Eastern Forests: Deciduous/Mixed

The Eastern Deciduous Forest region is characterized by the broadleaf trees that are leafless during winter. There are at least 300 kinds of trees and shrubs of the Eastern forests.

The most typical forest type of the eastern deciduous forest region is the beech-sugar maple type and extend from western New York State to Ohio and Indiana. In Kentucky and Tennessee, white basswood, yellow buckeye, and several other kinds of trees are mixed with beech and sugar maple that these forests are known as mixed deciduous. There are more than 100 kinds of trees in the mixed deciduous forests.

There are many names for forests based upon what trees dominate the area. For instance, in the Great Lakes, forests are known as the Hemlock-Northern Hardwoods where hemlock, beech and sugar maple are abundant and also consist of american elm, red maple, white ash, and yellow birch. Along the west side of Lake Michigan, the basswood replaces beech and from Illinois westward, the forest is characterized by oak trees.

Forests known as the Southeastern Pine-Oak region extends from New England to east Texas which is characterized by pines and oaks. From Cape Cod to southern New Jersey, pitch pine is the most common tree. From Delaware to the Carolinas, the loblolly pine is the major tree. In southern Florida, forests are known as the Subtropical Forest which are formed by slash pines and many other tropical species of trees and shrubs; and lastly, we have the Mangrove forests which line the coast in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico around the Florida Keys. The trees on the outer Mangrove forests are red mangrove while black mangrove typically grow between the tidemarks forming the inner part of the forests and both are mixed with white mangroves. These trees are unique in that they grow in salt water.

The mixed woods are homes to many smaller birds such as the migrating warblers in the East and the tanagers in the South of the Oak-Pine forests. In the Florida Mangrove Forests, Roseate Spoonbills nest in the mangroves and other birds such as the Smooth-billed Anis and Yellow-billed Cuckoo make their nests among the mangroves.

**Birds of Deciduous/Mixed Forests**
(Not all birds are listed)
Birds	Breeding/Nest Facts
Acadian Flycatcher	Breeds in moist deciduous woodlands along ravines. Nest suspended on twig fork near end of branch.
American Redstart	Breeds in mixed woodlands bordering water and shrubs. Nest in shrub or tree 5'-10' from ground.
American Woodcock	Breeds in woodlands bordering clearings. Nest on ground and lined with dry plant materials from nearby.
Black-and-white Warbler	Breeds in deciduous forests. Nest in hollow on ground against a shrub among roots.
Black-billed Cuckoo	Breeds in deciduous forests. Nest located in tree or shrub on a horizontal branch.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Breeds in most forests near water. Nest in tree or shrub anywhere from 3-75' from ground.
Blue Jay	Breeds in mixed forests. Nest in tree anywhere from 10-45' from ground.
Broad-winged Hawk	Breeds in deciduous forests. Nest in tree of deciduous anywhere from 20-90' from ground.
Brown Trasher	Breeds around woodland edges in overgrown shrubbery. Nest near ground low in shrub.
Cedar Waxwing	Breeds in forests. Nest in tree near end of branch.
Cooper's Hawk	Breeds around forest edges along water. Nest in tree from 20-65' from ground.
Eastern Towhee	Breeds in undergrowth of forest or near forest edge. Nest on ground concealed by dense bushes.
Eastern Wood-Pewee	Breeds in mixed and deciduous forests. Nest on small horizontal branch.
Hairy Woodpecker	Breeds on woodland edge of deciduous forests. Nest in cavity of tree anywhere from 3-50' from ground.
Hooded Warbler	Breeds in moist deciduous forest. Nest in shrub anywhere from 1-4' from ground in twig fork.
Kentucky Warbler	Breeds in moist deciduous forest with heavy ground vegetation. Nest on ground at base of tree or shrub concealed by vegetation.
Pileated Woodpecker	Breeds among large trees. Nest in cavity of conifer or deciduous tree anywhere from 15-60' from ground.
Prairie Warbler	Breeds in low secondary growth by forest edge. Nest in shrub or thicket.
Red-eyed Vireo	Breeds in deciduous forests with dense undergrowth. Nest suspended in horizontal fork of low tree branch.
Red-headed Woodpecker	Breeds among scattered trees. Nest in cavity of tree trunk or stump anywhere from ground level to 75' up.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Breeds by forest edge near streams. Nest in small tree or shrub anywhere from 4-20' from ground.
Scarlet Tanager	Breeds in deciduous and mixed forests. Nest in tree well out on branch anywhere from 15-50' from ground.
Sharp-shinned Hawk	Breeds in forests. Nest in tree on horizontal branch anywhere from 10-65' from ground.
Summer Tanager	Breeds in open deciduous forests. Nest in tree on horizontal branch normally near branch end.
Whip-poor-will	Breeds in open deciduous forests. No nest is built, but eggs laid on ground under tree or under a shrub.
White-breasted Nuthatch	Breeds in deciduous forests. Nest in natural cavity of deciduous tree anywhere from ground level to 50' up.
Wild Turkey	Breeds in open deciduous forests along edges. Nest on ground by or under shrubs.
Wood Thrush	Breeds in moist deciduous forest near water. Nest in shrub or tree on small branch anywhere from 10-50' from ground.
Worm-eating Warbler	Breeds in deciduous forest near bank or hillside. Nest on ground at base of shrub concealed by leaves.
Yellow-breasted Chat	Breeds in thick shrubbery of forest edge. Nest located ground level to 4' up in shrub.
Yellow-throated Warbler	Breeds in deciduous oak forests along water. Nest built on to a horizontal branch 15-70' from ground.