Nest Monitoring « Frontenac Bird Studies

July 27, 2009 • 5:06 pm 1

Nest Profile-Field Sparrow

Adult Field Sparrow (D.Derbyshire)

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)

Nidiologicals-Peck and James (1987) and M.Carey et.al. (1994)

Habitat=field, pastures and second growth forest edges and clearings
Microhabitat=nest built on or near ground; elevated in shrubs and tress later in breeding season.
Spring arrival=April
Average nest height=.2 to .5m
Nest builder=female
Nest building period=5-8 days in early part of season: 2-3 days in later part
Average # of broods/season= multiple (average of 2.9 in PA study).
Average Egg Date=26 May-21 June
Average clutch size=3-5
Incubation period=average 11-12 days
Egg colour=white or cream colour, heavily spotted on entire surface with denser markings at larger end
Incubation=female
Fledgling stage=young leave nest 7-8 days after hatching
Parasitized by cowbirds=yes

Field Sparrow nest contents

The Field Sparrow, a close relative of the Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina), remains a common inhabitant of fields and various forms of scrub habitat in the eastern half of the United States, southern Ontario and Quebec. Rare north of the Southern Shield, the Field Sparrow has withdrawn from many areas in southern Ontario due to intensification of agricultural practices as well as the spread and maturation of forest cover in recent decades. They require open areas of dense low ground cover with some woody vegetation for nest support and song perches. It is likely that this species’ population reached its zenith in the 19th century when a low percentage of forest cover and low-intensity agriculture provided great expanses of suitable habitat. Here on the Frontenac Arch, the species remains abundant in rock barren habitats with its shallow till as well as abandoned farms. Forest fires would provide appropriate conditions for this species if not for current forest fire suppression practices.

The nest pictured above was discovered on a recent trip to one of our MAPS sites on crown land in the northern section of the FBS study area. Apart from farm fields, Field Sparrows are ubiquitously found in rock outcrops and in areas burned over in the mid-20th century. Eastern Towhee also occupy these areas and the two are almost always heard singing close together. This nest was actually the second Field Sparrow located at the site, the first of which failed for unknown reasons in early June. In both cases the nest was found elevated in a shrub, although this more recent example is considerably higher than the first, a typical response of the species to the increased growth of vegetation in late summer. The nest itself is similar to the nests of Chipping Sparrow, which are almost entirely constructed with grasses. One difference between the two is that Field Sparrows tend to use a lesser variety of grass types and less animal hair in the nest lining.

Field Sparrow nest site

The nest is located in a main fork within the crown of an as yet unidentified shrub/sapling. This plant would not not have been suitable for nesting in late spring/early summer as it would would have been exposed to predators in the absence of developed vegetation around it that has now provided dense cover.

Field Sparrow nest habitat

This shot of the nest site taken further back shows its position relative to our access trail. The habitat would be best described as a grassy clearing between dense deciduous forest and a large peat bog. To name a few, Yellow-throated Vireo, Scarlet Tanager and Yellow-billed Cuckoo sang from the forest edge throughout the summer, Swamp Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat and Wilson’s Snipe occupied the bog, while Eastern Towhee shared the sunny gap with Field and Song Sparrows.

Fledgling at Rock Ridge in early July

Fledgling and juvenile Field Sparrows have been encountered throughout the summer period across the study area. This area, with its countless rock outcrops and old fields, has been and continues to be an important region for Field Sparrows in Ontario. The retreat of the glaciers left extensive areas of bare rock and/or shallow vegetation resistant soils, providing open areas for Field Sparrows to prosper. It is plausible however that the suppression of fires, natural succession of fields and conversion to intensive agricultural methods will continue to reduce their numbers in Ontario and beyond.

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Nest Profiles , Field Sparrow

July 21, 2009 • 9:07 pm 5

Nest under construction: Red-eyed Vireo

CLICK HERE to watch this video in High Definition on Vimeo

The above video was captured over a period of four and a half days from June 27-July 1, 2009. A female Red-eyed Vireo began installing the foundation of a nest in a young maple about two meters above the ground on June 27. The process in its entirety was fascinating to observe as the footage revealed subtleties of technique and the use of various materials.

The Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) is one of the most common passerines of eastern forests in North America. A neotropical migrant, “Red-eyes” migrate to South America each autumn where they feed primarily on fruit. During the summer they are dedicated insectivores of mainly deciduous forest stands and fragments. The male Red-eyed Vireo is a vocal standout in the avian world as they hold the record for most songs per day of any bird species on the planet. In June and July the female Red-eyed Vireo builds a pensile or suspended cup nest from an outer fork of a branch-exclusively in deciduous tree species. The subject nest of this writing matches this description very closely. This particular nest was easily accessible for monitoring, providing a convenient window into the meticulous and masterful work of the nest building songbird.

I strongly recommend that you watch the HD version of the video to see the subtle movements and to appreciate the remarkable precision of the bill in manipulating nest material. The video clearly shows how important spiders and their webs are to nest construction for this and many other bird species. The female worked constantly during daylight hours over the course of four days. Review of the footage indicated that she visited the nest for periods of between three seconds to two minutes with an average of four minutes between trips. This rate would mean that just shy of 200 visits to the nest are made each day for a total of ~850 visits to complete a nest in four to five days!

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Videos

July 3, 2009 • 10:32 am 0

Nest Profile-Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe nest contents

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Nidiologicals (from Peck and James 1987)

Habitat=deciduous and mixed woodlands; rural areas
Microhabitat=primarily man made structures in open forested habitats but also in natural crevices and ledges
Spring arrival=April
Average nest height=2.1-3m
Nest builder=female
Incubation=female
Average # of broods/season=1-2
Average Egg Date=May 23-June 18
Area sensitive=no
Average clutch size=4-5
Incubation period=14-15 days
Egg colour=white with some of the clutch speckled
Parasitized by cowbirds=yes

Guard duty-male Eastern Phoebe

[This is a pre-scheduled post written with haste on June 30 for publishing on July 3. We are hoping to have internet back up and running by the end of the weekend]

This Eastern Phoebe nest was originally built in a prior year, probably 2008, and was re-established by the adult male (above) and female (below) beginning June 17, 2009. The pair began checking out the dilapidated nest found under an eave on top of a motion-sensor light in mid-June. A day or two later, an adult was seen carrying material to the nest. Eastern Phoebes are remarkably tolerant of human activity around their nests and this particular pair is no exception as dogs, cats, people and various vehicles come and go without any apparent objection to the birds. By June 21, the nest was refurbished with a tidy new wreath of moss, plant fibers and animal hair. Upon checking the nest with a mirror on June 22, two eggs were discovered which became four by June 24. The female has been incubating ever since.

Adult Eastern Phoebe incubating

This species has a variable incubation period, however the average is 14-15 days, which would mean that the eggs should hatch around the end of the first week of July. We will keep an eye on this nest for as long as we can with the hope that we might determine its final outcome.

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Nest Profiles

June 26, 2009 • 6:38 pm 1

Nest Profile-Ovenbird

Male Ovenbird banded at MABO (early June)

Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus)

Nidiologicals (from Peck and James 1987 and Van Horn et.al 1994)

Habitat=deciduous forests
Microhabitat=nest built in sparsely vegetated forest floor with dense leaf litter, often in forest clearings
Spring arrival=May
Average nest height=ground
Nest builder=female
Nest building period=5 days
Average # of broods/season=1 (rarely 2)
Average Egg Date=June 6-June 20
Area sensitive=yes
Average clutch size=4-5
Incubation period=12 days
Egg colour=white with speckles of gray, brown or hazel forming a wreath at large end
Incubation=female
Fledgling stage=young leave nest 8-10 days after hatching
Parasitized by cowbirds=yes

The Ovenbird is a common species inhabiting both dry and mesic deciduous forest types throughout our study area in the northern Frontenac Arch. Our point counts suggest that they are one of the most abundantly occurring species in contiguous tracts of deciduous and mixed forest, both mature and younger stands, where the understorey is sparsely developed and canopy closure is high. The Ovenbird, a ground specialist, is an area sensitive species, which means that productivity is adversely affected by forest fragmentation. Data from the Breeding Bird Survey and the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas indicate a significant population decline in southern Ontario where most large tracts of forest have been reduced to isolated smaller fragments unsuitable for reproduction of this species. The Ovenbird winters in southern Florida, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean islands.

