The Teslin Lake Bird Observatory completed its fourth consecutive year of fall migration monitoring
during the fall of 2011. This year, the field station operated for a total of 102 days from July 22 to October 31. The primary method of monitoring bird migration through the study site is the use of standardized mist netting and banding of birds captured. Mist netting was conducted from July 22 to October 13 and a total of 2,793 birds of 57 species were banded with 8,304 net hours (33.7 birds/100 net hours). Encountered in high numbers in previous seasons, Alder Flycatcher and Yellow Warbler
were once again among the top 3 species banded, accounting for over a third of all individuals banded.
An irruption of Boreal Chickadees resulted in 235 individuals banded; second only to the record
number of 831 banded in 2009.
The visual migration counts aim to collect monitoring data for bird species not adequately sampled by mist netting. Between August 1 and October 31, 331 hours of visual migration watching resulted in the
counting of 78,549 birds of 111 species. A primary target of the visual counts are diurnal raptors of
which 3,743 individuals of 12 species were counted, including regionally important species for
monitoring ‐ Swainson’s Hawk and American Kestrel. Lake counts were conducted daily to collect
monitoring data for a variety of waterbird species. On lake counts, all regularly occurring species of
loons and grebes were counted in relatively high numbers and there were also sightings of a number of
gull species considered rare in the Yukon including Sabine’s Gull, Little Gull and Glaucous Gull. In an
effort to increase the collection of monitoring data for waterfowl, a number of stationary counts were
surveyed in the southern Yukon with an emphasis on regional species of interest including Greater
Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter and White‐winged Scoter.
The data collected at the observatory in 2011 builds upon the database of knowledge pertaining to the
birds of the Yukon. Over the long term, this data will form a crucial step in the calculation of
population trend analyses for numerous bird species including songbirds, raptors, waterbirds and
waterfowl.
Proponent: Society of Yukon Bird Observatories
Contract: C10-2011-13
Amount Awarded: $10,000
Final Report: Download