KAGAWONG—Ontario Parks assistant ecologist Anna Sheppard willingly admits that she is “not a big birder,” although she does enjoy identifying birds and can do so for a surprising number of species simply by their song. What Ms. Sheppard is, however, is a big Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas supporter.
Ms. Sheppard held court at the Kagawong gazebo this past Saturday to provide information on how local environmentally conscious individuals can assist in completing the Manitoulin dataset for the atlas and why it is critically important that the Island bird data is included in the atlas.
The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas coordinator gig is not part of Ms. Sheppard’s work with Ontario Parks, but it is clear from her workshop presentation that the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is one of her passions. That passion for the environment led her to take on the role of northeast region coordinator for the project.
Ms. Sheppard explained that birds are an important indicator of the health of the environment and, by all indications, the numbers and variety of bird species in Ontario (and North America in general) has plummeted over the past half-century. More than 2.9 billion breeding pairs of birds have disappeared since comprehensive records were being kept in 1970. Forests alone have lost one billion birds. Grassland bird populations collectively have declined by 53 percent to add another 720 million birds to the toll. The drop in numbers is little short of staggering.
“A staggering loss that suggests the very fabric of North America’s ecosystem is unraveling,” notes a report by Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory director John Fitzpatrick and study coauthor Peter Marra. The indications for overall health of the environment should be at the top of the news cycle—but it isn’t.
This despite the fact that common birds, those species most people might see every day, have incurred the greatest losses. More than 90 percent of the losses (that’s more than 2.5 billion birds) come from just those 12 families that include sparrows, blackbirds, warblers and finches.
The losses include favourite species seen at bird feeders, such as dark-eyed Juncos (or “snowbirds,” down by 168 million) and sweet-singing white-throated sparrows (down by 93 million). Eastern and Western meadowlarks are down by a combined 139 million individuals. Even populations of the beloved red-winged blackbird, common in every marsh and wet roadside across North America, have declined by 92 million birds since 1970.
Something is very wrong in the coal mine.
Ms. Sheppard explained that the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, part of a set of breeding bird atlases that encompass all North America, helps scientists gain a better understanding of what is happening in those populations, but also provide clues as to what is causing those declines and how that might impact the human population.
The last edition of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas was completed in 2020 and since then, from 2001 to 2005, the dataset for the next edition is being compiled. “There are still two years left to contribute,” said Ms. Sheppard.
Oddly, the birder community, those folks who trudge the forests and glens seeking to add new and unusual bird sightings to their list are not the answer, for that very reason. Birders tend to be focussed on their own personal bird lists and less inclined to take the steps necessary to clearly identify the numbers and breeding patterns of common birds, or even uncommon ones, once added to their lists. It’s not their fault, they just aren’t that into it.
What is most critically needed are people willing to get up early in the morning and make their way to the areas of the Island that have not had enough data entered to meet the needs of the atlas.
Identifying birds lies well outside the skillset of most people, let alone by listening for and differentiating the songs they sing while breeding. But in the modern age, that isn’t so much of a handicap. As Ms. Sheppard explained, there is an app for that. In fact, there are a few apps.
The Merlin Bird ID app, created by the Cornell Laboratory, is free to download and is the leading app for identifying birds across the globe—some jurisdictions better than others. Utilizing the app, a person can identify the birds they see and hear.
Merlin is powered by eBird, the world’s largest database of bird sightings. Using the Merlin Bird ID app, a person can identify birds they see and hear. eBird enables the identification of birds in four ways: by answering a few simple questions, by uploading a photo, by recording a singing bird, or used to explore birds in a region.
Merlin can recognize the sounds of more than 400 species from the US and Canada, a number that is set to expand rapidly with future updates. Merlin is a great tool, especially for beginners but also for experienced birders as well, explained Ms. Sheppard. But she notes that its accuracy is still only around 80 percent.
Ms. Sheppard explained that there are currently 43 people on Manitoulin who are contributing to the atlas dataset by entering data on local birds, but most are doing so casually and not systemically. There are 1,000 people across Ontario who are also sending in data—some more than others.
Manitoulin Island is divided up into 10-kilometre square blocks, each containing 40 points where data on abundance needs to be collected. A handheld recorder is available for loan and can be accessed at a home in Kagawong by contacting Ms. Sheppard. “But I really hope people bring them back,” laughed Ms. Sheppard, “they are not mine.”
The process is simple. Travel to one of the 40 data points, tie the unit to a tree or some secure location, turn it on, speak your name, the date and location, then wait for five minutes or more before heading to the next data point. Easy-peasy—but it’s avoiding windy days, as those are not great for recording.
The best time to hear the songs of mating birds is in May to early June—primarily before May 29—and the time to be listening is just before dawn until about 10 am.
Ms. Sheppard can be contacted at manitoulin@birdsontario.org to arrange for a recorder.
