Monitoring of a Golden-winged Warbler Restoration Project in Georgia

Abstract

Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) populations are declining throughout much of their range, and the decline has been especially extreme in Georgia where the species has been close to extirpation. Habitat loss is thought to be a major factor in the species’ decline in the Southeast, and in 2010, the U.S. Forest Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources began a habitat enhancement project involving selective logging and controlled burns on Brawley Mountain, the only location in Georgia where Golden-winged Warblers are currently known to breed. We have established a monitoring program of the Brawley Mountain population in an attempt to assess the effectiveness of the habitat manipulations. Here we report the early results of the monitoring program, which we plan to continue in subsequent years.