important bird areas site nomination form

SITE NAME: Superior National Forest LAST UPDATE: 5 November 2012

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MINNESOTA IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS

Nomination Form

SITE INFORMATION

Superior National Forest

County (Primary): Cook, Lake, St. Louis Townships:

Approximate Size: 3,867,142 acres Accuracy of Acreage: very good – USFS

Central Coordinates: Latitude: 47 54 10 N Longitude: 91 51 12 W

Elevation (max – min): 2,301 ft. (Eagle Mtn.); 602 ft. (Lake Superior)

BCR Name/Number: Boreal Hardwood Transition – BCR 12 ECS Name (to subsection) BIOTICS Fill in: Laurentian Mixed Forest (province); Northern Superior Uplands (section); Border Lakes, North Shore Highlands, Laurentian Lowlands, Nashwauk Uplands, Toimi Uplands (subsections).

WBDB IBA ID: MNUS056 BIOTICS ID:

SITE DESCRIPTION

The Superior National Forest Important Bird Area (SNF IBA) encompasses approximately 3.9

million acres and spans 150 miles along the Canadian border in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis

Counties (see map #1). It is the larger of the two Minnesota National Forests and was

established in 1909. The ecological setting of the SNF is in the Laurentian Mixed Forest

province, a transition zone between the boreal forest and the eastern deciduous forest. The

landscape is a mosaic of eight basic forest communities varying from upland pine and aspen-

birch types to lowland conifer and open shrub bog. The land cover is about 85% native

vegetation, about 3% developed, and 12% water. The water resources are very rich,

numbering about 2,000 lakes, greater than 10 acres (including some famous major lakes:

Vermilion, Burntside, LaCroix, Basswood, Seagull, Saganaga) and 1,300 miles of major

coldwater streams and 950 miles of major warmwater streams. This land and water diversity

provides a myriad of niches for 163 breeding bird species, including 24 warblers, and 50

mammal species, including notable populations of the iconic Gray Wolf and Canada Lynx.

Forest management is focused on land protection, timber harvesting and recreation.


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Recreational use is high for hiking, boating, snowmobiling, wildlife viewing and wilderness

canoeing. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is part of the SNF IBA, is the

premier wilderness unit east of the Rocky Mountains and is the most heavily used wilderness

in the United States.


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MAPS

Map Source: MN Audubon


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Map Source: MN Audubon


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Map Source: National Forest Service


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SITE JUSTIFICATION

The landscape of the Superior NF is 85% forested and only 3% developed so it constitutes the

largest unfragmented area of native vegetation in BCR 12. This forested zone is a transition

between the northern boreal/coniferous forest and the southern mixed deciduous forest. The

forest in the Superior IBA is an extraordinarily diverse mixture of forest species and patch sizes

interspersed with 12% lakes and waterways of varied sizes. This diversity provides habitat

types and niches for 162 species that are breeders on the Superior NF. In the context of the

state of Minnesota, the breeding species richness is 74% of the state regular breeding species

list. [Note: in previous lists the Rusty Blackbird was considered a breeder with three nesting

records in the 1980’s. However, since 1990 there have been only three observations, despite

much survey work, and no breeding evidence.]

Many other species are migrants. Those that occur yearly in the Superior NF number

227 which is 72% of the state list of regular species. In addition there are 51 casual (occur

occasionally) and 36 accidental (single occurrence) species that have been documented since

1990. Most of these are vagrants that have been found along the North Shore of Lake

Superior.

Category MN-1e: Sites where birds concentrate in significant numbers when breeding, in winter, or during migration. – Species Diversity

The SNF IBA hosts 24 breeding species of warblers. Their yearly occurrence has been well

documented through surveys by the Minnesota Biological Survey, the U. of Minnesota, Natural

Resources Research Institute and annotated published checklists. This number is 77 % of the

31 warblers presumed to breed annually in Minnesota.

Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Golden-winged Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Connecticut Warbler Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula

Magnolia Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Wilson’s Warbler

BIOTICS Field Name: Site Significance/Other Values; Comments


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Category MN-1f: Sites where birds concentrate in significant numbers when breeding, in winter, or during migration. – Significant number of a particular species.

The distribution of even common species is not geographically uniform in Minnesota because

of the intersection of three major biomes in the state and the disparate landscapes of the

prairie, hardwood forests, and coniferous forests. The Superior IBA with its boreal-conifer

forest has many species whose breeding populations are 25% or more of the occurrences in

the state. Using the maps in the Breeding Bird Atlas and the DNR’s Minnesota Breeding Bird

Survey Locations as a guide, these species meet that criterion.

American Black Duck Northern Waterthrush Common Goldeneye Tennessee Warbler Common Merganser Cape May Warbler Red-breasted Merganser Northern Parula Spruce Grouse Magnolia Warbler Northern Goshawk Bay-breasted Warbler Merlin Blackburnian Warbler Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Black-throated Blue Warbler Blue-headed Vireo Palm Warbler Gray Jay Yellow-rumped Warbler Boreal Chickadee Black-throated Green Warbler Winter Wren Canada Warbler Golden-crowned Kinglet Wilson’s Warbler Ruby-crowned Kinglet Dark-eyed Junco Swainson’s Thrush Evening Grosbeak The Minnesota Biological Survey has documented records for the Black-throated Blue Warbler and

estimates that the SNF IBA has about 75% of all the state records in their surveys.

Category MN-2: Sites for species of conservation concern. (2a) State or federal listed species; Threatened

Trumpeter Swan – recent confirmed breeding in the SNF; this represents a range expansion

Peregrine Falcon – in Cook Co. known sites are outside SNF boundary (Grand Portage

Indian Reservation); possible BWCAW sites – Rose Lake, Winchell Lake, but no confirmation.