Nest contents

This Ovenbird nest was discovered at our Maplewood Bog MAPS station on June 14, 2009. This species is notoriously cryptic in its habits during the breeding season, often walking slowly along the forest floor to its well concealed nest. The species gets its name for its domed nest that resembles an oven. I was rather exstatic to find this nest as I had spent a good few hours tracking adults in two other territories in nearby Frontenac Park, both of which led me to recently fledged young instead of active nests. The eggs are heavily speckled with reddish-brown marks that are concentrated at the larger end.

The Oven nest

So here is the weird part. The nest was built at some point between our first and second visit to MABO in a 12m long net lane that was cleared in late May! The female will only flush from the nest if your foot comes to within perhaps 10 inches or so of the nest, which is an extreme example of an incubating bird “sitting tight” to avoid exposing the nest to an intruder. It was remarkable that we hadn’t either stepped on the nest or flushed the female earlier that morning as the nest is almost directly in the middle of our foot path for checking the net.

microhabitat

It was only when I took the net down at the end of the day that I sensed that something small and quick had just dashed from the ground near my feet. I then had a quick look around in the thicker ground cover but didn’t find anything resembling a nest. I then turned to a small and rather odd looking clump in the grass underneath a juniper seedling and noted the classic domed shape of an Ovenbird nest and then four eggs! The nest is not unusual in being located in a clearing but it is unusual to be positioned in such an exposed context with direct sun beaming on its roof during late morning and much of the afternoon. There is however, a decent layer of dead leaves, which female Ovenbirds key on for nest site selection.

habitat

This last photo shows the location of the nest within the net lane and the habitat of choice for this particular pair of Ovenbirds. Incidentally, we captured presiding male and female in the net that goes here on the first net check of visit three! They both seem to be doing well as the male sings throughout the morning, no less than 30m from the nest at any time and the female incubates the four eggs despite our comings and goings. We won’t be revisiting MABO until next week, which will give these expecting parents some quality alone time to take care of business.

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Nest Profiles

June 18, 2009 • 8:52 pm 1

Common Nighthawk nest update

Incubating nighthawk (S.Leckie)

The Common Nighthawk nest first discovered at our Rock Ridge MAPS site is still active. This adult, probably a female, spent the morning of June 16th incubating eggs in the blistering sun and seemed to be catching up on some sleep as well. I called in Seabrooke to sweep by on a net check with her long lens for a photograph and it turned out very nicely as usual. The eggs have been incubated since at least June 2, which means that the chicks should hatch no later than June 21 if they haven’t already. We will be back for our third visit to the site around the middle of next week and will hopefully find two “nighjarlets” at the little rock outcropping. I will also be conducting two point count routes in rock barren habitat next week. Each route will be four kilometres long, which gives me a good opportunity to turn up some more of these fascinating birds.

Whip-poor-wills, waiting for the next full moon to approach, have been quiet of late but we did flush three individuals from Canoe Lake (1 bird) and Perth (2 birds) Rds on our pre-dawn drive to Rock Ridge on the 16th.

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Project Whip-poor-will

• 1:01 pm 2

Nest Profile-Chipping Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow (S.Leckie)

Nidiologicals (from Peck and James 1987 and Middleton 1998)
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

Habitat=open woodlands, parkland and treed fields
Spring arrival=April-May
Average nest height=0.9-2.4m
Nest builder=female
Average # of broods/season=2 (rarely 3)
Average Egg Date=June 4-June 20
Area sensitive=no
Average clutch size=4
Nest building period=~4 days
Incubation period=10-11 days
Microhabitat=high variable across geographic range; strong preference for conifers.
Egg colour=sky blue (rarely white) with irregular streaks, blotches and spots mostly at larger end
Incubation=female
Parasitized by cowbirds=yes

Nest searching in the FBS study area has been generally productive, although we’ve been forced to reduce the amount of time for dedicated searching due to time constraints in June. I’ve been monitoring about forty nests in the last two weeks and have been pleased with success thus far in finding nests at a good rate when time is available. Yesterday in two hours, I was able to find active nests of Blue Jay, American Robin, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Baltimore Oriole and American Redstart. This post is an in-depth profile of Frontenac nesting species number three (only about 190 to go!).

