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Golden-winged Warblers are tiny, beautiful songbirds that nest in the mountains of North Carolina. But this brilliant bird is disappearing fast across its breeding range, from the Upper Midwest to southern Appalachia, where populations have declined up to 98 percent.

Golden-wings rely on a special kind of habitat called “early successional forest,” which occurs when young, shrubby growth springs up after some kind of disturbance on the landscape, such as fire, timber harvest, or storm damage. But because most forests in the East are aging and disturbances are less frequent, this type of habitat is vanishing. As a result, many birds that depend on these open, brushy areas are in decline.

�ԹϺ��� is rising to the challenge of protecting Golden-winged Warblers using science, conservation, and outreach.

In the spring and summer, our staff and partners survey Golden-wings across western North Carolina. We partner with researchers who track the birds across their range, from the U.S. to non-breeding grounds in Central and South America. And we work with private landowners and public land managers to ensure new early successional habitat is being created.

Combined, this work is providing a lifeline to one of our most imperiled bird species.