MTRI is a non-profit co-operative with a mandate to promote sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity conservation in the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve and beyond through research, education, and the operation of a field station.
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Bird Monitoring
MTRI is involved with many bird monitoring projects, including:
Caledonia Christmas Bird Count
Contact us at info@merseytobeatic.ca for more information or if you would like to get involved!
Caledonia Christmas Bird Count
Christmas Bird Counts have been carried out annually for over a century. They have been conducted at several locations in Nova Scotia over the last 50 years and in Caledonia since 1991. Currently, within Nova Scotia, approximately 35 Christmas Bird Counts are conducted every year. The counts occur on one day between mid-December and early January (hence the name Christmas Bird Count) within the same set area. The bird counts document early winter birds and can be compared from year-to-year and area-to-area. The Nova Scotia Bird Society and Audubon Society maintain a master record of all counts within the province and annually report the counts with notes on the unique results of that year.
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Photo Credits: Julia Reid
Project Objectives
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To document early winter birds during an ongoing annual survey.
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To record sufficient data so that the results may be compared from year-to-year and count-to-count.
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To engage interested volunteer members of the public to complete the annual count.
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To publicize the results to inform and interest the local public in the bird communities of the Caledonia area.
Methods
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Annually, a one day Christmas Bird Count has been held between specific dates determined by the Audubon Society between mid-December and early January.
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This count has consistently been held in the same area: a circle of 24 km diameter centered where a brook flows northward out of Donnellan Lake in West Caledonia.
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The coordinator organized volunteers to cover different areas so the maximum number of habitats could be searched and the most species located while preventing repeated counting of the same birds in the same areas.
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The bird species and their numbers were recorded.
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The time spent in the woods and at bird feeders, distances traveled, methods of travel and numbers of people involved were recorded to compare the effort by observers.
2014 Results
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The 2014 Caledonia Bird Count occurred on December 14 when 29 species and 819 individual birds were observed. There were 19 hours spent observing feeders and a total of 53 hours volunteered.
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There were 31 observers who participated this year, up from 25 last year.
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The total number of kilometres walked was 48 and driven was 61.
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Rare birds sighted included the following: Northern cardinal, Pintail duck, Common loon, Sharp-shinned hawk and White-throated sparrow.
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Species not observed that are usually included in the Caledonia Bird Count include Canada goose, Song sparrow and Purple finch.
Years of Data
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Ongoing project since 1991
Partners
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Nova Scotia Bird Society
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Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
Nocturnal Owl Survey
Nocturnal owls are surveyed across Canada as indicators of forest ecosystem health As top predators in the food chain, they are vulnerable to habitat disturbance. Barred owls require large hardwood trees which have cavities suitable for their nests. Additionally, they are sensitive to forest cover and composition changes associated with forest harvesting and human developments. Owls are not easy to monitor due to their secretive, nocturnal activities. Bird Studies Canada coordinates nocturnal surveys in all three Maritime provinces. Locally, two official routes have been conducted annually since 2002 while a third, unofficial route, was established in 2005. These surveys document relative owl counts and note changes over time.
Project Objectives
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To carry out an annual survey of nocturnal owl populations on established routes.
- To compare local owl populations within Nova Scotia, within the Maritimes and within Canada.
Photo Credit: Eric Le Bel
Methods
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At night, volunteer surveyors drove a designated route making ten stops each at least 1.6 km apart. At each stop recorded owl calls prepared by Bird Studies Canada were broadcasted and the number and species of owls heard or seen were recorded.
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Route 40 begins 8 km north of the Mersey River Bridge on Highway 8 in Maitland Bridge and continues northward to South Milford.
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Route 41 begins at the entrance to Kejimkujik and ends near the Gold Mines trail.
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The Devonshire/Rossignol Route follows these roads starting where Devonshire Road intersects West Caledonia Road towards the Mersey River.