Wilson’s Phalarope – there is one confirmed breeding record (Crest Lake) at the

southern margin of the SNF


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(2b) Species of conservation concern (non-listed species) American Black Duck Olive-sided Flycatcher Northern Goshawk Bay-breasted Warbler Spruce Grouse Cape May Warbler American Woodcock Black-throated Blue Warbler Great Gray Owl Connecticut Warbler Boreal Owl Canada Warbler In addition, the USFA has a category for species of conservation concern called the Regional

Forester Sensitive Species List. For the Eastern Region 9 that list (February 20, 2012) for

birds in the Superior National Forest is:

Bald Eagle American Three-toed Woodpecker Northern Goshawk Olive-sided Flycatcher Great Gray Owl Connecticut Warbler Boreal Owl Bay-breasted Warbler Category MN-3: Sites containing assemblages of species characteristic of a representative, rare, threatened, or unique habitat. Conifer Swamps (black spruce, tamarack & white cedar swamps, spruce bog)

All species in this habitat are present in the SNF, some in high numbers; those that are either

abundant (A) or common (C) on both the NRRI and MCBS field surveys are marked:

Spruce Grouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Great Gray Owl Swainson’s Thrush - (C) Boreal Owl Hermit Thrush - (A) Three-toed Woodpecker Tennessee Warbler Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Parula Olive-sided Flycatcher Magnolia Warbler - (C) Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - (C) Yellow-rumped Warbler - (C) Blue-headed Vireo Blackburnian Warbler - (C) Gray Jay Bay-breasted Warbler Boreal Chickadee Cape May Warbler Red-breasted Nuthatch Palm Warbler Winter Wren - (C) Northern Waterthrush Golden-crowned Kinglet Connecticut Warbler Canada Warbler - (C) Purple Finch Lincoln’s Sparrow White-winged Crossbill White-throated Sparrow - (A) Pine Siskin Dark-eyed Junco Evening Grosbeak Upland Deciduous Forest

Most of the species in this habitat are present in the SNF, a few in high numbers; those that

are either abundant (A) or common (C) on both the NRRI and MCBS field surveys are marked.


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Those species that are classified as very rare (VR) on the comprehensive SNF checklist are

also marked.

Broad-winged Hawk White-breasted Nuthatch Ruffed Grouse Brown Creeper Black-billed Cuckoo Veery - (A) Yellow-billed Cuckoo - (VR) Wood Thrush Barred Owl Golden-winged Warbler - (VR) Whip-poor-will - (VR) Chestnut-sided Warbler - (A) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - (C) Black-throated Blue Warbler Pileated Woodpecker American Redstart Eastern Wood-Pewee Ovenbird - (A) Least Flycatcher - (C) Mourning Warbler Great Crested Flycatcher Scarlet Tanager Yellow-throated Vireo - (VR) Category MN-4: Sites for long-term avian research, monitoring. The Superior National Forest IBA meets this criterion through the long-term monitoring

study of breeding bird trends in the SNF that the Natural Resources Research Institute at U of

Minn. Duluth has conducted as part of a larger project for the Upper Great Lakes National

Forests. This project was begun in 1991 and is still ongoing in cooperation with the national

forests. It uses a survey methodology of ten-minute point counts conducted during the June

and early July breeding season. The sampling design used a proportionately, stratified

random design of identifying stands >40 acres by dominant tree species; there are three point

counts in each stand. In the Superior NF 168 stands are monitored, distributed predominantly

along the Echo Trail and Fernberg Road in the Border Lakes subsection, in the northern part of

the Laurentian Uplands subsection and in the North Shore Highlands subsection.

Although the primary purpose of this monitoring has been to understand breeding

population trends, the abundant point count data also describe species’ relative abundance

and avian assemblages in relationship to forest types. For this nomination, Gerald Niemi, the

principal investigator on this project, has shared the raw data from the point counts which I

have used extensively and gratefully. The most recent published summary (data through

2009) is in NRRI Technical Report (NRRI/TR-2010/19) entitled: “A 15 and 20-year summary of

breeding bird trends in National Forests of Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin” by Gerald

Niemi, Robert Howe, Nicholas Danz and Matthew Etterson. Several other peer reviewed


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publications have also resulted from the analysis of this long-term data set. Citations can be

found on the NRRI web site.

Continued funding by the U. S. Forest Service for this monitoring program is very

uncertain. It is possible to design a monitoring scheme for this IBA that can be conducted in a

less intensive manner, perhaps using volunteers, but that represents the diversity of the

landscape condition in the Superior NF. Looking at the major east-west and north-south

vegetation and landform differences, I have proposed a sampling program that monitors four

adjacent townships (total of 92,000 acres or 144 square miles) in two parts of the forest that

show these differences:

Echo Trail area, Border Lakes subsection (townships 66-15, 66-14, 65-15, 65-14).

Tofte area, North Shore Highlands subsection (townships 60-6, 60-5, 59-6, 59-50.

Both places have reasonable access, with avian data from the NRRI sampling program and

the Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas. Just to illustrate the differences that these landscapes,

vegetation and climate gradients produce for bird species distributions and abundance, a quick

look at the NRRI data for Black-throated Green Warbler shows that it is ten times as abundant

on the North Shore as along the Echo Trail. This is just one possible monitoring approach. It

is hoped that a monitoring scheme for the Superior National Forest IBA can be developed.

Because the Superior NF is such a vast and distinctive area that also has been the

subject of much significant ecological research, there have been other ornithological

investigations that have been published in research journals. Here are two important citations:

Apfelbaum, Steven and Alan Haney. 1981. Bird populations before and after wildfire in

a Great Lakes forest. Condor 83:347-354.

Burris, John M. and Alan W. Haney. 2005. Bird communities after blowdown in a late-

successional Great lakes spruce-fir forest. Wilson Bulletin 117:341-352.

In addition, one of Gerald Niemi’s graduate students, Ed Zlonis, has completed a thesis

entitled: “Avian communities of wilderness and managed Minnesota forests”. As an outgrowth

of that research, using some of his survey plots, a research project “Pre and post-burn avian

surveys in the Pagami Creek Fire burn-area, 2012-2016” has been funded.


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IBA SITE CRITERIA

MN-1. Significant concentrations of breeding, migrating or wintering:

(a) waterfowl

(b) shorebirds

(c) waterbirds

(d) migratory raptors or cranes

x (e) species diversity

x (f) significant numbers

x MN-2a. Endangered, threatened or species of special concern

x MN-2b. Species of conservation concern

x MN-3. Rare, threatened, or unique habitat assemblages

x MN-4. Long-term research, monitoring or urban value

BIOTICS Field Name: IBA/Criteria Fields


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SPECIES OF IMPORTANCE

CRITERIA SPECIES SEASON

1 MAX.

NUMBERS (Specify daily or

seasonal)

YEAR(S) ACCURACY2 REFERENCES

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MN – 1e 24 warbler species B Seasonal, all 24 sp.

