Bicknell's Thrush is one of the rarest songbirds in North America, with a highly fragmented breeding range that is restricted to northeastern North America. It breeds mainly in high elevation coniferous forest. Bicknell's Thrush was recognised as a distinct species in 1995, when it was taxonomically separated from the Gray-cheeked Thrush. Results from various surveys suggest a large decrease in the population of Bicknell's Thrush in Canada since 1970. Canada hosts roughly half the breeding population and an estimated 95% of the potential breeding habitat (COSEWIC 2009b); there is little remaining habitat in the United States to accommodate population growth. Current threats to the population are high, and include habitat loss, climate change, predation and environmental contaminants (COSEWIC 2009b, Townsend et al. 2015). Bicknell's Thrush was first assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as Special Concern in 1999 but was revised to Threatened in 2009 (COSEWIC 2009b) and listed under the Species at Risk Act in 2012. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Bicknell's Thrush presents a significant challenge to wildlife managers, researchers and conservation organizations. It is secretive and occupies remote and inhospitable habitats which make field surveys difficult. The species' primary habitat includes high elevation spruce and fir forest, which is currently threatened by the impacts of climate change and pollution due to atmospheric deposition. Further threats come from habitat modification due to climate change (McFarland et al. 2008), construction of wind farms, clearing for recreational development, development for telecommunications and increasing moose populations in parts of its breeding range (ECCC 2016). Certain forestry practices are considered a threat to the species and it's breeding habitat, especially the practice of pre-commercial thinning (ECCC 2016). However, dense new coniferous growth following logging may benefit Bicknell's Thrush. Recent conservation efforts have focused on preservation of the species' forest habitat in the Caribbean (Townsend et al. 2015). A Conservation Action Plan has been published by the Bicknell's Thrush International Conservation Group. For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view available Recovery documents, see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
