Bird Studies Canada  Strategic Plan
Staff Review of Operating Plan for Calendar 2000
Strategic Intent
	Objective			Operating Plan for Calendar 2000	Accomplishments in 2000
		Action
1	Develop effective national and regional programs consistent with BSC's mission, and covering all bird species.
	1.1	Develop a Board and governance structure that reflects a strong Canada-wide commitment.		*Add Directors, National Councillors and Baillie Fund trustees from provinces outside Ontario, as appropriate.	During year, BSC Director from QC added to Board, Councillor from NB appointed to National Council and trustee from BC added to Baillie Fund.
	1.2	Build a BSC presence in all regions.
		1.2.1	Have a minimum of 1 full-time-equivalent staff in each region of Canada.	*Maintain 1.5 full-time equivalent BC staff positions.	BC staff positions maintained.
				*Have full-time Atlantic Canada Program Manager in place by 15 September 2000.	Atlantic Canada Program Manager in place by 15 September, under agreement with Canadian Wildlife Service Atlantic Region.
				*Begin negotiations and fund-raising to have Quebec Program Manager in place by December 2001.	Preliminary meeting of Board members and staff held in December.
		1.2.2	Provide grants to individuals or groups for activities which increase knowledge of Canadian birds, or contribute to their conservation.	*Award $22,450 in Baillie Fund grants and $65,000 in 12-13 matched Canadian Migration Monitoring Network station grants from Millennium funds for 15 month period ending 31 March 2001.	$25,525 awarded in 27 Baillie Fund grants; total of $65K awarded to 13 Canadian Migration Monitoring Network stations through Millennium partnership agreements.
				*Continue Young Ornithologists Workshop and Latin American training program.	Provided financial assistance to 6 participants and 3 interns in Young Ornithologists Workshop and to 4 trainers in Latin American training program.
		1.2.3	Develop new regional programs where appropriate to advance BSC's mission.	*Participate in Management Board and play leading data management role in the second Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.	Participated in Management Board and played leading data management role in the 2nd Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.  Heavily involved in technical design, field-testing, regional coordination, fund raising and project promotion.
		1.2.4	Define and develop terms of reference for other expressions of "presence," e.g. roles of Board members, research associates and special volunteers.	*Budget for 2 Research Associates/Special Volunteers.	2 Research Associates/Special Volunteers budgeted.
				*Have National Council set priorities for these positions.	Not done.
				*Engage at least 1 such individual.	Not done.
		1.2.5	Hold regional meetings with provincial organizations and local groups to develop shared interests and support as initiated through BSC's National Council.	*Have National Council and Board meet with Atlantic Canada provincial and local groups in September 2000.	National Council and Board met with 18 representatives of Atlantic Canada provincial and local groups in September.
				*Set dates and location for Canadian Migration Monitoring Network meeting in 2001.	Date (October 2001) and location (Atlantic Bird Observatory) set.
	1.3	Achieve numbers of volunteers for BSC's national programs that are proportional to population distribution in Canada.
		1.3.1	Increase volunteer participation in BSC's national programs from 40% outside of Ontario to more than 60% by 2004.	*Increase % Total non-Ontario participation to 45%.	Percent non-Ontario participation at end of December 1998, 1999, 2000: Canadian Lakes Loon Survey (37,39,41); Project FeederWatch (42,42, 50).  Total: 40, 41, 46.
	1.4	In partnership with others, develop strategic approaches and guidelines for the Integrated Population Approach as a framework for BSC programs.
		1.4.1	Develop partnerships with other organizations for comprehensive coverage of all bird species, consistent with the intent of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.	*Conclude agreement with National Audubon Society re Christmas Bird Counts in Canada.	Agreement with National Audubon Society re CBCs in Canada concluded 30 June.
				*Negotiate renewed partnership agreement with Natural Heritage Information Centre re rare bird data for Ontario.	Agreement between Natural Heritage Information Centre and Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON)/BSC/Nature Conservancy of Canada complete and ready for signing.
				*Negotiate renewed partnership agreement with Cornell for Project FeederWatch by 15 August 2000.	Put on hold until June 2001.
				*Organize and host partnership meeting for nest record schemes in Canada.	Successful meeting with schemes held 13-15 December.
				*Develop agreement to become the Canadian partner in BirdSource.	Initial discussions underway.
	1.5	Coordinate the development of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network in partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Service.