1980-2012 A 1, 2, 3, 6, 8

MN – 1f 30 species listed B 30 species > 25% of state population from BBA mapped results

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2a Wilson’s Phalarope B Nest, only record for SNF, range extension

2002 A 5

MN – 2b American Black Duck B SNF ~ 100% BBA 2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Northern Goshawk B, resident SNF > 50% of BBA 2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Spruce Grouse B, resident SNF > 75% of BBA 2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b American Woodcock B SNF > 10% of BBA 2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Great Gray Owl B, resident SNF > 50% of BBA

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Boreal Owl B, resident SNF > 50% of BBA

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Olive-sided Flycatcher B SNF > 25% of BBA

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Bay-breasted Warbler B SNF > 50% of BBA

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Cape May Warbler B SNF > 50% of BBA

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Black-throated Blue Warbler

B SNF > 75% of BBA

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Connecticut Warbler B SNF > 25% of BBA

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 2b Canada Warbler B SNF > 25% of BBA; common on SNF

2009-2012 G 9

MN – 3b 34 species; conifer swamps

B 2 abundant; 7 common

1990-2012 G 2, 3, 6, 8

MN – 3b 23 species; upland deciduous

B 3 abundant, 2

common, 4 v. rare 1990-2012 G 2, 3, 6, 8

1Season (on which quantitative data are based): B=Breeding, W=Winter, SM=Spring Migration, FM=Fall Migration.

2Accuracy: R=Rough Estimate, G=Good Estimate, A= Accurate Count or Estimate

3Cite references by number listed below.

BIOTICS Field Name: Element Site/Element Name and Presence Reference


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REFERENCES

1 1980. Green, J. C. and G. J. Niemi. Birds of the Superior National Forest. Superior National Forest, Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 82 pp.

2 2002. Green, J. C. Birds of the Superior National Forest: an annotated checklist. Boundary Waters Wilderness Foundation.

3 2006. Green, J. C. Annotated Checklist of Birds of the Superior National Forest. Superior National Forest web site. Accessed 9/10/2012 at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/superior/about-forest/?cid=fsm91_049587.

4 2010. Niemi, G. J., R. Howe, N. Danz, and M. Etterson. A 15 and 20-year summary of breeding bird trends in National Forests of Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. NRRI Technical Report (NRRI/TR-2010/19). 13 pp.

5 2004. Wilson, S. Wilson’s Phalarope nest in Lake County. The Loon 76:52-53.

6 1995-2011. NRRI point counts, raw data by # per count and # per 10 counts.

7 1991-2012. NRRI observations for species not tested for trends.

8 2003, 2010-1012. Minn. DNR County Biological Survey. Observations for all Superior National Forest subsections.

9 2012. Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas. Map results 2009-2012 for species with significant populations in the Superior National Forest. Accessed online, September 2012, mnbba.org web site.

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In the compilation for the checklist (2006 version) in Reference #4, the source material for the

abundance categories included:

North American Breeding Bird Survey (http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov).

There are five routes completely in the forest plus four parly; two routes have been

run continuously since the early 1970s. The five routes are Lockport, Sawbill

Landing, Crane Lake, Sawbill Camp, and Jordan; the partial routes are Hovland,

Babbitt, and Glendale.

Breeding Bird Monitoring in Great lakes National Forests

(http://www.nrri.umn.edu/mnbirds). For the Superior National Forest this

program includes 15 years (1991-2005) of point count data on 164 stands stratified

randomly across the forested land (excluding lakes, fens, marshes). For this

chicklist the date from these two programs was combined into five abundance

categories:

BIOTICS Field Name: Documentation/References Give citation in following format: year, author, source, page number(s)

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/

http://www.nrri.umn.edu/mnbirds


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Abundant (8 species); Common (25 species); Uncommon (35 species): Rare (36 species);

Very Rare (59 species). The abundant and common classes together make up about 90% of

the total record of individuals. Some species are rare because of lake of habitat; others

because they are at the edge of their range. The accuracy of this scheme is best for

passerines that breed in forested habitats.


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HABITAT AND LAND USE

Major Habitat Types:

NOT a BIOTICS field Major Land Uses:

BIOTICS Field Name: Management/Land Use Comments

47% Upland Deciduous Forest (e.g. Maple-basswood, oak, aspen, birch, northern hardwoods)

Agriculture

4% Lowland Deciduous Forest (includes floodplain forest, ash swamp)

X Fisheries/Aquaculture

4% Upland Mixed Deciduous/Conifer Forest X Forestry

Lowland Mixed Deciduous/Conifer Forest

X Hunting/Fishing

24% Upland Coniferous Forest Military

21% Lowland Coniferous Forest (includes tamarack, black spruce, and white cedar swamps)

minor Nature Conservation/Research

X Open bog/poor fen X Tourism/Recreation

Rich fen (narrow-leaved sedges) minor Urban/Industrial/Transport

X Shrub Swamp Water management

Lowland (wet) Native Prairie Livestock

Wet Meadows (broad-leaved sedges) minor Mining

Marsh (cattail/mixed emergent)

Upland Native Prairie (includes dry, mesic, and brush prairie)

Land Ownership/Management: check all that apply

Upland Savanna (includes jack pine savanna, oak savanna, and aspen openings)

30% State and county

Grassland (non-native, planted) 55 % Federal

Agriculture Municipal

X Cliff/Talus

X River/Stream (includes river shore) 15% Private and Non-profit

X Lake (includes lake shore)

Sewage Pond Other (explain)

The 3.8 million acres of the Superior National Forest IBA lie completely within bird

conservation region BCR 12 - the Boreal Hardwood Transition, which stretches from

Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan across Lake Superior to southern Ontario and Quebec.

Although this IBA is only a small part of the 150 million acre BCR 12, it provides the largest

protected unit that has official designation by state, national or provincial governments and is

about 60% of the protected national forest acreage in BCR 12.


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Ecosystem and Forest Types

The ecological setting is not quite so complex but does include many ecological units.

All of the forest is within the Northern Superior Uplands Section of the Ecological Classification

System for Minnesota. The next level of the ECS hierarchy for the SNF includes most of five

major subsections and very minor parts of two more (Littlefork-Vermilion Uplands and St. Louis

Moraine). Map #1 shows the boundaries of these ecological units that are within the National

Forest. The Forest Service ownership in the major subsections is dominated by the Border

Lakes (56%), Laurentian Uplands (62%), Toimi Uplands (33%) and North Shore Highlands

(19%); the USFS ownership in the Nashwauk Uplands is smaller (11%) and is in the disjunct

part of the SNF north of the Iron Range.

The landforms of the Superior NF were produced by geological processes, primarily

glacial erosion of and deposition over ancient bedrock commonly called the “Canadian Shield”.

