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4 December 2009 
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The Carbon the World Forgot

12 November 2009 – A new report from the Canadian Boreal Initiative and the Boreal Songbird Initiative calls Canada’s boreal forests one of the world’s most significant carbon stores. The report indicates that North America’s boreal forests store 22% of all carbon on the earth’s land surface, and that these forests store nearly twice as much carbon per hectare as tropical forests. According to The Carbon the World Forgot: Conserving the Capacity of Canada’s Boreal Forest Region to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change, past estimates have vastly underestimated the region’s worldwide impact and its value to offset global warming.
   The report notes that northern Ontario houses one of the largest peatland complexes (and carbon stores) in the world. Maps from the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario confirm a strong degree of overlap between carbon stores and the core breeding range of several neotropical migrant songbirds, notably the Palm Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler. The conservation of this unique landscape has obvious benefits for many reasons, including the conservation of a globally important avifauna.   
   Select this link for more information about the report, or visit the Ontario Atlas website to explore a wealth of data and maps concerning Ontario’s birds. (While you’re there, don’t forget to purchase a discounted copy of the atlas for a friend or loved one – it makes a great gift for the holidays!)

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It’s Christmas Bird Count Season Again!

Photo: Dick Cannings

4 December 2009 – The Christmas Bird Count season begins on December 14, 2009 and extends right through the holidays to January 5, 2010. Over 370 counts are held in Canada each year, thanks to the efforts of more than 12,000 volunteer participants. The count is coordinated by Bird Studies Canada and the National Audubon Society.
   To find contact information for local count organizers, visit our Christmas Bird Count web page  and click on “Find a Count Near You.” If you can’t find a local count in that list and would like to start a new one, please contact count coordinator Dick Cannings at dcannings@birdscanada.org for more information. You can download a summary report of last year’s count on the Audubon website.

Reminder of Upcoming Baillie Fund Grant Deadlines

4 December 2009 – Bird Studies Canada’s Baillie Fund program provides grants for research, education, and conservation projects that advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Canadian birds. Does your club or organization have a project that fits these guidelines? The deadline for Regular Grant applications is Tuesday, December 15, 2009. The deadline for the Small Grant Program, which is open to individuals and organizations, is January 15, 2010. Applications and additional information are available by selecting this link, or by contacting Audrey Heagy, aheagy@birdscanada.org, or 1-888-448-2473, ext. 166.

BSC Launches 2009 Annual Campaign

20 November 2009 – At Bird Studies Canada, we rely on donations to support essential research and conservation work, and the maintenance of our country’s national bird population database. Select this link to read about our recent activities and accomplishments. If you want to help us secure the future of North America’s birds, please donate online, or call Rosie Kirton at 1-888-448-2473, ext. 141. You will receive a tax receipt for the full amount of your donation.

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Long Point Bird Observatory: 2009 in Review

Long Point's First Black-throated Gray Warbler Photo: Ron Ridout

30 November 2009 – Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) closed its nets on November 15, completing the 50^th year of migration monitoring at North America’s oldest bird observatory and most productive banding station. The fall season kicked off at the beginning of August with a Young Ornithologists’ Workshop. This was followed by the Young Ornithologist Internship in mid-August. Three Latin American trainees joined us shortly thereafter for most of the season – two from Ecuador, and one from Chile.
   More than 75 dedicated LPBO volunteers helped deliver a record spring and above-average fall, with 30,000 birds of about 150 species (17,138 in the spring and 13,080 in the fall) banded during the standard periods. This fall included a sighting of a Selasphorus hummingbird (a first for Long Point) as well as the addition of Black-throated Gray Warbler to the already impressive Long Point list. You may learn all about these and other sightings from this year’s migration on the LPBO Sightings Board.

Foresters Learn to Help Bicknell’s Thrush

26 November 2009 – BSC’s Atlantic Canada Program Manager Becky Whittam recently gave a presentation in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia for 16 members of the Nova Scotia Forest Products Association. The talk, “Forest Management Options for the Bicknell’s Thrush: Reducing Incidental Take of a Bird Species at Risk,” included information about habitat requirements of the Bicknell’s Thrush, an elusive songbird that nests in the high elevation coniferous forests of Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Highlands. The Bicknell’s Thrush, federally listed as a Threatened species, uses regenerating industrial forest about five to fifteen years post-harvest, coinciding with the period during which pre-commercial thinning is often scheduled.
   Whittam presented the current habitat model for this species in NS, including specifics on the age and composition of industrial stands coinciding with the habitat model. Her presentation covered best management practices to reduce incidental take of this species, and long-term forest management options to maintain its habitat. She also provided training on how to identify this species while working in the forest.

Maritimes Atlas Fall Newsletter Now Available

23 November 2009 – The seventh newsletter of the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas is available online. This issue’s format is a departure – it has the look and feel of newsletters from the first Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas, 20 years ago (1986-1990). The front page features the logo from the first Maritimes Atlas, and a line drawing reminiscent of illustrations that appeared in newsletters of the first atlas, and in the final publication.
   The first Maritimes atlas represents the standard to which our atlassers hope the current effort will measure up. (It appears as though atlassers will achieve, if not surpass, this goal). The fall newsletter includes details of the current project’s progress relative to the first atlas effort, and provides various trip reports, strategies for the next field season, new breeding records, and tips for atlassing by canoe. Select this link to view previous issues of the Maritimes atlas newsletter.

Give the Gift of Bird Conservation    with Bird Studies Canada There’s still time to purchase unique nature-themed gifts from the Bird Studies Canada store for the holidays, and the proceeds will support bird research and conservation! From books, CDs, and games, to high-quality apparel and more, we offer a wide range of products. This week we’re offering a selection of adorable plush owl toys from Wild Republic. They’re cute, they’re soft, and their eyes glow in the dark! Choose from Snowy Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl, or Grey Owl. At the low price of just $6.00, why not buy all four? Browse our gift store and order online or call us toll-free at 1-888-448-2473. Please order by December 11 to guarantee holiday delivery.   A Project Recovery certificate also makes a wonderful gift, and your ‘adoption fee’ supports the Long Point Bird Observatory. The frameable certificate includes a full-colour photograph, details about when a real bird (of a species of your choice) was banded at LPBO, and information about the species’ range and habits. Adopt a wild bird through Project Recovery on the BSC website. Sign up a friend or family member for Project FeederWatch and he or she will receive the full FeederWatch kit (including a calendar, Common Feeder Birds poster, and FeederWatcher’s Handbook), a one-year subscription to Bird Studies Canada’s newsletter, BirdWatch Canada, and a note indicating that the kit has been sent as a gift by you. To order in Canada, select this link, choose the type of membership you would like, and be sure to click on “Yes, I plan on participating in Project FeederWatch.” On the Checkout page, you can indicate who the gift is for, and add a note in the comment section to personalize your gift. Or call us toll-free at 1-888-448-2473. To ensure delivery by Christmas, please order by Tuesday, December 8. Thank you for buying a bird-friendly gift this holiday season!

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