically accurate, professionally recognized assessments of the status of migrating hawks and other raptors for use in developing effective conservation plans and public education.

Today it is widely accepted that birds are excellent indicators of environmental health. Vast amounts of data are required for scientific studies being conducted at academic institutions, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. But none of these entities have sufficient “feet on the ground.” Volunteer citizen scientists, properly trained, provide critical person-power to assist professional scientists in these endeavors and their contributions are more important today than ever. So the 2010 report also contains “A Connecticut Directory of Citizen-Science Programs” containing 35 entries for beginner, intermediate and advanced-level projects, including descriptions and contact information. The Directory is designed to encourage and inspire more Connecticut residents to get involved in helping us better understand and protect Connecticut’s flora and fauna.

Land acquisition is the key to habitat protection, but the process the state uses to acquire land is flawed and inefficient. It is based solely on land that is offered for sale rather than a process that determines and prioritizes what lands are needed for habitat and conservation purposes. The 2010 report concludes with Connecticut Audubon Society’s recommendations for revamping the state’s land-acquisition strategies.

Conservation is a "global" issue that concerns all of us. Right here, right now, in Connecticut, we can and must do something to protect at-risk bird species and disappearing wildlife habitat and the countless plants, insects and other animals that share these same habitats.

Connecticut Audubon Society will continue to work with State legislators, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, other state agencies and other conservation organizations to develop the specific actions required to implement our recommendations and make progress in achieving our common goal of conserving Connecticut’s birdlife and protecting our natural environment.

To ensure that our "Connecticut State of the Birds" reports are both scientifically valid and impartial, we have established a scientific advisory board of distinguished experts in the field. However, these publications and the articles and recommendations they contain are the responsibility of the authors and Connecticut Audubon Society, and do not necessarily imply the endorsement of the other organizations or individuals involved.

Sincerely,

Robert Martinez, President
Connecticut Audubon Society

Below are synopses of our 2006-2009 reports. Please click on the icons in the upper left-hand column ("Quick Links" to read our 2006-2010 reports, press releases and other relevant materials.

Connecticut Audubon Society’s initial report, “Connecticut State of the Birds 2006,” focused on the single major threat to our native birds: habitat loss. As a result, an estimated 50% of Connecticut’s native bird species are declining, and 17% are on the State’s “Endangered,” “Threatened” or “Species of Special Concern” list. That is: 50 out of 290 regularly or annually occurring bird species in Connecticut are State-listed.  Our 2006 report also contains our five specific, science-based recommendations for mitigating these threats and protecting Connecticut’s birds and habitats. In cooperation with the State and other conservation organizations, Connecticut Audubon Society has followed through on all five recommendations, and we are pleased to see that bird conservation in Connecticut is moving forward.

For our "Connecticut State of the Birds 2007” Report, another group of independent experts described the next most serious set of threats to our native birds. These are specific factors, either man-made or within our control, that kill or injure millions of birds annually and destroy precious habitat. Just one of these, glass strikes, conservatively kills an estimated 100 million birds every year in the U.S. -- and some experts say 1 billion!

Our "Connecticut State of the Birds 2008" Report describes possible conservation strategies for six bird species that are in serious trouble -- and for which their Connecticut habitat is critical to their global survival -- to illustrate how complex the problems and solutions are related to habitat protection and bird conservation. These include the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow (a state-listed “species of Special Concern”), the Blue-winged Warbler (a state-listed “Endangered” species), the Golden-winged Warbler, the American Oystercatcher (a state-listed “species of Special Concern”), the Cerulean Warbler, and the Bobolink (a state-listed “species of Special Concern”). There are no "one-size-fits-all" programs or simple solutions. The next, difficult steps are to design, fund and implement action plans that address the problems we’ve identified, including changing human behavior, which is probably the most difficult challenge of all.

Our "Connecticut State of the Birds 2009" Report focuses on whether the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA, enacted in 1973) and Connecticut’s ESA (CT-ESA, enacted in 1989) are the best tools for identifying and protecting endangered species in Connecticut. Our report provides a unique “Conservation Matrix” of 60 “at risk” Connecticut bird species that CAS's Science and Conservation staff selected from the 130 species (representing nearly one-half of all CT’s native birds!) that are ESA- or CT-ESA-listed or watch-listed by four key bird conservation organizations and government agencies. Using four additional criteria, Connecticut Audubon Society designates its “Top 20 Conservation Priority Bird Species” that will serve as indicator species for identifying and prioritizing critical “Biological Conservation Units” (BCUs) statewide. A BCU is a suite of species – plants as well as animals – combined with the key habitat upon which they depend. Based on its findings, Connecticut Audubon Society makes five recommendations that would result in a statewide plan for land acquisition to restore and maintain biological diversity as an integral part of the state of Connecticut's goal of 21% protected land by 2023 as outlined in “The Green Plan.”