Page 14 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 2 - Spring 2021

Prairie Warbler
your property in the spring arrive from their winter retreats thousands of miles away in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean? For example, prairie warblers, which are common in young forests in the Southeast during April through August, spend the winter months in Caribbean islands including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and the Bahamas. Swallow-tailed kites arrive to nest in the Southeast from their wintering grounds in Brazil! Other species, such as barred owls, wild turkeys and northern cardinals, depend on your property all year.
Because birds use a variety of forest types and conditions, management prescriptions intended to benefit birds can be complicated. Some birds use recently harvested areas, while others prefer older forests and/or wetlands and deep swamps. Although there is no single management tool that will benefit most or all bird species, this article highlights some effective management options that can further enhance habitat condi- tions for birds on your property.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
The Overall Property
Variety is a key to supporting different types of birds across your property. If your property contains a variety of forest types (e.g. pine areas, hardwood areas, wetlands, etc.), you will have a higher diversity of birds than a property dominated by a single forest type. By providing a diversity of stands and varying forestry practices within these stands across your property, you can help sustain diverse and healthy bird populations.
● When pine stands are the predominant forest type, maintaining any existing and/or creating additional hardwood patches is critical for some bird species.
● Retaining a few tall pines within streamside zones or hardwood stands may provide specialized nesting sites for some birds, such as swallow-tailed kites or Mississippi kites.
● Retaining or adding small ponds and wetlands will attract wading birds and waterfowl.
● Removing invasive plants and animals will improve habitat conditions for birds and other native plants and animals.
● In pine forests of the southeastern U.S., behind thinning, prescribed fire is probably the second most important management tool that you can use to improve stand-level wildlife habitat. Prescribed fire should be used as soon as possible after thinning within mid-rotation pine stands. Prescribed fire will increase the nutritional value of understory plant species and reduce potential hazardous fuel loads. Additionally, using an herbicide treatment to remove midstory hardwoods, followed by repeated prescribed burning, is a proven management technique to improve habitat conditions for many birds and other wildlife species, such as white-tailed deer. Always be sure to follow state permitting requirements when conducting a prescribed fire.
● When prescribed fire is not feasible, some herbicide treatments can improve stand conditions and may mimic habitat conditions created with prescribed fire.
Northern Bobwhite
12 | GEORGIA FORESTRY
DARREN MILLER JIM GIOCOMO FRODE JACOBSEN