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Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Mont-Gosford is part of the Appalachian Mountain range and is situated on the Quebec-Maine border. The town of Sherbrooke is approximately 70 kilometres to the west. The mountain itself straddles the border and reaches a maximum height of 1189 metres. The habitat on this mountain is forested, with the plant composition changing as the elevation increases. High mountaintop habitat is dominated by small, dense, stunted forests of Balsam Fir and spruce while lower elevations host Balsam Fir and White Birch. Secondary growth occurs on sites that have been selectively cut or clearcut.
Bicknell’s Thrush has one of the most restricted breeding ranges of any North American species, and is endemic to northeastern parts of the continent. This area of southeast Quebec is one of a few areas in Canada with large numbers of this nationally vulnerable species. Research conducted in the summers of 1997 and 1998 focused on this mountain (and Mont-Megantic) and identified suitable habitat that was available to the thrushes. At this site, the thrushes were found to nest above 775 metres in elevation, in cool, moist habitat with Balsam Fir dominating, a relatively greater density of trees, less herbaceous plant cover, greater moss cover, and more snags and dead trees, than were found on average within these mountains. White Birch and spruce habitat were used but were less favourable. Using remote sensing, approximately 2,000 hectares of Mont-Gosford was found to be suitable for Bicknell’s Thrushes. Point count and survey routes were then done on the ground to detect singing males. By extrapolating using suitable habitat and published breeding densities, a total of 1,749 to 3,449 territorial males were estimated to be in the study site. With females included, this population could be twice as high, making this a globally significant number of birds. Several sources of error, however, might have made this estimate too high. The Quebec population of this species has been estimated at 3,000 to 5,000 birds but, considering the estimates of this new study, this number is likely too low. The same may also be true for the global population estimate of 5,000 to 15,000 birds.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
The Canadian portion of the Mont-Gosford massif is within the Louise-Gosford Zone d’exploitation contrôlée (ZEC), a designation with a primary function to protect wildlife for hunters. While there is currently limited logging in the Louise-Gosford ZEC, the main threat to the species on Mont-Gosford is the alteration of the habitat within which it nests. The thrushes typically nests within dense 15-40 year old regenerating stands of trees that grow after cutting, but this habitat is ephemeral as the stands eventually mature. Pre-commercial thinning (which is has occurred recently and is scheduled to occur in the next few years) has a negative impact as well, since it reduces the extent of preferred habitat. Further, decreased tree density results in increased nest predation by Red Squirrels, Eastern Chipmunks, American Crow, Common Ravens and Gray and Blue Jays. It’s not known how suitable Mont-Gosford was for Bicknell’s Thrush before logging occurred.
Spruce Budworm outbreaks have occurred here and in nearby areas. Furthermore, the general incidence of Spruce Budworm outbreaks may be increasing and an outbreak is predicted to occur in the region within the next few years. Other potential threats are the atmospheric deposition of acids and toxic heavy metals, as well as global warming, which could decrease the habitat quality by decreasing tree growth and allowing the invasion of less suitable hardwood species.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Massif du mont Gosford (Canada). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/massif-du-mont-gosford-iba-canada on 23/11/2024.