		1.5.1	Develop partnership agreement with CWS.	*Complete Canadian Migration Monitoring Network agreement with Canadian Wildlife Service.	Not done but draft prepared.
		1.5.2	Have an east-west set of full member stations and additional associate members across all major regions in Canada by 2000.	*Complete designation of Tadoussac, Qc.	Completed designation of Tadoussac, bringing total to 15 designated stations.
				*Pursue designation of Gros Morne, NF and Revelstoke, BC.	Pursued designation of Gros Morne, Revelstoke and Toronto (stations sent membership criteria, application forms and sample operating protocols), but none designated.
		1.5.3	Convene annual or biennial meetings of network members.	*No Canadian Migration Monitoring Network meeting planned.  Hold regional BC and ON meetings.	Not done formally.  Band Manager training sessions undertaken at Ontario Bird Banding Assoc. and Eastern Bird Banding Assoc. annual meetings.
		1.5.4	Provide data management services and regular trend analyses for network members.	*Calculate annual (1999) indices for 8 stations with more than 5 years of standardized data (add 3 stations -- Last Mountain, Whitefish, Inglewood).	Done for 5 stations (Long Point, Thunder Cape, Lesser Slave, Beaverhill and Inglewood); corrected data not supplied for Last Mountain (good progress), Delta (some progress) or Whitefish (some progress).
				*Complete study of station capacity to monitor high priority bird species by March 2000.	Completed study of station capacity to monitor high priority bird species by March 2000.  Report posted on web.
		1.5.5	Seek sources of support for the network and member stations.	*Provide $10K for Canadian Migration Monitoring Network supported isotope study.	Provided $10K for isotope study.
				*Maintain Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources support for Thunder Cape and Long Point bird observatories.	Maintained Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources support for Long Point and Thunder Cape.
				*Seek $40K in new foundation support for regional Canadian Migration Monitoring Network stations.	Helped 3 stations (Lesser Slave Lake, Prince Edward Point, Tadoussac) develop independent funding proposals, but did not submit any proposals directly on behalf of the network.
	1.6	Complete Important Bird Areas project in partnership with the Canadian Nature Federation and BirdLife International.		*Renew agreement with Canadian Nature Federation for joint partnership for BirdLife International in Canada.	Ongoing.
		1.6.1	Complete the documentation of IBA sites and develop follow-up monitoring of species and habitats for priority areas.	*Complete regional Important Bird Area data compilation.	Statistics for December 1998, 1999 and 2000: # of potential sites (1125, 1207, 1230); detailed information compiled (477,941, 1189); 1-page summaries written (147,398, 600); sites with external review complete (74, 212, 426); steering committee review (57, 208, 459).
				*Evaluate remaining Important Bird Area working list (about 560 sites) to the extent that available documentation permits.	Statistics for December 1998, 1999 and 2000: # sites evaluated (189,633, 1139).
				*Add about 190 web-page accounts (but see 3.3.1).	Statistics for December 1998, 1999 and 2000: #  web-page accounts (50, 162, 333). But see 3.3.1
				*Establish criteria for evaluating priority Important Bird Areas.	Not done.
	1.7	Design and implement new high priority national programs (or components of them).
		1.7.1	Study feasibility of productivity and survivorship studies using nest record schemes, and/or distributional and relative abundance studies using atlas and/or checklist programs and initiate implementation if feasible.	*Complete analysis of regional nest record scheme data.	Project started, but data not available in suitable computerized format. Started analysis of Ontario American Robin data but insufficient resources to complete analysis.
				*Obtain $40,000 in funding for development of web-based Ontario nest record scheme.	Obtained $40,000 in funding for development of web-based Ontario nest record scheme.
				*Design field test of Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas abundance data.	Field-test designed and completed.  Prepared sampling scheme for point count protocol.
				*Submit 2 papers to peer-reviewed journals.	1 paper on woodland birds submitted; tentative acceptance pending revision.  2nd paper presented at American Ornithologists Union meeting but MS not complete.
				*Help obtain $30,000 for field test of Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas abundance data.	Helped FON obtain $30K for field test.  BSC proposal for $300K for Atlas submitted, but program still largely unfunded.  BSC proposal for $250K for endangered species component submitted.  Provided significant input to other funding initiatives.
		1.7.2	Coordinate design and development of national monitoring protocols in cooperation with other organizations, e.g. for marsh monitoring (MMP), owls, checklist programs.	*Complete national owl monitoring protocol.	Revisions completed but still awaiting approval of all co-authors; publication in progress.
