Golden-winged Warbler Monitoring in Manitoba

The Golden-winged Warbler is a neotropical migrant that winters in southern Central America and northern South America. Its Canadian breeding range includes southwestern Québec, southern Ontario, southern Manitoba, and eastern Saskatchewan. This striking wood-warbler has a chickadee-like face pattern, and blazes of gold on the forecrown and wings, contrasting with overall soft grey plumage. In many parts of their breeding range, Golden-winged Warblers are associated with early-successional habitats such as power line corridors, field edges, beaver meadows, and areas regenerating after fire or some kinds of logging.

Threat Status

The main threat facing the Golden-winged Warbler appears to be genetic swamping from its closest relative, the Blue-winged Warbler. Blue-winged Warblers have expanded in range, causing Golden-winged Warblers to disappear from many areas they formerly occupied. In Canada, the Golden-winged Warbler was designated as a threatened species in 2006. It might have met the more rigorous criteria for endangered status, but the apparent stability of the population in Manitoba, which currently lies outside the range of the Blue-winged Warbler, gave it a slightly greater level of security. At the same time, relatively little is actually known about the distribution and population status of the Golden-winged Warbler in Manitoba. The status report gave a minimum population estimate of 105 to 270 pairs for the province, but noted that the population could be much greater. The need to gain a better understanding of the status of this species in the northwestern portion of its range was the starting point for Bird Studies Canada's surveys in the summer of 2008.

Walter Siemens and our Partners

In late 2007, Bird Studies Canada received a generous donation in the name of the late Walter Siemens of Dugald, Manitoba. This support made the Golden-winged Warbler study possible, and enabled BSC to raise additional funds from the Sustainable Development Innovations Fund (Manitoba Conservation) and Environment Canada. BSC attended a Golden-winged Warbler working group meeting in April 2008 and partnered with Environment Canada, LP Canada Ltd., Manitoba Conservation, and Parks Canada to look at the distribution of the Golden-winged Warbler in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

2008 Surveys

In 2008, BSC set out to map the Golden-winged Warbler's distribution in two key areas; southeast Manitoba, and the extreme northwestern breeding areas from Riding Mountain National Park north to the Porcupine Hills. Using a statistically-appropriate survey design, four BSC field team members conducted hundreds of five-minute point counts on foot and collected simple data on habitat age and type, canopy closure, shrub density, and the effect of disturbances such as fire and logging. These point counts were supplemented by the work of 24 volunteers who conducted roadside surveys.

There were 222 Golden-winged Warbler detections representing 195 territories. This number is extremely encouraging, as is the fact that the species was found to be more widespread than previously thought in southeast Manitoba.

Further surveys in 2009 and beyond will permit more accurate density calculations, and ultimately a much-needed population estimate.

For more information, contact:

Christian Artuso
Golden-winged Warbler Project Coordinator
Bird Studies Canada
204-261-5148
cartuso@birdscanada.org