This geomorphic condition is best represented in the Border Lakes subsection where rocky

ridges are interspersed with lakes of all sizes and boggy wetlands. The North Shore Highlands

subsection, adjacent to Lake Superior and about 20 to 25 miles inland, is composed of gently

rolling to steep bedrock highlands with soils that are formed in glacial till. The lake moderates

the climate significantly and the distinctive Northern Hardwoods forest community is found

there. A glacial drumlin field of linear ridges and lowlands dominates the Toimi Uplands

subsection. The other two upland subsections are dominated by rolling glacial till plains,

moraines and peatlands. This overall diversity of physiographic conditions has molded a

mosaic of various biological communities that provide habitats for a distinctive avifauna.

There are several ways to describe the vegetation of the forest, but the two main

classification systems are the ecological communities or forest types. The forest types are

what are used to manage the forest for timber harvest or other uses and are based primarily

on tree species. The species richness of the trees includes eight common conifers, eleven

common deciduous trees and nine rare or uncommon deciduous trees. All the conifers,

because they are the species that visually define the northern boreal forest, are listed: white

pine, red pine, jack pine, tamarack, balsam fir, black spruce, white spruce, northern white

cedar. Four deciduous trees are so abundant that they dominate that aspect of the forest:

quaking aspen, white birch, red maple and black ash.


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The USFS uses these tree species to define eight forest types which are used to

describe the forest composition. The most recent analysis of the vegetation (by the USFS

Inventory and Analysis program) gives these percentages for the SNF:

Aspen-birch – 42%

Lowland conifer – 21%

Spruce-fir – 9%

Jack pine – 8%

Red-white pine – 7%

Northern hardwoods – 5%

Upland hardwoods – 4%

Lowland hardwoods – 4%

The ecological classification system is based on factors such as climate, topography,

geology, soils, potential natural communities, and disturbance regimes. For Minnesota the

ecosystem types used to classify this northern forest include:

Jack pine -black spruce

Aspen-birch-spruce-fir

White pine – red pine

Northern hardwoods (sugar maple, basswood, yellow birch)

Lowland conifer

Lowland hardwoods – rich swamp

Open bog – fen

Habitat

Although classifications based on vegetation are commonly used to describe habitat for

wildlife, including birds, those animal species probably view the forest in a different and more

complex fashion. Birds, particularly, occupy the forest mosaic on multiple scales: landscape,

site level, and nesting niche. Vegetation and water are the necessary foundations that provide

for birds’ basic needs for food, shelter from predators and weather, and nesting substrate. All

components of the vegetation, including the shrub and ground layers, their height and total

biomass, plant species mixtures and configurations provide resources that land birds use.

Water birds also have similar multiple habitat requirements. How to classify these factors

cannot be captured by forest or ecological types alone. The development of a better system


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for bird habitat awaits much more avian research. Regardless of the lack of habitat

understanding, the birds and the forest go together and the high species richness is the result.

Land Protection and Ownership

There is a long history of federal and state government actions that make up a large number of

explicitly designated units by both the U. S. Congress and the State of Minnesota. This history

is many decades long and all the units listed below are within the boundaries of the Superior

National Forest (see map #1). All units, both federal and state, have overlapping boundaries

and mixed agency ownership. Also, most importantly (and confusingly) the SNF is composed

of two designated units:

National forest within its proclamation boundaries – 3,260,630 acres

National forest purchase units (at west and east ends of the SNF):

Kabetogama purchase unit – 519,222 acres

Pigeon River purchase unit – 87,290 acres

In addition there are several federally designated units within the forest itself that give a level of

protection beyond what the multiple-use management of the national forest provides:

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness – 1,098,057 acres

Research Natural Areas – 2,093 acres

Keeley Creek – 640 acres

Lac La Croix (in the BWCAW) – 973 acres

Marble Lake Lookout – 120 acres

Schroeder – 360 acres

To add to this complexity there are a multitude of Minnesota state-designated units whose

boundaries are within or mostly within the national forest boundaries. These are listed below

by type with their acreage from state sources. There is much mixed ownership in these units

(federal, state, county, private) so total acres do not imply total state ownership.

DNR State Parks

Judge C. R. Magney – 4,642 acres

Cascade River – 2,863 acres

Temperance River – 2,720 acres

DNR Scientific and Natural Areas

Burntside Islands – 62 acres

Butterwort Cliffs – 43 acres


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Hovland Woods – 280 acres

Lutsen – 720 acres

Myhr Creek Ridge – 200 acres

Sand Lake Peatland – 4,924 acres

Spring Beauty Northern Hardwoods – 401 acres

DNR State Forests (statutory boundaries within SNF but very mixed ownerships)

Bear Island (partial) – 157,814 acres

Burntside – 74,815

Finland – 311,970

Grand Portage – 100,172

Insula Lake (in the BWCAW) – 609 acres

Kabetogama (overlap with federal purchase unit) – 619,987

Lake Isabella (in the BWCAW) – 638

Lake Jeanette – 11,521

Pat Boyle – 180,403

Sturgeon River (partial, minor overlap) – 146,691

DNR Wildlife Management Areas

East Colvill West Unit, Cook County – 258 acres

East Colvill East Unit, Cook County – 372 acres

Horseshoe Bay, Cook County – 276 acres

Old Koschak Farm, St. Louis County – 87 acres

There is also a Minnesota Statutory category called “State Historic Sites, Federally Owned

Lands” that includes two interesting sites in the SNF:

Eagle Mountain in Cook County – the highest point in Minnesota

Height of Land Portage in Cook County

With this long history (from the time of the establishment of the SNF in 1909) of overlapping

and many designated units, it is obvious that the land ownership is complex. Within the federal

proclamation boundaries the basic statistics for ownership are 64% federal, 23% state

(including county tax-forfeit) and 13% private. Many of the private acres are in the major towns

that are within the forest proclamation boundaries – Grand Portage, Lutsen, Tofte and Ely.


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CONSERVATION AND THREATS

THREAT THREAT

L Abandonment/ reduction of land management

L Invasive or non-native plants

Agricultural intensification/ expansion L Natural pests/disease

Aquaculture/ fisheries (overfishing) Overgrazing

L Cellular/Wind Towers/Power Lines Predators

Construction/ impact of dike/ dam Pesticides

Deforestation M Recreation/ tourism

Disturbance to birds M Selective logging/ cutting

Drainage M Succession

M Extraction industry Unsustainable exploitation

Groundwater abstraction Wetland loss

Industrialization/ urbanization H Other – increased fire disturbance; climate change

Introduced animals or feral pets Unknown

Threats Comments Climate Change is not on this list but is an obvious factor in increasing fire risk, drought

and other weather/climatic factors that influence bird breeding and migration behavior.

