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Ecology and Vulnerability Olive-sided Flycatcher
Ecology and Vulnerability
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Background
The Olive-sided flycatcher breeds across much of Canada, in part of the Rockies and Sierra Nevada Mountains, and in northern New England. This species winters in... Read More
Background
The Olive-sided flycatcher breeds across much of Canada, in part of the Rockies and Sierra Nevada Mountains, and in northern New England. This species winters in the mountains of Panama and in the Andes. Massachusetts is at the very southern end of this species’ range in the northeastern US 1. Olive-sided flycatchers are typically associated with pine barrens and spruce-fir forests 8, particularly those with meadow, bog, or forestry cut openings with tall prominent trees or snags 1. These birds are historically dependent on openings created by fire, but often use silvicultural (forest management) openings. However, these silvicultural openings cause increased predation and reduce reproductive success 9. Olive-sided flycatchers hunt for aerial arthropods (flying bugs like flies and cicadas) from an elevated perch 9 and are rather specialized in diet. This species has the longest migration of any flycatcher in North America, and exhibits a particularly early fall departure from breeding grounds as well as a late spring arrival, most likely in response to availability of insects that are highly responsive and vulnerable to cold temperatures 1.
The olive-sided flycatcher is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘‘Near Threatened’’ 8. They have had an annual decline of around 3.5% from 1966-2013 across their range, and 4.5% in Massachusetts 11. This species used to be common throughout Massachusetts, but now only breeds in isolated locations in the north central and western portions of the state, primarily in high-elevation coniferous bogs and swamps 6. Causes for declines are unknown, but may be linked to destruction of wintering habitat, fire suppression, and the ‘ecological trap’ of silvicultural openings where predators are more abundant 1.
Climate Impacts
Climate change may threaten the mountain-top boreal forests that olive-sided flycatchers occupy. Boreal forests are expected to become less common and possibly locally extinct from the Northeastern US under severe climate projections 10. A reduction in range is expected for species that inhabit montane spruce-fir forests at the southern edge of their range 10.
Climate-induced changes in the timing of seasonal events could also have serious consequences for this long-distance migrant. Studies have shown that birds are arriving earlier to their breeding grounds across the northern U.S. 4,12. Climate variability could worsen these timing problems, since late spring storms and extreme weather events can kill migrating birds 2,13. However, many long-distance migrants have not shifted their spring arrival dates as much as short-distance migrants 5. As a result, mismatches between migration dates and food resources have been reported for many long-distance migrants 3. Indeed, many aerial insectivores, particularly long-distance migrants like olive-sided flycatchers, have exhibited significant declines that are very likely related to food shortages and mismatches between insect abundance and timing of life history events 7.
1. Altman, B., and R. Sallabanks. 2012. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi). The Birds of North America Online (A Poole, Ed) Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/502 doi:102173/bna502.
2. Dionne, M., C. Maurice, J. Gauthier, and F. Shaffer. 2008. Impact of Hurricane Wilma on migrating birds: the case of the Chimney Swift. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120: 784–792.
3. Faaborg, J., R.T. Holmes, A.D. Anders, K.L. Bildstein, K.M. Dugger, S.A.J. Gauthreaux, et al. 2010. Conserving migratory land birds in the New World : Do we know enough ? Ecological Applications 20: 398–418.
4. Marra, P.P., C.M. Francis, R.S. Mulvihill, and F.R. Moore. 2005. The influence of climate on the timing and rate of spring bird migration. Oecologia 142: 307–315.
5. Miller-Rushing, A.J., T.L. Lloyd-Evans, R.B. Primack, and P. Satzinger. 2008. Bird migration times, climate change, and changing population sizes. Global Change Biology 14: 1959–1972.
6. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. 2015. Olive-sided flycatcher. 1–2.
7. Nebel, S., A. Mills, J.D. McCracken, and P.D. Taylor. 2010. Declines of aerial insectivores in North America follow a geographic gradient. Avian Conservation and Ecology 5: http://www.ace – eco.org/vol5/iss2/art1/.
8. Ralston, J., D.I. King, W. V DeLuca, G.J. Niemi, M.J. Glennon, J.C. Scarl, et al. 2015. Analysis of combined data sets yields trend estimates for vulnerable spruce-fir birds in northern United States. Biological Conservation 187: 270–278.
9. Robertson, B.A. 2012. Investigating Targets of Avian Habitat Management to Eliminate an Ecological Trap. Avian Conservation and Ecology 7.
10. Rodenhouse, N.L., S.N. Matthews, K.P. McFarland, J.D. Lambert, L.R. Iverson, A. Prasad, et al. 2008. Potential effects of climate change on birds of the Northeast. Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change 13: 517.
11. Saur, J.R., J.E. Hines, J.E. Fallon, K.L. Pardieck, D.. J. Ziolkowski, and W.A. Link. 2014. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2013. Version 01.30.2015.
12. Wilson, H.W. 2013. A Deeper Statistical Examination of Arrival Dates of Migratory Breeding Birds in Relation to Global Climate Change. Biology 2: 742–754.
13. Zumeta, D.C., and R.T. Holmes. 1978. Habitat Shift and Roadside Mortality of Scarlet Tanagers during a Cold Wet New England Spring. The Wilson Bulletin 90: 575–586.
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Species range may shift and perhaps leave the assessment area
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Species range may shift and perhaps leave the assessment area
Schlesinger, M. D., J. D. Corser, K. A. Perkins, and E. L. White. 2011. Vulnerability of at-risk species to climate change in New York. New York Natural Heritage Program, Albany, NY.
Byers, E., and S. Norris. 2011. Climate change vulnerability assessment of Species of Concern in West Virginia. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Elkins, WV.
Hoving, C. L., Y. M. Lee, P. J. Badra, and B. J. Klatt. 2013. Changing climate, changing wildlife: a vulnerability assessment of 400 Species of Greatest Conservation Need and game species in Michigan. Wildlife Division Report #3564. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, MI.
Related Adaptation Strategies and Actions
Related Habitats (broad)
Related Habitats (detailed)
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