Mcgill bird observatory

Operations at MBO emphasize migration monitoring, research, and volunteer training. It is adjacent to the hectare Morgan Arboretum, the largest arboretum in Canada. MBO also pursues a variety of other research projects and delivers educational programs, mcgill bird observatory, ranging from banding workshops and ongoing training of volunteers to public presentations and development of identification resources.

However, a broader audience grew quickly, as other birds and banders found these pages to provide a useful visual complement to Peter Pyle's Identification Guide to North American Birds , and over time the collection expanded to over 60 species. After a decade of hosting the photo library here on the Migration Research Foundation's website, we partnered with Environment Canada in to share our material through the Piranga module of NatureInstruct - a website specifically developed to teach bird identification. While Piranga focuses on ageing and sexing of birds, the Dendroica component is designed to help identify species by sight and sound, and a new module Avichorus is in development, to aid with interpretation of multispecies sound files. Migrating the MBO photo library to Piranga provides users with several advantages. Piranga allows users to select images for side-by-side comparison, and a quiz feature provides an easy opportunity for self-testing. A comments ection built directly into the site allows for discussion of particularly challenging photos. Plus, through Piranga we are able to provide larger-resolution photos, which may allow for fine details to be viewed more clearly.

Mcgill bird observatory

It was established in as a partnership between the Migration Research Foundation and graduate students in the Natural Resource Sciences department at McGill University. Every day during spring and fall, up to six volunteers gather at the observatory 30 minutes before sunrise to monitor bird migration through banding and observation for six hours. Birds are caught using specialized nets, which are visited frequently during the morning. After a bird is extracted from the net, it is brought back to the banding station where the bander-in-charge will first identify it, then put an appropriate size band on its tarsus. The bird is then aged, sexed, its wing chord is measured, its fat level is taken and it is finally weighed just before release. Since its inception in , MBO has banded 69, birds of species. The collection of data through migration monitoring stations has proven to be a practical and effective way of tracking changes in bird populations, especially the species that breed in the vast and hard-to-reach boreal forest. One aspect of this standardized protocol is that we must keep the habitat stable throughout the years in order to be able to compare our data. The vegetation maintenance on our hectare site is done by one retired volunteer, Malcolm Johnson. He spends over hours every year, doing everything from mowing our grass to trimming down our bushes. Before every migration season, the net lanes we use for our mist nets need to be pruned. To accomplish that task, he was previously using a stepladder and a pair of clippers to cut the hawthorn and buckthorn branches that are overhanging in the lane.

After a bird is extracted from the net, it is brought back to the banding station where the bander-in-charge will first identify it, mcgill bird observatory, then put an appropriate size band on its tarsus. Have you seen a banded House Finch or American Goldfinch? The bird is then aged, sexed, its wing chord is mcgill bird observatory, its fat level is taken and it is finally weighed just before release.

MBO is a member of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network, filling a significant gap between banding stations, with the nearest other active sites in Ottawa and Prince Edward County to the west, and Tadoussac to the east. Operations at MBO are patterned after those at other Canadian bird observatories, with an emphasis on migration monitoring, research, and volunteer training. This page has moved to www. Charitable tax receipts will be issued for all donations upon request. Recent reports: Latest fall migration monitoring program update annual report PDF, 4. Have you seen a banded House Finch or American Goldfinch?

Flamborough Bird Observatory FBO is administrated by a team of dedicated volunteers, whose aims include studying and recording the birds of the area, creating and maintaining local habitats for wildlife, and promoting conservation in the community. Thornwick now has a new hide and a fantastic small nature reserve adopted by FBO which is open to the public. The new hide and new conservation work at Thornwick April Richard raised the money by being sponsored to try to see as many species of birds as possible in two months September and October His final tally was species!

Mcgill bird observatory

Stoneycroft is directly adjacent to the Morgan Arboretum, the largest of its kind in Canada, covering hectares. An internal report Bardo, L. Goulet, A. Hibbert, V. Lukasik and K. Ecological assessment of the Stoneycroft Wildlife Area. Internal Report, Dept. The habitat is a patchwork of different vegetation types comprising shrubland, mature deciduous forest, hawthorn tracts, sumac stands, and remnants of an apple orchard. It is designated as a McGill Research Station, and as such there is no public access, except within the context of special events or research programs. This area provides a variety of attractive habitat for migrating birds as well as a sheltered and safe location for equipment.

Decathlon backpack 20l

It is adjacent to the hectare Morgan Arboretum, the largest arboretum in Canada. Even for the most common species, such research continues to reveal surprises, while for species of concern it provides critical data for the planning of conservation and management efforts. However, a broader audience grew quickly, as other birds and banders found these pages to provide a useful visual complement to Peter Pyle's Identification Guide to North American Birds , and over time the collection expanded to over 60 species. Spring and fall count data have been collected annually since , and have been standardized since spring Write to us: mbo migrationresearch. Created for free using WordPress and Colibri. Plus, through Piranga we are able to provide larger-resolution photos, which may allow for fine details to be viewed more clearly. Operations at MBO emphasize migration monitoring, research, and volunteer training. Migration monitoring: The standard migration monitoring at MBO consists of 5 hours of banding each day, a standardized one-hour census walk around the property one hour after sunrise, and continuous observation of all birds throughout the observation period 6 hours per day. The collection of data through migration monitoring stations has proven to be a practical and effective way of tracking changes in bird populations, especially the species that breed in the vast and hard-to-reach boreal forest. Also in , volunteers established a census route, cleared a series of net lanes, and developed a standardized operating protocol. Recent reports: Latest fall migration monitoring program update annual report PDF, 4. Gravure Brentech Inc. The standard migration monitoring at MBO consists of 5 hours of banding each day, a standardized one-hour census walk around the property one hour after sunrise, and continuous observation of all birds throughout the observation period 6 hours per day. Every day during spring and fall, up to six volunteers gather at the observatory 30 minutes before sunrise to monitor bird migration through banding and observation for six hours.

Even for the most common species, such research continues to reveal surprises, while for species of concern it provides critical data for the planning of conservation and management efforts. The success of the North American bird banding program depends on the participation of many independent observatories across the continent. The likelihood of birds being recovered at sites other than where they were banded increases in proportion to the number of banding stations in operation.

As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions via e-mail. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our core supporters: Gravure Brentech Inc. History: Between and , McGill University ornithology students and various wildlife workshops utilized a section of the Stoneycroft Wildlife Area now the McGill Bird Observatory for occasional banding activities in both spring and fall. However, many projects have either become part of migration monitoring, or are very closely associated with it:. A comments ection built directly into the site allows for discussion of particularly challenging photos. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our core supporters:. A Jay trap was installed in , but is not part of standard operations. To accomplish that task, he was previously using a stepladder and a pair of clippers to cut the hawthorn and buckthorn branches that are overhanging in the lane. Before every migration season, the net lanes we use for our mist nets need to be pruned. Also in , volunteers established a census route, cleared a series of net lanes, and developed a standardized operating protocol. The vegetation maintenance on our hectare site is done by one retired volunteer, Malcolm Johnson. Most volunteers participate occasionally, from just a couple of times per season to a couple of times per week depending on interests and availability.