Wood Thrush Quadruples at NY Sanctuary
A decade of bird-friendly forestry at a Hudson Valley sanctuary quadrupled the Wood Thrush population and tripled plant diversity, Audubon reports.
The Wood Thrush population at Stand 13 in the Rheinstrom Hill Audubon Sanctuary has quadrupled after a decade of habitat restoration. According to the source, Audubon New York, the diversity of tree, shrub, and plant species in the area has tripled.
This 2.5-acre stand in Hillsdale, New York, was once an unhealthy forest with little biodiversity. It suffered from a severe lack of understory and an invasion of Barberry. The area was dominated by unhealthy white pine and striped maple.
Bird-Friendly Forestry Actions
Three specific actions between 2014 and 2015 transformed the site. A cut was conducted across the entire stand, invasive Barberry was treated to prevent regeneration, and a seven-foot-tall deer fence was installed to protect all new growth.
These actions allowed the forest to regenerate naturally. No additional plants were added. Time, sun, and protection from deer created the conditions for regrowth. Species like oak trees, hickory, maple, wild basil, grape, and wildflowers arose from the existing seed bank in the soil.
Survey Results and Species Return
Audubon conducts bird and vegetation surveys at its demonstration sites twice a year. The transformation of Stand 13 from a clearing to a young forest and then a more mature area was tracked through these surveys.
The data showed dramatic changes. Saplings inside the protective deer fence grew four times faster than those outside. Invasive species remain negligible. Most notably, the Wood Thrush population quadrupled. Twenty-seven bird species were detected that were not in the area before the restoration began.
Other bird species surveyed during the forest's transition included the Eastern Towhee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Ovenbird, and Chestnut-sided Warbler. The sanctuary's long-term stats on species recovery highlight the success of targeted intervention.
Historical Context and Future
The stand was part of a forest that regrew 50 to 90 years ago after the land was cleared for farming. The previous owner, Mr. Rheinstrom, began replanting in the 1930s, but the planting was done all at once in rows that were too close together. This created a lack of age diversity and no understory.
When Audubon acquired the property in the 1990s, it did not provide suitable habitat for a full suite of forest-breeding birds. The organization then created a forest stewardship plan. Stand 13 became a demonstration site to show how bird-friendly forestry creates healthy habitat.
In 2024, ten years after the project began, the deer fence was removed. Deer now avoid the area due to the dense growth, as they have easier places to forage elsewhere. The stand is on a publicly accessible trail and is open to visitors year-round. The project serves as a clear example for conservation fixtures planning in other degraded habitats.