The Chipping Sparrow is one of North America’s most abundant songbirds, a species that has benefited from the creation of suitable habitat by human settlement and infrastructure from Newfoundland to Alaska through Central America. Unlike most sparrows, the Chipping Sparrow prefers open woodlands and treed edges of waterways and fields. They seem to occur in higher densities in urban settings than undisturbed habitats. I recall my surprise in encountering an abundance of Chipping Sparrows in taiga habitats near the treeline in the Northwest Territories where Chipping Sparrows nested on the ground or slightly elevated in spruce saplings. Here in the Frontenac Arch, “chippers” are abundant in most areas where natural or man-made forest clearings occur. Our point counts are revealing a strong preference for mixed forest sites containing Eastern White Pine and/or juniper.

Chipping Sparrow nest contents (Derbyshire)

This Chipping Sparrow nest was discovered in Frontenac Provincial Park in early June within transitional habitat from young deciduous forest to mixed forest/rock barren. I was alerted to the presence of the nest by alarm calling adults. The nest was easily found at the outer end of a low pine bough, not terribly well hidden. The nest itself is a loosely formed cup consisting of dried grass with a more densely formed inner bowl of animal hair and fine plant fibers. The four eggs are a distinctive sky blue with irregular dark markings, mostly at the larger end. It was recently discovered that male Chipping Sparrows copulate with multiple females in neighboring territories (extra-pair copulations).

These last three shots visually describe the nest position and the habitat. It is unusual for a Chipping Sparrow to select such an exposed location for the nest as this particular one is clearly visible from the sides and especially from below. Not surprisingly, the preference of Chipping Sparrows for wooded edges has exposed them to high rates of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds. Interestingly, of the forty nests (all species) I have discovered thus far, I have yet to find a single case of parasitism. This is, in part, due to the habitat where nests have been found, interior forest sites where cowbirds are rare. I have begun nest searching in a forest plot adjacent to open habitats and will be interested to observe any divergence in rates of parasitism.

Nest position (Derbyshire)

Nest site (Derbyshire)

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Nest Profiles

June 9, 2009 • 12:37 am 3

Nest Profile: Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

Veery Nest

Species Abstract
Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

Habitat=Deciduous forest
Area sensitive=yes
Average clutch size=4
Nest building period=6 days
Incubation period=10-14 days
Microhabitat=ground or slightly elevated in shrub/tree
Nest builder=female
Incubation=female
Parasitized by cowbirds=yes

This is the first edition of what will be an ongoing series of nest profiles for breeding bird species of the Frontenac Arch. Searching out and monitoring active nests has always been an important component of ornithology and is also a significant source of data for understanding and tracking changes in demographics and ecology of breeding avifauna all over the world. As part of the Frontenac Breeding Birds program we will be actively searching for nests in select areas to yield valuable information on habitat associations, nest success/failure rates and predation/parasitism rates to name a few. These demographic data combined with vital rate statistics drawn from our three Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship stations will be utilized in concert with standardized population estimates (point counts) to form an integrated approach to avian monitoring.

This Veery nest was discovered on June 6, 2009 at our Maplewood Bog MAPS site. The Veery is one of five members of the Catharus genus of thrushes, which inhabit forests across much of North America. The Veery prefers damp, deciduous forests and tend to favour more successional habitats than the other “spot breasted” thrushes. Nests are built entirely by females in mid-May to early June and are built on or near the ground in 6-10 days (Forbush 1927). This particular nest was found about 8 inches above the ground in the centre of a small juniper in a deciduous woodland clearing. Eggs are laid 4 days after nest completion and the average clutch size is 4 eggs. The female builds the nest alone and incubates the clutch while the male guards the territory until the eggs hatch after 10-14 days after laying. The Brown-headed Cowbird parasitized 19% of nests recorded in Ontario (n=368), making the Veery a sensitive species to habitat fragmentation (Peck and James 1987).

Veery nest site

I was a bit surprised to find this particular nest in such an “open” spot with full sun shining on the nest and the back of the incubating female. Junipers are definitely a key plant for ground nesting birds in this region as the dense evergreen foliage provides an excellent concealer.

