CWS Shorebird Program in the ISR What is a shorebird? Long pointed - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CWS Shorebird Program in the ISR

What is a shorebird?

• Long pointed wings
• Long legs and toes
• Long bill
• Smaller than goose
• Larger than snow bunting or

sparrow

• Camouflaged feathers

What is a shorebird?

• Migrate very far – from South America

(or Europe) to Nunavut

• Fly 40-60 hours at a time
• Lay 4 eggs
• Eat insects on

tundra, invertebrates

• n migration

What Types of shorebirds?

• Sandpipers

– Largest family, long wings, long legs, long necks, small heads with long bills, quick runners, wade in water

• Plovers

– Chunky shorebirds, round heads, large eyes, shorter bills, quick runners, strong fliers, don’t like getting wet

• Phalaropes

– Very small shorebirds, small heads, needle-like bills, strong swimmers, females brighter coloured than males

What Shorebirds are in the ISR?

• Lots and lots! The Mackenzie Delta is one of the best

places in all of the Canadian North to see shorebirds

Dunlin Stilt Sandpiper Hudsonian Godwit Semipalmated Sandpiper Red-necked Phalarope

So why the interest in Shorebirds?

• Pinpoint areas of decline, follow

up with research and conservation action – how?

• Arctic Program for Regional and

International Shorebird Monitoring (Arctic PRISM)

• ~ 75% of N. American shorebirds in decline
• Variety of causes for declines

Arctic PRISM Objectives

• Estimate population size
• Monitor trends in population size
• Determine distribution, abundance, and

habitats utilized throughout the year

• Assist local managers in meeting shorebird

conservation goals

Estimate population size

• Obtain arctic-wide habitat data and use to design

stratified sampling plan

• Estimate shorebird densities on the plots – how?

Arctic PRISM Objectives

• Sum the estimates to obtain

estimates of arctic-wide density and population size

Double sampling

• Large sample of plots surveyed using a rapid

method

• Subset intensively surveyed to estimate

actual density and detection rates on the rapid surveys

• Species-specific detection rate used to adjust

results from rapid surveys

Monitor trends in population size

• Tier 1 - Arctic Wide Surveys
• won’t identify trends for

several years

• Tier 2 - Permanent Sites
• East Bay Bird Sanctuary, NU
• Kendall Island Bird Sanctuary, NT

Arctic PRISM Objectives

• Tier 3 - Checklist Program
• NWT/Nunavut Bird Checklist

Survey

Determine distribution, abundance, and habitats utilized throughout the year

Arctic PRISM Objectives

Assist local managers with their conservation goals

• For Mackenzie Valley Oil and Gas Project

environmental assessment

– Determine the distribution, habitat requirements, and population size

• f shorebirds in the Mackenzie Delta

– Need to know what impact proposed MGP could have on shorebirds

• Species at Risk

Arctic PRISM Objectives

So what’s been going on in the ISR for shorebird monitoring?

• Surveys from Yukon

North Slope to Anderson River (2005-2009)

• Emphasis on areas

that may be affected by MGP , e.g. KIBS, Fish Island (2005-present)

What have we found?

• There are ~1/2 million shorebirds of 14 different

species nesting in the Mackenzie Delta (not changed since early 90s)

• Whimbrel, Hudsonian

Godwit and Long-billed Dowitchers have very few places where they nest, Mackenzie Delta is one of them

What have we found?

• Niglintgak and Taglu

(where O&G footprints will be) are shorebird ‘hot spots’

• Most productive area for

nesting shorebirds is Fish Island

• KIBS and the adjacent

areas are very important for shorebirds

• Why study Whimbrel?

– Negative population trend – Very restricted breeding range (centred on oil and gas development area)

• What did we find?

– Entirely in low-centred polygons (nest, feed, raise chicks) – Areas that are too shrubby or too dry nests aren’t successful

Special project: Whimbrel

• Why study Red-necked

Phalarope?

– Most numerous species – Major declines on migration counts

• What did we find?

– Ponds are selected for social reasons – Concealed nests more successful

Special project: Red-necked Phalarope

Involvement of Beneficiaries

• Have had pleasure of working with 5 Inuvialuit youth

since our shorebird project in the ISR began in 2005

So what’s the plan for shorebird monitoring from now on?

• Continuing the same surveys WMAC and

HTCs have supported since 2005, i.e.

• Monitoring shorebird:

– Populations – Nest success – Number of returning birds (banding) – Physical health (blood sampling)

• For more information about shorebirds
• r shorebird monitoring in the ISR,

contact Jennie Rausch at 867-669-4709 or jennie.rausch@ec.gc.ca

Shorebird Information