				*Continue MMP involvement in development of North American marsh bird monitoring protocol.	Developed and implemented research project to field-test MMP protocol as part of involvement in developing a N. American marsh bird monitoring protocol.
				*Incorporate checklist component into Important Bird Area electronic directory (see 3.3.1).	Unlikely to be done until July 2001.  Depends on negotiations with National Audubon Society, BirdSource and BirdLife International.
	1.8	Maintain other national and regional programs.
				National:
				Breeding Bird Survey (BBS):
				Maintain current levels.	Provided support to 151 participants in 2000 (vs. 88 in 1999 and 85 in 1998).
				Canadian Lakes Loon Survey (CLLS):
				*Implement recruitment strategy and increase fee-paying participation to 1000, with 60% of new recruits outside Ontario.	Recruitment strategy developed and implemented, but failed to reach target.  Number of fee-paying participants declined from 800 in 1999 to 744 in 2000; 46% of new recruits were outside Ontario.  Received support from Canada Trust but funding from Northern Reflections was withdrawn.  Negotiated new contracts with Ontario and Atlantic Canadian Wildlife Service regions to supply data and undertake a temporal trend analysis, respectively.
				*Submit 1 paper to peer-reviewed journal.	Paper not completed due to loss of senior coordinator in fall 2000; position advertised but not filled by year end.  Former coordinator has committed to produce 1 paper based upon temporal analysis of Ontario data.
				Christmas Bird Count (CBC)::
				*Organize workshop of CBC regional coordinators and selected count organizers to plan development of CBCs in Canada.	Workshop held with 14 participants from across Canada representing all provinces except NS.
				* Assign staff responsibility for CBC management	National coordination assigned to Dick Cannings, BC Programs Manager.
				* Coordinate CBCs in Canada in 2000	Number of counts registered expected to be about 280, with about 31 new counts added (20 new counts and 11 restarts, an 11 % increase over 1999).  Supervised undergraduate student GIS project on annual changes in American Goldfinch distribution using CBC data.
				Project FeederWatch (PFW):
				*Increase participation to 2700 (23%), with 60% of new recruits outside Ontario.	Increased participation to 2580 from 2193 (18%) in 1999.  59% of new recruits were from outside Ontario.
				*Revise and resubmit PFW paper to peer-reviewed journal.	Manuscript revised after re-analysis, but not yet submitted.  Should be submitted in January 2001.
				*Produce all PFW materials in French.	All PFW materials were translated into French (poster, calendar, data booklet, instruction booklet, handbook, and PFW brochure).  Also a French PFW homepage was added to the BSC web site; much, but not all web material is available in both English and French.
				Regional:  ON
				Breeding Bird Survey (BBS):
				*Increase number of routes assigned to 130.	Not done.  Number of routes assigned maintained 1999 level (118 routes assigned).
				Owls:
				*Increase number of routes for which data are submitted from 118 to 140.	Number of routes assigned increased from 118 to 187 (data returned on 155 routes).
				*Submit 1 paper to peer-reviewed journal.	Not done.  Postponed.
				Red-shouldered Hawk (RSHA) & Spring Woodpecker Survey:
				*Increase number of routes for which data are submitted from 55 to 65.	Number of routes assigned increased from 60 to 73, of which 58 submitted data.  Manuscript on RSHA monitoring completed; being reviewed by OMNR prior to submission.
				Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP):
				*Increase number of routes for which data are submitted from 268 to 375 (40%).	Number of routes for which data were submitted increased from 268 in 1999 to 330 in 2000 (23%).  Received major funding from US Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada.  Completed major 5-yr analysis of MMP data; published and distributed 5000 copies of report.
				* Make presentation on MMP to State of the Lakes Environment Conference 2000.	Made major presentations at State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference in fall 2000; included on steering team of new Great Lakes Consortium by year end.
				* Submit 1 paper to peer-reviewed journal.	Paper on habitat associations put on hold due to loss of coordinator in fall 2000; position advertised but not filled by year end; work will be handled by an independent contractor for completion by 31 March 2001 (including submission of paper to peer-reviewed journal).
				Regional: BC
				Breeding Bird Survey (BBS):
				*Increase number of routes assigned to 75	About 100 routes assigned and close to 75 routes surveyed.
				Owls:
				*Recruit 100 volunteers.	148 volunteers recruited and 140 routes surveyed.