Female Veery Incubating (S.Leckie)

This incubating female sat very tight to the nest for most of the morning and was only flushed when approached to within 1ft. Luckily, Seabrooke, with camera at hand, was nearby and was able to get a couple of shots of the female tending to the clutch. I was very pleased to find our first Veery nest for Frontenac Bird Studies, as the species’ nest is notoriously difficult to find. We will be on the lookout for more and will also look for nests of its relatives-the Hermit and the Wood Thrush in the coming weeks.

Veery closeup

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Nest Profiles

May 28, 2009 • 8:22 pm 0

Update from the field

Hummingbird at FBS feeders on May 24, 2009 (click here for HD version)

Crunch time has arrived as we make final preparations for the start up of the Frontenac Breeding Birds program in early June. Establishing the MAPS sites has been the main task on the agenda but we’ve also been delving into establishing over 180 point count stations, getting ready for Project Whip-poor-will and the usual administration duties. Things should clear up by early next week and I should be back to regular blogging by the end of the weekend. I have yet to start nest searching in an “official” manner but have already found nests of a dozen species. I was very pleased to find a Winter Wren nest yesterday evening and have since added Red-eyed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a second Hairy Woodpecker nest to the list from this afternoon. No sign of a nest yet for the residing pair(s) of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the FBS headquarters….

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, News , Ruby-throated Hummingbird

May 19, 2009 • 2:03 pm 1

Waterfront homes at Hemlock Lake

Forest floor of regenerating coniferous forest

Returned to the Hemlock Lake site yesterday to begin searching for mistnet locations and to get a better picture of the breeding bird community for our study. The visit was considerably more comfortable than my last when black flies were particularly menacing! This latest visit was cool with very few biting insects, which afforded me a great opportunity to get to know the site a bit better. What a difference a couple of weeks can make in the late spring! The emerging foliage was substantially further along, which created a much different looking landscape. Site visits in winter and early spring gave me a solid understanding of the scale, topography and structure of the site but I knew that it wouldn’t be possible to even consider positoning net locations until the canopy and understory had matured.

Upon entry to the site, I heard Eastern Towhee, Scarlet Tanager, Nashville Warbler and a concert of voice-battling Ovenbirds. Further along to where the forest turns from deciduous to mixed-coniferous, I encountered Black-and-white, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue and Blackburnian Warblers, all species we were expecting at the site. Also of interest were at least two territories of Winter Wren, one of the most vocally adept species on the planet! I was able to record a few seconds of one of our talented males holding territory in the site along with one of the unavoidable male Ovenbirds (click play to listen).

Evidence of active nesting by many species included alarm calls, adults carrying nesting material and territorial disputes. I didn’t find a great number of nests but I did mark locations where a nest was suspected. I will have to return in a few days to a week to confirm presumed nest sites of Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler and Eastern Towhee among others.

However, I did manage to find the nest of a Brown Creeper, which was discovered by patiently watching movements and behaviour of a pair in the standing dead timber at the edge of Hemlock Lake. After sitting quietly for about 45 minutes, I was finally rewarded with the observation of an adult entering a tree with nesting material. The Brown Creeper places its nest almost exclusively in dead trees, between a loose flap of bark and the trunk. They build a hammock shaped nest of sticks and fibres, which is secured to the bark with insect-egg casings and spider silk. The nest will now be monitored with the goal of deriving a nest outcome. The information will be important to our demographic studies of breeding birds in the FBS study area and will be submitted to the Ontario Nest Records Scheme and Project Nestwatch for province-wide monitoring efforts. A closer view of the nest site is provided below.

Brown Creeper nest site

The most exciting discovery of the day led to this short video of a waterthrush carrying material to a nest in roots of an upturned tree along a clear moving stream. Northern Waterthrushes were quite vocal in the vicinity but this particular pair were all but silent except for some occassional contact calls between male and female. The calls were diagnostic of Louisiana Waterthrush but I will have to confirm identify of the nest owners at a later date. Northern Waterthrush are very similar in appearance with some subtle differences. It is best to distinguish the two by song, which are distinct. The Louisiana Waterthrush is a Species At Risk and a specialty of the Frontenac Arch region where an abundance of mature forest and clear moving streams provide suitable nesting habitat. The video is of less than ideal quality but one can clearly see an adult entering the roots about halfway up the screen to the left of the small tree trunk. The bird is more clearly seen at the end of the clip as it cryptically runs through the stream and out of the frame. Click here for HD version of this video clip.