Photo Credits: Jeffie McNeil
2014 Results
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Over the years, Barred, Saw-whet, Great horned and Long-eared owls have been detected.
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Route 40 was surveyed by Brad Toms on April 18 2014. Two Barred owls and one Great horned owl were detected.
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Route 41 was surveyed by Chris McCarthy and local 4H contributors on April 25 2014. They detected nine Barred owls and one Great horned owl.
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The Devonshire/Rossignol Route was not surveyed in 2014 due to poor road conditions.
Years of Data
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Ongoing project since 2002
Partners
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Parks Canada
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Bird Studies Canada
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Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
Photo Credits: Donna Crossland and Amanda Lavers
Landbirds at Risk in Forested Landscapes
Landbird species that have declined sharply in recent decades include the Common nighthawk, Chimney swift, Eastern wood-pewee, Olive-sided flycatcher, Canada warbler and Rusty blackbird. These six landbird species at risk (SAR), their declines and threats to their persistence are largely unfamiliar to the general public. Education through outreach can help conserve these species, and public engagement in monitoring can yield important information about populations and habitats. With data from research and public surveys, models can be built to map habitat distribution for each species across the landscape. Conservation activities can target areas identified as important and guide conservation activities on managed landscapes.
Project Objectives
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To conduct field surveys for six landbird species at risk and their habitat.
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To build species distribution models for each species in southwest Nova Scotia.
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To raise public awareness about these species and engage community members in landbird monitoring.
Photo Credits: Clara Ferrari
Methods
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Landbird SAR were surveyed April - June 2014 at 70 sites, using playbacks of conspecific vocalisations.
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Habitat surveys were conducted June - July 2014 at 48 sites, by estimating deciduous, coniferous, shrub, herbaceous cover, abundance of snags and various ground features.
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Habitat for each species was modeled using MaxEnt. First generation models were developed by Alana Westwood, Jen Randall, Meagan Kindree and Siobhan Darlington-Moore, October 2013 - April 2014. Second generation models were completed by intern Clara Ferrari, September 2014.
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‘Species at risk in forested landscapes’ public workshops were held in Kempt, Halifax, Annapolis Royal, Tusket Falls, Liverpool, Saulnierville and Kejimkujik, from February - September 2014.
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Workshop participants were encouraged to report SAR detections. Further requests were made through social media, newspapers, posters, brochures and word of mouth.
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A pilot citizen science Common nighthawk survey was organized and run in June 2014.
Photo Credits: Laura Achenbach and Alana Westwood
2014 Results
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From April - August 2014, the following were reported: 1325 Common nighthawks (14 by Landbirds Project, 1509 by the public; most were in migrating groups, including one of approximately 1000 birds); 14 Chimney swifts (seven by Landbirds Project, seven by the public); 40 Eastern wood-pewees (28 by Landbirds Project, 12 by the public); 20 Olive-sided flycatchers (17 by Landbirds Project, three by the public); five Canada warblers (two by Landbirds Project, three by the public); and 20 Rusty blackbirds (seven by Landbirds Project, 13 by the public).
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Thirteen people participated in the Common nighthawk pilot survey, completing 25 surveys and detecting 35 nighthawks.
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Workshops, social media and other outreach activities led to public reports of 64 SAR locations, 60 of which were new.
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Species distribution models were created for each species. Models used location data since 2006 from research surveys, the Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas, the Breeding Bird Survey and other public reports.
Years of Data
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Ongoing project since 2010
Partners
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Dalhousie University
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Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
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Parks Canada
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Nova Scotia Endangered Species Recovery Fund
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Nova Scotia Habitat Conservation Fund
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Government of Canada through the federal Department of the Environment: Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk
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Environment Canada Science Horizons Internship Program
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Nature Conservancy of Canada
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Nova Scotia Bird Society
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Nova Scotia Nature Trust
Additional Resources
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Rusty Blackbird YouTube video by Clara Ferrari
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Olive Sided Flycatcher YouTube video