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Beavers' dams found good for songbirds

NEW YORK, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. and Canadian scientists say they've discovered beaver dams are beneficial for migratory songbirds, providing critical habitat -- especially in semi-arid areas.

Research by the Wildlife Conservation Society shows beaver dams create ponds and stimulate growth of diverse streamside vegetation critical for birds, including many migratory songbirds in decline. The study also found the more dams beavers build, the more abundant and diverse local songbirds become.

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"We found that increasing density of beaver dams was associated with a diverse and abundant bird community and the wetland and streamside habitat these species depend on," said study co-author Hilary Cooke of the University of Alberta. "This habitat is critical to birds in semi-arid regions yet has been severely degraded or lost through much of the West. Our results suggest that management of beavers may be an important tool for restoring habitat and reversing bird declines."

The study was part of a larger WCS effort conducted in Wyoming to identify how to restore wildlife to streamside habitats.

Cooke and co-author Steve Zack of the WCS report their findings in the journal Western North American Naturalist.

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