The Hemlock Lake MAPS station will begin operating in early June and continue with one visit per ten-day block through the final visit in late July. We will also be conducting a standardized nest monitoring study at this and the other two MAPS stations in the FBS study area. The site is turning out to be a terrific find and hopefully a long-term home for our research and monitoring programs.

Notable Species at Hemlock Lake (May 18,2009)

Great Blue Heron
Red-shouldered Hawk
Eastern Kingbird
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Wood Thrush
Swainson’s Thrush (migrant)
Northern Parula (migrant)
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, M.A.P.S, Nest Monitoring, Species At Risk, Videos , Brown Creeper nest, Frontenac Breeding Birds, Hemlock, Hemlock Lake, Louisiana Waterthrush, Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship, waterthrush nest

April 30, 2009 • 7:08 pm 0

Red-shouldered Hawks on Canoe Lake Road

Incubating Red-shouldered Hawk

The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) occurs across much of the eastern half of North America with a northern limit of central Ontario and Maine. Formerly Ontario’s most abundant hawk species, Red-shouldered Hawks declined sharply in the last century due to habitat loss and fragmentation and resulting inter-specific competition with the Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawks are an area-sensitive species, preferring large tracts of mature, contiguous and primarily deciduous forest cover. This species also prefers a closed canopy of 70% or greater for successful breeding (Badzinski 2005). Territory size for the lineatus subspecies averaged 192 hectares in a Maryland study with distance between nesting pairs ranging from .37 km to 1.27 km (Steward 1949). Interestingly, this species is considered a partial migrant as it is only those individuals that breed in the northern portion of the continental range that are known to migrate south. These migrant Red-shouldered Hawks that breed in Ontario migrate relatively short distances to the United States.

The rather unimpressive photo above was taken of a incubating parent, probably a female, along Canoe Lake Road on April 27, 2009. A pair returned to this nesting location from previous years in late March and were highly vocal during the first two weeks of courtship. The male and female were often observed together coasting on thermal updrafts around mid-day near the nest site. The pair have been nearly silent since that time and are much more inconspicuous in general since eggs were laid in the last week or so. The nest itself, compacted and disheveled by the winter, was extensively renovated by the pair in the first few weeks, and has nearly doubled in overall size since late March. It is located in a mature ash between two small ridges. The presiding male has been observed on multiple occasions bringing food (mostly small mammals) to the incubating female. The incubation period is about 33 days, which suggests that young will hatch around late May (Palmer 1988).

Cruising Red-shouldered Hawk

The Red-shouldered Hawk was listed as a Species At Risk (Special Concern) in Canada (COSEWIC) and Ontario (COSSARO) until 2007 when it was delisted largely based on results of a pioneering citizen science project. Bird Studies Canada (BSC) and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) completed a thorough assessment of the population status of this uncommon raptor species by conducting annual roadside counts in southern and central Ontario from 1990-2006. The Red-shouldered Hawk and Spring Woodpecker Survey concluded that populations during that time period seemed to be stable in regions of Ontario with suitable habitat (central) and that the species was expanding northward. Of over 141 survey routes conducted during the project, there were a few that stood out in terms of the average number of hawks per route. Canoe Lake, Opinicon Lake, Otty Lake and Christie Lake, all routes located within the northern portion of the Frontenac Arch, had significantly higher counts of this species than anywhere else. This pattern of high population density in this region as well as The Land Between ecotone is also indicated by abundance and breeding evidence maps of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Protecting the ecological integrity of the Frontenac Arch and the Southern Shield region of Ontario is important to a vast array of species, including the Red-shouldered Hawk. The contributions of the Red-shouldered Hawk and Spring Woodpecker Survey and the continued efforts of the Kingston Field Naturalists have been of considerable significance to our understanding of this species in the Frontenac Arch region. While not a focal species at this time, Frontenac Bird Studies will be conducting surveys and nest-monitoring to lend further support for this remarkable hawk in Ontario’s woodlands.

Filed under: Breeding Bird Studies, Nest Monitoring, Species At Risk , Frontenac Breeding Birds, nest, Red-shouldered Hawk