Not a BIOTICS Field

BIOTICS Field Name: Additional Topics/Additional Topics; enter keyword “THREAT COMMENTS”


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OTHER RESOURCES

Nonavian Flora and Fauna

Mammals

A pamphlet produced in 1981 by the Superior National Forest wildlife biologist and three

biologists from the U. of Minnesota, Duluth lists 50 mammals occurring on the forest:

Mammals of the Superior National Forest in Minnesota. On that list 30 species are

categorized as common or fairly common, 15 as rare, and 5 as very rare.

Until 2012 two species were federally-listed as Threatened or Endangered on the

Superior NF: Canada Lynx and Gray Wolf. When the federal government delisted the wolf in

the western Great Lakes and gave management to the state in 2012, the Canada Lynx

became the only species with that classification.

In 2012 the Regional Forester Sensitive Species List includes these species for SNF:

Eastern Heather Vole

Gray Wolf

Little Brown Myotis

Northern Myotis

Tri-colored Bat

Amphibians and Reptiles

There is not a comprehensive list for the Superior National Forest, but a 2003 listing of

species of concern in the forest includes 10 herp species of which one is on the Regional

Forester Sensitive Species List for the Superior: Wood Turtle.

Mollusks

There are two species on the Regional Forester Sensitive Species List:

Black Sandshell (Ligumia recta)

Creek Heelsplitter (Lasmigona compressa)

Fish

Not a BIOTICS Field


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There is not a comprehensive list for the Superior National Forest, but a 2003 listing of

species of concern in the forest includes 13 species commonly fished. The Regional Forester

Sensitive Species List for the Superior is:

Lake sturgeon (Acipemser fulvescens)

Northern Brook Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor)

Shortjaw Cisco (Coregonus zenithicus)

Nipigon Cisco (Coregonus nipigon)

Invertebrates

These species are on the Regional Forester Sensitive Species List for Superior NF:

Freija’s Grizzled Skipper

Nabokov’s (or Northern) Blue [a butterfly]

Taiga (Mancinus) Alpine [a butterfly]

Quebec Emerald Dragonfly

Headwaters Chilostigman caddisfly

Ebony Boghaunter [a dragonfly]

Plants - Trees: Trees and shrubs define how most users from ecologists to recreationists

(and maybe birds) view the physiognomy of the forest so a list of species that are present,

many of them throughout the forest, shows the great variety.

Conifers

White Pine Balsam Fir

Red Pine Black Spruce

Jack Pine White Spruce

Tamarack Northern White Cedar

Deciduous

Box Elder Quaking Aspen Northern Red Oak

Silver Maple Bigtooth Aspen Bur Oak

Sugar Maple Balsam Poplar Northern Pin Oak

Black Ash Yellow Birch American Mountain-ash

Green Ash White (paper) Birch Showy Mountain-ash

Basswood Heart-leaved Birch American Elm


24

Cottonwood Ironwood Slippery Elm

Shrubs

There are many common species, notably – alders, high-bush cranberry

, pin cherry, chokecherry, juneberries, mountain maple, dogwoods, hawthorns, Canada plum,

ninebark, nannyberry, willows.

Plants - Rare species: The 2012 edition of the Superior National Forest Rare Plant list

contains 112 species of which 44 are on the Regional Forester Sensitive Species List. Some

of the noteworthy species on that latter list are:

Moschatel Braun’s holly fern

Several Botrychium spp. Small shinleaf

Floating marsh-marigold Cloudberry

Fairy slipper Nodding saxifrage

Ram’s-head lady’s slipper Encrusted saxifrage

Linear leaved sundew Canada yew

Auricled twayblade False-aspodel

Dwarf water-lily Lance-leaved violet

Chilean sweet cicely Barren strawberry

Western Jacob’s ladder Smooth woodsia

Also on the Regional Forester Sensitive Species List are 12 species of lichens and bryophytes.

The Superior National Forest has a proactive program to fight the spread of non-native

invasive plant species.


25

Cultural Features Recreation

The Superior National Forest brands its recreation niche as a “Superior Recreation

Experience” and the statistics of use confirms this slogan.

Eighth most visited national forest in the nation

Largest designated wilderness east of the Rocky Mountains and north of the

Everglades: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It contains:

o 88 entry points

o 1,500 miles of canoe routes

o 2,200 designated campsites

o Most heavily used wilderness in the United States in terms of visitor days

o Only wilderness in the united States with a protected air space over it

Maintained trails outside the wilderness total 2,000 miles for hiking, hunting, biking,

horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ATV riding and nature study.

Water access: 77 boating sites, 13 fishing piers, 10 swimming beaches

One of the ten top-rated hiking trails in the United States: Superior Hiking Trail

Three designated tourist scenic byways: Gunflint Trail, Forest Highway 11, North Shore

Scenic Drive.

Land and Water statistics

Total surface water – more than 445,000 acres, which is 20% of the National Forest

System fresh water.

o 2,000 lakes greater than 10 acres in size

o 3,400 miles of streams which includes fisheries designation for 1,300 miles cold

water and 950 miles warm water habitat.

Largest national forest east of the Mississippi River.

BIOTICS Field Name: Site Description/Cultural Features


26

NOMINATOR INFORMATION

NAME: Janet Green ADDRESS: 1754 Old North Shore Rd.

CITY: Duluth STATE, ZIP: MN 55804

EMAIL: [email protected] AFFILIATION: Minnesota Audubon; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

PHONE: (218) 525-5654 FAX:

MANAGED AREA CONTACTS

Managed Area Name: Superior National Forest

Managed Area Owner: U. S. Forest Service, Dept. of Agriculture

Managed Area Manager: Brenda Halter, Forest Supervisor

Address: 8901 Grand Avenue Place

City/State/Zip: Duluth MN 55808

Phone: 218-626-4300 (headquarters), 218-626-4302 (Supervisor’s office)

Email:

Have you discussed the nomination of this site with the land manager? Y Does the land manager agree to the nomination of this site as an IBA? Y

LOCAL GROUPS WITH A CONSERVATION INTEREST IN THIS SITE

Name/Group: Natural Resources Research Institute, Center for Water and the Environment , U. of Minnesota, Duluth

