Page 12 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 2 - Spring 2021

Bird
Friendly
Forests
Opportunities for Private Forest Owners in the Southeastern U.S.
Principal Authors: Jeremy Poirier, International Paper; Emily Jo Williams, American Bird Conservancy
s a private landowner, you may wonder, “Why should I worry about birds on my property?” First, birds hold widespread public inter- est, with an estimated 45 million Americans observing and feeding birds at home and on bird-related trips. Most people who watch birds — 93 percent — live in metropoli- tan areas, and birds can connect
those people to forest lands and their many values. In addi- tion, birding is big business. In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported an estimated annual revenue of $75.9 billion from wildlife-watching expenditures.
Not only are birds fun to observe, their presence is a sign that your forest is healthy and providing important environmental functions, such as wildlife habitat and clean water. Birds help keep insect populations in check, provide food for predators and, in some cases, aid in keeping forest plant communities healthy by dispersing seeds and pollen. Birds are also interest- ing to study. Did you know that many of the birds that nest on
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