As you walk your property, you may be greeted by more birdsong. Migrating birds are returning! One song you may hear is that of the ovenbird; a call that sounds like tea-cher, Tea-cher, TEA-cher as it increases in volume.
Native to the Credit River Watershed, the ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is under threat. Our watershed is changing. Increased urbanization and disconnected pockets of forests isolate and deprive them of resources needed for survival. Our monitoring shows a 57 per cent ovenbird population decline since 2002.
The ovenbird is uniquely adapted to life on the forest floor. Its olive-patterned feathers give it the perfect camouflage when hunting and roosting. Instead of flight, the small wood-warbler prefers to run through leaf litter in pursuit of prey, like insects. When roosting on namesake oven-shaped nests, made from leaves, sticks and animal hair, deep in the forest, the ovenbird is well-hidden.
Losing Home Base
The patches of forest leftover from land use change are too small to have a true interior, a quiet area found more than 100 metres from the forest edge. Predators, such as chipmunks, raccoons and squirrels, typically don’t go this far into the forest, giving the ovenbird an advantage when protecting their eggs and young from harm. Closer to the forest edge, predators gain the advantage, threatening the ovenbird’s safety.
Even if these forest patches are large enough to have an interior, ovenbirds may still experience stress. Recreational trails cutting into the forest interior frequented by walkers, cyclists and dogs may disturb ovenbird activity. Instead of hunting, roosting and feeding young, the ovenbird may spend too much time being alert and fleeing danger.
Restoring Rural Forests
The rural landscape still has forested areas that could provide the ovenbird with a place of refuge. Consider a forest restoration project on your property. Tree planting and plantation management can help the ovenbird by reconnecting fragmented habitats, increasing interior forest and improving forest structure and diversity.
If you want to use your restored forest recreationally, consider building sustainable trails, which are carefully planned to look like they belong to the area and aim to minimize disturbance to wildlife.
Connect with a CVC stewardship coordinator to learn about grants and incentive programs to help you start your own forest restoration project. Together we can make a difference for woodland species like the ovenbird.
Direct Plant Sale Open
Native trees and shrubs are available for purchase from our nursery. Landowners with one or more acres in the Credit River Watershed are eligible to place an order. Order today while supplies last.