Name/Group: Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

Address: 5013 Miller Trunk Highway Address: 401 N. Third St., Suite 290

City/State/Zip: Duluth MN 55811 City/State/Zip: Minneapolis MN 55401

Phone: Dr. Gerald Niemi, 218-720-4270 Phone: 612-332-9630

Email: Email:

Thank You For Your Help

BIOTICS Field Name: Site Design/Designer

BIOTICS: Put names in site description

BIOTICS: Not a BIOTICS field


27

APPENDIX 1 – BIRD LIST FOR SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST IBA

Nesting sgcn IBA SCC common name (updated AOU52) SNF-list NRRI MCBS MCBS

J. GREEN

1991-2010

2003, 2010-12 # obs

Greater White-fronted Goose casual

Snow Goose X

Ross's Goose once - 2010

Cackling Goose X

X Canada Goose X x - 10 yrs X 25

VR X X Trumpeter Swan X X 10

Tundra Swan X

X Wood Duck X x - 4 yrs X 36

Gadwall X

Eurasian Wigeon once - 1994

American Wigeon X X 2

X X X American Black Duck X x - 2 yrs X 24

X Mallard X x - 12 yrs X 97

VR Blue-winged Teal X once X 5

Northern Shoveler X

X X Northern Pintail X

VR Green-winged Teal X once X 4

X Canvasback X once

Redhead X VISITOR 1

X Ring-necked Duck X once X 68

Greater Scaup X

X X Lesser Scaup X

King Eider casual

Harlequin Duck X

Surf Scoter X VISITOR

White-winged Scoter X

Black Scoter X

Long-tailed Duck X VISITOR

Bufflehead X

X Common Goldeneye X x - 3 yrs. X 66

X Hooded Merganser X X 41

X Common Merganser X x - 7x X 28

VR Red-breasted Merganser X VISITOR 1

Ruddy Duck casual

X Ruffed Grouse X yearly X 80

X X X Spruce Grouse X x - 4 yrs X 15


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VR X X Sharp-tailed Grouse casual

Red-throated Loon casual VISITOR

Pacific Loon casual

X X Common Loon X x - 15 yrs. X 139

VR Pied-billed Grebe X x - 7 yrs. X 3

X X Horned Grebe X

X Red-necked Grebe X VISITOR

X Eared Grebe casual

X Western Grebe casual

VR Double-crested Cormorant X VISITOR

X X American White Pelican X once VISITOR

Frigatebird sp. once - 2005

X X X American Bittern X X X 66

X Great Blue Heron X X X 17

Great Egret casual

Cattle Egret casual

Green Heron casual once

X Black-crowned Night-Heron casual

Wood Stork once - 2004

X Turkey Vulture X x - 7 yrs. X 37

X Osprey X once X 19

X X X Bald Eagle X x - 3 yrs. X 43

VR X Northern Harrier X X 8

X Sharp-shinned Hawk X x - 4 yrs. X 6

VR Cooper's Hawk X twice X 1

VR X X Northern Goshawk X X 2

VR X X Red-shouldered Hawk casual once X 1

X Broad-winged Hawk X x - 17 yrs X 69

VR Red-tailed Hawk X x - 5 yrs X 7

Rough-legged Hawk X

Golden Eagle X

VR American Kestrel X x - 6 yrs X 8

X Merlin X x - 3 yrs. X 26

Gyrfalcon casual

VR X X Peregrine Falcon X X 3

X X Yellow Rail once - 2002

VR X Virginia Rail X twice X 4

VR Sora X x - 3 yrs. X 7

American Coot X

VR Sandhill Crane X twice X 11


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X American Golden-Plover X

Semipalmated Plover X

VR Killdeer X x - 5 yrs X 8

X Spotted Sandpiper X X 7

VR Solitary Sandpiper X once VISITOR

X Greater Yellowlegs X

Willet casual

Lesser Yellowlegs X

X X Upland Sandpiper X

X Whimbrel X

X X Hudsonian Godwit casual

X X Marbled Godwit casual

X Ruddy Turnstone X

Red Knot casual

Sanderling X

X Semipalmated Sandpiper X

Least Sandpiper X

X White-rumped Sandpiper X

Baird's Sandpiper X

Pectoral Sandpiper X

Purple Sandpiper once - 1991

X Dunlin X

Stilt Sandpiper casual

X Buff-breasted Sandpiper casual

X Short-billed Dowitcher casual

Long-billed Dowitcher casual

X Wilson's Snipe X x - 17 yrs. X 75

X X American Woodcock X x - 3 yrs. X 14

VR X Wilson's Phalarope X VISITOR

Red-necked Phalarope casual

Black-legged Kittiwake casual

Sabine's Gull once - 2005

Bonaparte's Gull X

Laughing Gull once - 1997

X X Franklin's Gull once - 1994

X Ring-billed Gull X x - 5 yrs. X 3

X Herring Gull X x - 4 yrs. X 45

Thayer's Gull X

Iceland Gull casual

Lesser Black-backed Gull once - 1991


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Glaucous-winged Gull once - 1997

Glaucous Gull X

Great Black-backed Gull casual

Ivory Gull once - 1990

Caspian Tern casual

X X Black Tern casual

X X Common Tern casual

Parasitic Jaeger once - 1999

Ancient Murrelet once - 1999

VR Rock Pigeon X X 4

White-winged Dove casual

VR Mourning Dove X x - 5 yrs. X 5

VR Yellow-billed Cuckoo X x - 6 yrs.

