BICKNELL'S THRUSH: CONSERVING A VULNERABLE SONGBIRD IN THE CARIBBEAN AND ACROSS THE HEMISPHERE

Bicknell’s Thrush, a flagship species for full life-cycle conservation, is one of the hemisphere's rarest and most range-restricted migratory songbirds. Hispaniola supports up to 90% of the species’ overwintering population, with the great majority of birds inhabiting wet and mesic broadleaf forests of the Dominican Republic. These habitats are experiencing chronic and severe loss and degradation. Although rangewide efforts over 30 years to study and conserve Bicknell’s Thrush have greatly advanced our understanding of its ecology and needs, the conservation outlook for this declining species remains precarious. This presentation will provide a hemispheric perspective on this globally vulnerable songbird, highlighting research, capacity building, outreach efforts, habitat protection, and other targeted conservation actions in the Dominican Republic and other Greater Antillean islands.