International Bicknell's Thrush Conservation Group Convenes in Quebec City

The International Bicknell’s Thrush Conservation Group (IBTCG) moved north of the border for its third annual meeting. On 29-30 September, 16 biologists and natural resource managers met (with several others phoning in) at the Canadian Wildlife Service headquarters in Quebec City, where our host Yves Aubry rolled out the red carpet and organized a memorable gathering. Over two days we hammered out a strategy to finalize our near-complete BITH Conservation Action Plan, disseminate and communicate it to diverse target audiences, and make final methodological adjustments to launch Mountain Birdwatch version 2.0 in 2010.

We were an eclectic bunch, hailing from New Brunswick, Quebec, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York. Julie Hart (the Plan’s primary architect) phoned in both afternoons from Wyoming, others from as far distant as Wisconsin and Maryland. Discussions were constructive, often spirited, and the humor quotient high. Yves kept us well-fed and libated with caffeine, and the 6th floor view was commanding. We rolled up our sleeves and made excellent progress on our stated goals, with the following resolutions:

• Emily MacKinnon will assume responsibility, via a small contract with CWS, for putting finishing touches on the Action Plan by 31 December
• The group agreed on the need to hire a full-time coordinator to communicate and implement the Plan. This will be crucial to maintain IBTCG’s momentum and address the many conservation issues faced by BITH across its migratory range. We hope to secure funding for this position by early 2010.
• We must facilitate more active involvement from partners on the wintering grounds, particularly on Hispaniola. An important aspect of the IBTCG coordinator’s role will be forging stronger working connections in the Caribbean.
• Towards this goal, we agreed unanimously and enthusiastically to hold our fall 2010 meeting in the Dominican Republic.
• We adopted standardized protocols for Mountain Birdwatch 2.0 in both the U.S. and Canada, to be launched in 2010.

Day 3 featured a field trip to Massif-de-Sud, a 915-meter elevation peak where Yves Aubry has conducted BITH field studies for the past several years. We caravanned in two vehicles, eager to visit Yves’ study site, but not fully prepared for the alternating wet snow and rain that greeted us, with temperatures hovering in the upper 30s F. The mountain features a mix of forest habitats, from those in various stages of recovery from past forestry operations and intact patches of boreal fir-spruce. The pranksters among us couldn’t resist playing a practical joke on Yves, sneaking Kent’s iPhone with recorded BITH vocalizations a few meters off the road. It worked like a charm, much to everyone’s (including Yves’) amusement, but Yves had the last laugh when 2 minutes and 100 meters later, 2 BITH came roaring in to Kent’s broadcast calls! That unexpected encounter tied the species’ latest date on record at a known breeding site (Mt. Mansfield being the other). It highlighted to us all just how hardy and unpredictable a creature BITH is, constantly keeping those of us studying it on our toes…

We departed Quebec City with heightened enthusiasm and resolve for our multinational initiative to conserve BITH. The road may be steep and the odds against us, but the forthcoming Action Plan will provide a much-needed road map to guide collaborative efforts across the Americas.