X X X Black-billed Cuckoo X x - 16 yrs. X 15

Groove-billed Ani once - 1995

X Great Horned Owl X twice

Snowy Owl X

VR Northern Hawk Owl X once X 2

X Barred Owl X x - 10 yrs. X 10

VR X Great Gray Owl X twice X 7

VR Long-eared Owl X

X X Short-eared Owl X

VR X X Boreal Owl X twice X 1

VR Northern Saw-whet Owl X once X 7

X X Common Nighthawk X x - 7 yrs. X 17

VR X X Eastern Whip-poor-will X x - 4 yrs. X 10

VR Chimney Swift X x - 4 yrs. X 5

X Ruby-throated Hummingbird X x - 19 yrs. X 56

Anna's Hummingbird once - 1991

Rufous Hummingbird once - 1999

X Belted Kingfisher X x - 18 yrs. X 25

Lewis's Woodpecker once - 1992

VR X X Red-headed Woodpecker X once

Red-bellied Woodpecker casual twice

X X Yellow-bellied Sapsucker X yearly X 359

X Downy Woodpecker X x - 16 yrs. X 70


31


VR American Three-toed Woodpecker X X 4

X X Black-backed Woodpecker X x - 9 yrs. X 86

X Northern Flicker X yearly X 207

X Pileated Woodpecker X x - 17 yrs. X 226

X X X Olive-sided Flycatcher X x - 16 yrs. X 71

X X Eastern Wood-Pewee X yearly X 126

X Yellow-bellied Flycatcher X yearly X 370

X Alder Flycatcher X yearly X 327

X X Least Flycatcher X yearly X 290

X Eastern Phoebe X x - 16 yrs. X 16

Say's Phoebe casual

X Great Crested Flycatcher X x - 20 yrs. X 21

Western Kingbird casual

X Eastern Kingbird X x - 11 yrs. X 42

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher casual

Fork-tailed Flycatcher once - 1992

Northern Shrike X

White-eyed Vireo once - 2001

VR Yellow-throated Vireo X x - 9yrs. X 2

X Blue-headed Vireo X yearly X 187

VR Warbling Vireo X twice X 1

VR Philadelphia Vireo X once X 13

A Red-eyed Vireo X yearly X 975

X Gray Jay X yearly X 244

A Blue Jay X yearly X 513

Black-billed Magpie casual

X American Crow X x - 16 yrs. X 147

X Common Raven X x - 16 yrs. X 181

Horned Lark X

Purple Martin X

X Tree Swallow X x - 5 yrs. X 44

VR X Northern Rough-winged Swallow X once X 1

VR Bank Swallow X once X 2

VR Cliff Swallow X X 1

VR Barn Swallow X once X 8

X Black-capped Chickadee X yearly X 220


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X Red-breasted Nuthatch X yearly X 433

X White-breasted Nuthatch X x - 17 yrs. X 20

X Brown Creeper X yearly X 104

Rock Wren once - 2008

Carolina Wren once - 2001

VR House Wren X x - 13 yrs. X 7

X X Winter Wren X yearly X 390

X X Sedge Wren X x - 15 yrs. X 36

VR X Marsh Wren X x - 3 yrs. X 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher casual

X Golden-crowned Kinglet X yearly X 180

X Ruby-crowned Kinglet X yearly X 265

Northern Wheater once - 2005

VR Eastern Bluebird X x - 4 yrs. X 9

Mountain Bluebird casual

Townsend's Solitaire X

A X Veery X yearly X 504

Gray-cheeked Thrush X MIGRANT 1x

X Swainson's Thrush X yearly X 320

A Hermit Thrush X yearly X 489

X X X Wood Thrush X x - 19 yrs. X 19

Fieldfare once - 1991

A American Robin X yearly X 440

Varied Thrush X

X Gray Catbird X x - 12 yrs. X 21

Northern Mockingbird casual

Sage Thrasher casual

VR X Brown Thrasher X x - 7 yrs. X 1

VR European Starling X X 10

American Pipit X

Bohemian Waxwing X

X Cedar Waxwing X yearly X 125

Lapland Longspur X VISITOR

Smith's Longspur casual

Snow Bunting X

A X Ovenbird X yearly X 978

X Northern Waterthrush X yearly X 163


33


X Black-and-white Warbler X yearly X 284

X Tennessee Warbler X yearly X 143

Orange-crowned Warbler X

A Nashville Warbler X yearly X 902

X X X Connecticut Warbler X x - 16 yrs. X 50

X Mourning Warbler X yearly X 247

X Common Yellowthroat X yearly X 407

X X Hooded Warbler casual

X American Redstart X yearly X 155

X X X Cape May Warbler X yearly X 135

X Northern Parula X yearly X 259

A Magnolia Warbler X yearly X 470

VR X X Bay-breasted Warbler X x - 6 yrs. X 14

X Blackburnian Warbler X yearly X 259

X Yellow Warbler X x - 15 yrs. X 81

A Chestnut-sided Warbler X yearly X 425

Blackpoll Warbler X MIGRANT 1x

X X X Black-throated Blue Warbler X yearly X 248

X Palm Warbler X x - 11 yrs. X 79

X Pine Warbler X yearly X 128

X Yellow-rumped Warbler X yearly X 310

Prairie Warbler once - 1994

X Black-throated Green Warbler X yearly X 357

X X X Canada Warbler X yearly X 267

X Wilson's Warbler X x - 5 yrs. X 34

Green-tailed Towhee once - 1994

Spotted Towhee once - 2006

VR Eastern Towhee X x - 3yrs

American Tree Sparrow X

X Chipping Sparrow X yearly X 206

VR Clay-colored Sparrow X x - 8 yrs. X 8

X Field Sparrow casual

Vesper Sparrow X x - 5 yrs

Lark Sparrow casual

Lark Bunting casual

X Savannah Sparrow X x - 3yrs X 55

X Grasshopper Sparrow casual

VR X X Le Conte's Sparrow X X 5


34


Fox Sparrow X

X Song Sparrow X yearly X 366

X Lincoln's Sparrow X x - 19 yrs. X 146

X X Swamp Sparrow X yearly X 381

A X White-throated Sparrow X yearly X 926

Harris's Sparrow X

White-crowned Sparrow X

Golden-crowed Sparrow casual

X Dark-eyed Junco X x - 18 yrs. X 59

Summer Tanager casual

X Scarlet Tanager X yearly X 72

Western Tanager casual

VR Northern Cardinal X twice X 1

X X Rose-breasted Grosbeak X yearly X 269

Blue Grosbeak once -2000

Lazuli Bunting once - 2003

X Indigo Bunting X x - 16 yrs. X 9

Painted Bunting once - 1994

X X Dickcissel casual X 4

VR X X Bobolink X X 9

X Red-winged Blackbird X x - 17 yrs X 213

X Eastern Meadowlark X

Western Meadowlark X

Yellow-headed Blackbird casual VISITOR

X Rusty Blackbird X once

VR Brewer's Blackbird X x - 3 yrs. X 2

X Common Grackle X x - 13 yrs. X 89

X Brown-headed Cowbird X x - 14 yrs. X 2

Orchard Oriole casual

X Baltimore Oriole X x - 13 yrs.