				Coastal Waterbirds:
				*Increase number of sites to 250, complete digitizing all sites.	250 sites reported on and digitized.
		1.8.1	Develop evaluation criteria for scientific reviews of on-going programs, including criteria for dropping programs that have served their purpose or are no longer effective.	*Complete scientific review of Long Point programs.	LPBO Committee completed scientific review of LPBO programs.
				*Design and undertake scientific review of test year of Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas data.	Evaluation completed and sampling scheme for Atlas selected.
		1.8.2	Continue to take a lead role in developing recovery plans and in implementing recovery actions for selected endangered or threatened species.		Bradstreet appointed as COSEWIC member by federal minister for 3-yr term beginning in January 2001.  In October, Cannings appointed as co-chair of the Species Specialist Group for birds. BSC staff involved in recovery planning/activities for 11 endangered and 1 threatened bird species and 1 ecosystem (South Okanagan).  In addition Baillie Fund grants supported work on 2 endangered and threatened species.
				Bald Eagles:
				*Target at least 14 nests to be accessed (including Grand River).	Continued cooperative nest productivity monitoring program with OMNR and CWS; received enhanced funding from Ontario Hydro and Edwards Foundation.  Recovery team decided to discontinue banding and blood sampling programs.
				*Complete and submit 1 paper to refereed journal by 15 September.	No substantive progress made on paper, owing to departure of coordinator in September.
				King Rail:
				*Activities to be defined by recovery team.	Final draft of recovery plan completed and submitted to RENEW; recovery team met for first time in 2 years.  First Nations becoming increasingly involved.
				Loggerhead Shrikes:
				*Continue population surveys and band 80% of nestlings and adults on Nappanee Plain and extend banding program to Carden Plain and potentially southern Manitoba.	Population surveys continued throughout the summer and about 80% of nestlings and adults colour-banded in 4 core breeding areas (Nappanee, Smith's Falls, Carden and Bruce/Manitoulin).  152 birds banded in Ontario; 30 in Manitoba. In 2000 there were 37 LOSH pairs in Ontario.
				*Expand survey coverage to include southern Manitoba.	Surveys primarily conducted in Winnipeg area.  11 pairs recorded (population stable).
				*Cooperate on designing field tests of release program.	Cooperated in designing field tests of release program (2 birds released as part of small experiment).
				*Conduct surveys of Manitoulin and Bruce.	About 2 person weeks spent surveying Bruce and Manitoulin; 2 nests found; adults banded at both nests.
				*Determine return rate of birds banded in 1999.	Determined return rates of birds banded in 1999.
				*Complete review/revision of recovery plan.	Provided information to independent contractor hired to evaluate progress of current recovery plan and prepare a revised plan.
				Acadian Flycatcher:
				*Co-publish information pamphlet.	Information pamphlet finalized but not published.
				*Field activities to be defined by recovery team.	Continued field activities regarding updating site occurrence information.  Conducted follow-up studies of effects of logging in Hepburn Tract.  Recovery plan approved for publication, but not actually published by year end.
				Hooded Warbler:
				*Co-publish information pamphlet.	Information pamphlet finalized but not published.
				*Co-publish South Walsingham management strategy.	Management strategy co-published (with LPRCA and OMNR).
				*Submit habitat association paper to peer-reviewed journal (see also 3.2.2).	Completed 2-yr study of habitat associations.  2nd draft of paper completed.  Nearly ready for submission to peer-reviewed journal.
				*Field activities to be defined by recovery team.	Continued field activities regarding updating site occurrence information.  Conducted follow-up studies of effects of logging in Hepburn Tract.  Recovery plan approved for publication but not actually published by year end.
				Barn Owl:
				*Hire part-time coordinator for at least 3 months.	Hired part-time coordinator for 6 months, and then transferred position to OMNR for another 4 months.  Helped develop and submit major funding applications, none of which were successful by year end.  Work began on developing a grasslands bird poster.  Work also began on assessing suitability of Crown Lands in Cayuga area for possible grassland conversion/stewardship.  Helped host 2 regional meetings.
				*Produce a written protocol for experimental releases.	Experimental release plans put on hold, so protocol not written.
				*Monitor all boxes.	All 242 nest boxes in Haldimand-Norfolk were monitored.
