The bird species that are conservation priorities of the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture (CHJV) largely result from assessments performed by the major bird initiatives under the auspices of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.

Several hundred species of birds depend upon habitat in the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region (CHBCR) during critical times of their life cycles. Many breed or over-winter here, while others stop during migration between breeding and wintering grounds. Some species are doing quite well, but populations of others are unstable or experiencing long-term declines.

Species in the greatest need of conservation attention typically have some combination of relatively small ranges, small population sizes, declining trends, and reliance on threatened or already-degraded habitats. The CHJV focuses on these priority bird species. Species that have large percentages of their populations in a particular BCR also are considered priorities, but don’t necessarily warrant immediate conservation action if their populations are stable or increasing.

The tables below list the priority birds for the CHBCR, as derived from species assessment processes developed by the North American Bird Conservation Initiatives. The species are grouped by their associations with four broad habitat types (forest-woodlands, grass-shrublands, grasslands and wetlands); only species in need of conservation action that breed or winter in the BCR are noted. For a complete list of priority birds, including transients, please contact us.