Mcgill bird observatory

Many members of BPQ volunteer there in assorted capacities while our charity provides financial support for some of their important projects. The station is road-accessible and open to the public by appointment, mcgill bird observatory. About 10, birds representing 96 species were banded in the first two years of operation, further suggesting that it mcgill bird observatory an important migratory stopover site for passerines.

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, ranging from banding workshops and ongoing training of volunteers to public presentations and development of identification resources. 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. Operations at MBO are patterned after those at other Canadian bird observatories, with an emphasis on migration monitoring, research, and volunteer training. Volunteer assistance is required to operate all research programs at the McGill Bird Observatory. Help is needed both with banding activities and with site maintenance — information about volunteering can be found here.

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.

We also have a limited number of openings for seasonal interns.

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? Click here for details and to report sightings.

In the event that you have reached this page without first visiting the introductory page, please click here for some important background information about this site. Species accounts are being expanded and added on an ongoing basis as we acquire new photos. See the Yellow Warbler or Baltimore Oriole pages for examples of particularly comprehensive accounts. A key to the approximate status of each account is listed in the table:. Additional species will be added to the list as opportunities permit; thank you for your patience as we continue to develop the site.

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.

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To be notified about our latest updates, as well as special events and milestones, click here to subscribe to the MBO mailing list. Birds are captured primarily using mist nets. As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions via e-mail. 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. If you find the resource valauble, we encourage you to make a donation via PayPal, at left to the Migration Research Foundation to support our ongoing work at McGill Bird Observatory, which is what makes our content possible. It is adjacent to the hectare Morgan Arboretum, the largest arboretum in Canada. Learn more about what we do and how you might be able to help, by following the navigation links at the top of the page. Volunteer assistance is required to operate all research programs at the McGill Bird Observatory. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our core supporters:. Please visit NatureInstruct to register free for Piranga and help us continue to improve this resource! Also in , volunteers established a census route, cleared a series of net lanes, and developed a standardized operating protocol. A Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship station MAPS The first passerine ageing and sexing workshop was offered in fall with two others offered in following years, including a workshop led by Peter Pyle Volunteer opportunities: MBO is run almost entirely by volunteers. Operations at MBO are patterned after those at other Canadian bird observatories, with an emphasis on migration monitoring, research, and volunteer training. Questions or comments?

Operations at MBO emphasize migration monitoring, research, and volunteer training.

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. 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. What do we do? Spring migration census coverage runs from March 28 through June 5, with banding coverage from April 18 to June 2. Last but not least, species accounts are now available in both English and French. Questions or comments? 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. This page has moved to www. Volunteer assistance is required to operate all research programs at the McGill Bird Observatory. However, many projects have either become part of migration monitoring, or are very closely associated with it:. A Jay trap was installed in , but is not part of standard operations. Piranga allows users to select images for side-by-side comparison, and a quiz feature provides an easy opportunity for self-testing. 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. A comments ection built directly into the site allows for discussion of particularly challenging photos.