				*Expand nest box program in local region to 260 boxes, and add at least 50 boxes in Niagara region.	Now 269 boxes in Haldimand-Norfolk; 7 boxes in Niagara where boxes are still being built for deployment next spring.
				Prothonotary Warbler:
				*Co-publish information pamphlet.	Information pamphlet finalized but not printed.
				*Conduct 12 Forest Bird Monitoring Program routes at Rondeau.	12 Forest Bird Monitoring Program routes conducted at Rondeau.
				*Colour band 90% of adult population.	Only 3 adult birds banded in 2000 due to insufficient resources.
				*Continue to enhance nest box program effectiveness by addressing competition problems.	Nest site competitor issues continue to be addressed (with little success).
				*Assess House Wren problem at Rondeau in relation to cottage development.	Special survey of House Wrens conducted at Rondeau to assess influence of cottage development.
				*Other field activities to be defined by recovery team.	Population monitoring and nest box program continued at same level as in previous years; nest boxes erected at several new sites (218 boxes in total in 2000). Surveys were conducted in all known sites.  Overall, the Canadian population increased slightly from 18 pairs in 1999 to 20 pairs in 2000.  Recovery plan approved for publication, but still not actually published by year end.
				Okanagan:
				*Organize another field survey with BC Field Ornithologists.	Not done (BCFO annual meeting at inappropriate time).
				*Continue working with RENEW recovery team.	Continued to work with RENEW recovery teams (White-headed Woodpecker, Sage Thrasher, Yellow-breasted Chat, South Okanagan Ecosystem), through the BC working group for Partners In Flight.
2	Continue to play a constructive role in collaborative arrangements for bird conservation across Canada and internationally.
	2.1	Contribute to the North American Bird Conservation initiative.
		2.1.1	Maintain participant status.	Maintain status.	Participant status in North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) maintained.
		2.1.2	Identify potential role and its significance for BSC in NABCI.	Continue as member of National Committee.	Attended NABCI-Canada Council meetings in Saskatoon (July) and Ottawa (February and November).  Strategic framework for monitoring all North American birds prepared for Canadian and US National Councils.  Sat on selection panel for Canadian NABCI Coordinator.  Attended bi-national meeting in Virginia to establish common approaches for setting priorities for all bird groups.
	2.2	Continue active participation in Partners In Flight Canada (especially in implementing the Canadian Landbird Monitoring Strategy), and the American Bird Conservancy Policy Council.		*Determine priority lists of bird species for remaining Bird Conservation Regions.	3 staff attended a bi-national meeting in Winnipeg to establish a common approach to setting landbird conservation priorities.  Little additional progress.  Awaiting resources, agreement, and common approach.
				*Continue as co-Chair of the NABCI monitoring group.	NABCI monitoring group became inactive, but BSC staff member continues as Co-chair of Partners In Flight (PIF) - Canada Monitoring Working Group.   Developed draft agreement for shared science support for PIF, with Canadian Wildlife Service, to be put in place in 2001 and initiated staffing.
				*Delegate representation on PIF National Working Group from Executive Director to Administrative and Development Manager.	Administration and Development Manager now represents BSC on PIF National Working Group.  BC Program Manager appointed to BC Working Group.
	2.3	Continue to provide technical leadership for Canada in BirdLife International.		*Provide technical support in the development of an electronic directory to North American Important Bird Areas (IBAs).	Participated in North American IBA Directory planning meeting at Cornell; assisted in the development of a prototype IBA web directory on BirdSource that utilized the Canadian IBA database structure.
				*Work to ensure functional links between electronic directory and BirdLife International's World Bird Database.	Through a series of meetings, convinced developers of the North American IBA Directory (BirdSource) to adopt BirdLife's World Bird Database structure as the framework for development.
				*Establish data protocols for ongoing integration of bird data into IBA database.	Progressing: decision to use World Bird Database structure simplifies data integration; BSC will assist with the establishment of data protocols but most of the development will be largely outside of our control.
				*Identify biome sites through IBA program that integrate within the PIF planning and conservation framework.	Not completed as a result of delays within PIF and NABCI planning.
	2.4	Investigate and where appropriate engage in other collaborative conservation programs.		*Executive Director will periodically advise Board on roles BSC should aspire to, and their implications for BSC.	No new roles that BSC should aspire to were recommended to the Board by the Executive Director. BSC applied for and was accepted by the Canadian International Development Agency as an organization eligible for support.
3	Create a National Centre for Bird Studies at Long Point.
	3.1