This World Migratory Bird Day, J.D. Irving, Limited is reflecting on the work we do and what we’ve learned when it comes maintaining biodiversity in a working forest.

When the forest is your office, there's a responsibility to preserve and protect the important ecosystems that wildlife – including migratory songbirds – call home. Part of the way J.D. Irving, Limited does this is through partnerships with universities, environmental and community groups designed to identify, conserve and study local flora and fauna.

J.D. Irving, Limited partnered with scientists at Natural Resources Canada, Carleton University and the Canadian Wildlife Service in 2016 for a five-year songbird habitat research project in the Black Brook district of northern New Brunswick, which focused on Canada warbler and olive-sided flycatchers. These two species are listed as species of Special Concern under COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). 

The features of the Black Brook area are consistent with the typical Canada warbler habitat. These birds are frequently found in mixed wood areas that are predominantly softwood. 

Initial findings from the five-year research project found there is a significant amount of habitat for these two species in the managed forests of Black Brook and that these species (and many others) are flexible in their habitat selection. Why is this important? It means that managed forests support abundant habitat for two songbird species of concern.