Neotropical Migratory Birds and the Boreal Forest of North America Few spectacles of nature so thoroughly capture the human imagination as the annual journeys of migratory birds. Spring and fall migration give us an opportunity to ponder this amazing phenomenon and where these birds are going and why. Some birds are short-distance migrants that winter in the U.S. but migrate in large part to forests and wetlands of Canada’s Boreal to breed. Others take a longer journey. These are Neotropical migrants that winter as far south as the southern tip of South America and breed as far North as the Arctic. A good portion, however, fly from Mexico, the West Indies, or Central or South America where they winter to their breeding grounds in the Boreal Forest of Canada and Alaska. There are approximately 360 species of Neotropical migrants in North America. About 60% of these breed either in part or entirely in the Boreal Forest of Alaska and Canada. Because of the vastness and intactness of the Boreal, it is extremely important for the life cycle of these birds. Some of the Neotropical migrating landbirds and shorebirds that have 75% or more of their breeding habitat in the Boreal Forest of North America include: Landbirds Philadelphia Vireo Palm Warbler Tennessee Warbler Connecticut Warbler Mourning Warbler Palm Warbler Cape May Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Lincoln’s Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Shorebirds Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Short-billed Dowitcher Presently Congress is reauthorizing the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA). This act provides funds for habitat protection in Mexico and the U.S. for Neotropical migratory birds. Attempts are being made in Congress to include Canada in the Act because of its importance to breeding for many Neotropical migrants. So far much of our attention has been focused on the wintering grounds for these birds because of the rapid deforestation taking place in Central and South America. However, rapid development now taking place in Canada’s boreal region for oil and gas, mining, timber and hydro are causing our attention to move northward. Including Canada in the NMBCA will go a long way toward helping to protect important nesting grounds for Neotropical migrants. Your support in adding Canada to the act will make a big difference for the lifecycle of these migratory birds, many of which are declining. Some of the Neotropical migrants that breed in the Boreal and are facing significant declines across Canada and the U.S. include: Olive-sided Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Blackpoll Warbler Connecticut Warbler Canada Warbler