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Beaverhill Bird Observatory is located 80 km southeast of Edmonton, on the southeast corner of Beaverhill Lake (13,900 hectares). The station
operates from May through October and is located in Beaverhill Lake Natural Area, an internationally recognized birding area known for its shorebirds and waterfowl. There is a bunkhouse on site, but volunteers may need to stay in tents.
Beaverhill Lake is found in a geomorphic area of "knob and kettle" topography. The maximum depth of the lake is around 3 m but most is only about 0.5 m deep. The shoreline is variable and includes shallow mudflats, narrow sandy beaches, and areas of dense emergent vegetation. The adjacent Beaverhill Natural Area has flat to gently rolling open grasslands with a mix of aspen groves and willow stands. Outside of the Natural Area, habitats are comprised primarily of rangeland with some cultivated areas.
The Canadian Nature Federation designated Beaverhill Lake as a National Nature View Point in 1982. In 1987, the southeast corner of the lake, along with the Dekker Islands and Pelican Islands were designated as an Alberta Natural Area in 1987 and the lake is also a Wetland of International Importance (under the Ramsar Convention). In 1996, the site also became a Regional Reserve in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Because of the large numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl that use the area as a stopover site during migration, Beaverhill Lake has also been identified as a globally significant Important Bird Area.
Since 1986, Beaverhill Bird Observatory has been monitoring landbird migration in the Natural Area, and since 1994 monitoring has consisted of a standardized daily program of mist netting and censuses. Beaverhill Lake is an important waterfowl staging area (spring and fall) with more than 200,000 individuals regularly using the site each year. During spring migration, more than 150,000 geese stage here and Beaverhill Lake regularly supports substantial numbers of a variety of shorebirds. An annual Snow Goose Festival celebrates the impressive spring migration of waterfowl. Good numbers of a diversity of landbird migrants are banded at the site each season. Some of the more common species include Least Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, and Claycolored Sparrows.
For more information about the Observatory, membership and volunteer opportunities, please contact:
Beaverhill Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 1418
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5J 2N5
Email: charles@ualberta.ca or Geoffrey.Holroyd@ec.gc.ca
Web: www.beaverhillbirds.com
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