Scott's Oriole once - 2011

Brambling twice-93,98

Pine Grosbeak X

X Purple Finch X yearly X 246

VR House Finch X

X Red Crossbill X x - 9 yrs. X 10


35


Common Redpoll X

Hoary Redpoll X

X Pine Siskin X x - 16 yrs. X 25

X American Goldfinch X x - 17 yrs X 77

X Evening Grosbeak X x - 17 yrs. X 56

VR House Sparrow X X 2

Eurasian Tree Sparrow once - 2005

EXPLANATORY NOTES for BIRD LIST COLUMNS

Time period for data - 1990-2012

1. “Nesting” - Actual breeding evidence for at least once; most species with consistent presence

during the breeding season. Relative abundance is in the context of the whole forest area and its

habitats. Classifications made only for abundant (A) and very rare (VR) species; all the rest would vary

from common to rare.

2. “sgcn” - Species of Greatest Conservation Need category in the Minn. DNR State Wildlife Action

Plan aka “Tomorrow’s Habitat for the Wild and Rare”, 2006.

3. “IBA SCC” - Species of Conservation Concern as listed in the Minnesota Important Bird Area’s site

selection criteria. Blue highlighted rows are the SGCN.

4. ”common name (updated AOU52) - The taxonomic order and names from the American

Ornithologists’ Union’s Check-list of North American Birds, 52nd Supplement, 2011.

5. “SNF-list, J. Green” - List on SNF website by Janet Green, 2006; includes updated information

through 2012. Data sources for the 2006 list included information from the federal (USGS) Breeding

Bird Survey routes in the forest.

6. “NRRI, 1991-2010” - Point count data in the Superior NF from a long-term study by Gerald Niemi,

Natural Resources Research Institute. University of Minnesota, Duluth.

7. “MCBS” - Minn. Biological Survey (DNR, formerly County Biological Survey), point counts and

species lists, 2003 & 2010-2012 in the Superior National Forest portion of the Ecological Subsections.

The number of surveys in each subsection is: Border Lakes (1,098), North Shore Highlands (193),

Laurentian Uplands (184), Toimi Uplands (56), Nashwauk Uplands (245). Presumed breeding species

are listed by an “X” and presumed non-breeders by “visitor”.

8. “MCBS # obs.” - Actual number of observations from the survey effort in 2003, 2010 - 2012.

SPECIES STATISTICS (1990-2012)

TOTAL LIST = 314 species

Regular (yearly) = 227 species

Casual (not every year but expected to occur again = 51

Accidental (single documented occurrences) = 36

BREEDING SPECIES = 163 total

Abundant species = 10

Very rare species = 54


36

APPENDIX 2 – DNR BIRD CHECK LIST FOR NORTH SHORE STATE PARKS in SNF IBA

DNR bird checklists for North Shore state parks and IBAs

Compiled 2012 by JCG SUMMER occurrences only

Abundance codes from checklists: "C" = Common (present, relatively easy to find); "U" = Uncommon (observed, may

be difficult to find); "O" = Occasional (may or may not be present in any year); "R" = Rare (has occurred at least once, may or may not be expected to recur).

State

Pk State

Pf State Pk SNA SNA SNA SNA SNA

Judge Cascade Temperance Spring Beauty Hovland Lutsen Myhr Ridge Butterwort

Magney River River

N Hardwoods Woods Creek Cliffs

Canada Goose O O Mallard U Common Goldeneye U Common Merganser U U U Red-breasted Merganser U U U Ruffed Grouse C C C C U C C Common Loon C C U O Eared Grebe R Great Blue Heron U Turkey Vulture U U U U Osprey U Bald Eagle C C U O U U U Broad-winged Hawk U U U U O Red-tailed Hawk U U American Kestrel U U Merlin U U U O O Peregrine Falcon O U Killdeer U C Spotted Sandpiper U U C American Woodcock U Ring-billed Gull U U C Herring Gull C C C C Mourning Dove O U Barred Owl O O Northern Saw-whet Owl O Eastern Whip-poor-will U Chimney Swift O Ruby-throated Hummingbird C C C U U Rufous Hummingbird R Belted Kingfisher U U O Yellow-bellied Sapsucker U U C U C U U


37

State

Pk State



Magney River River


Downy Woodpecker C C C C C C C C Hairy Woodpecker C C C U U U Black-backed Woodpecker O O O Northern Flicker C C C U Pileated Woodpecker U U U O U U Olive-sided Flycatcher U U Eastern Wood-Pewee U C U Yellow-bellied Flycatcher U U Alder Flycatcher U U U O Least Flycatcher C C C U U Eastern Phoebe C C C U U C Great Crested Flycatcher U O O Eastern Kingbird O Blue-headed Vireo U U Philadelphia Vireo O O O Red-eyed Vireo C C C C C C C C Gray Jay U U Blue Jay C C C C C C C American Crow C C C C C C C C Common Raven C C C C C C U U Tree Swallow O O O O Cliff Swallow U Barn Swallow O Black-capped Chickadee C C C C C C C C Red-breasted Nuthatch C C C C C C C C White-breasted Nuthatch O O O U O Brown Creeper U U U House Wren O U Winter Wren U U U O Golden-crowned Kinglet U U U Ruby-crowned Kinglet U U U Eastern Bluebird O O Veery C C C U U U Swainson's Thrush U U U U Hermit Thrush C C C U U C U Wood Thrush O American Robin C C C C C C C Gray Catbird O European Starling O O


38

State

Pk State



Magney River River


Cedar Waxwing C C C U Ovenbird C C C C C C C C Northern Waterthrush U Black-and-white Warbler C C C C C C Tennessee Warbler U Nashville Warbler C C U U C C C U Connecticut Warbler O Mourning Warbler C C C U U U U O Common Yellowthroat C C C U O American Redstart C C C C C C C C Cape May Warbler U O Northern Parula C C U O U U Magnolia Warbler C C C U C U Bay-breasted Warbler O O Blackburnian Warbler U U U U C U Yellow Warbler U O Chestnut-sided Warbler C C C U C C C U Black-throated Blue Warbler O U U U Pine Warbler O Yellow-rumped Warbler C C C C U C Black-throated Green Warbler C C C C C C C U Canada Warbler U C U U Chipping Sparrow C C C U U U Clay-colored Sparrow U U U Vesper Sparrow O Savannah Sparrow U U U Song Sparrow C C C U C U U C Swamp Sparrow U U U White-throated Sparrow C C C C C C C U Dark-eyed Junco U U Scarlet Tanager U U U U U Rose-breasted Grosbeak C C C U O Indigo Bunting U U U Red-winged Blackbird U U Common Grackle U U O O Brown-headed Cowbird U Purple Finch O O O U U U Red Crossbill O White-winged Crossbill O O


39

State

Pk State



Magney River River


Pine Siskin O O O U American Goldfinch C C C C C C C U

important bird areas site nomination form

Documents