WOODPECKERS AND SONGBIRDS MONITORING

The capture of songbirds is done using strategically placed mist nets in which the birds become entangled during their diurnal movements at low altitude. Between 2 000 and 6 000 birds (mostly songbirds) were banded between 1995 and 2000. This program allowed the gathering of information about several species nesting in the Boreal region. The handling of birds provides certain additional information to that obtained by visual counts and is often necessary for the accurate determination of the sex, age and subspecies of a bird in autumn plumage. Ectoparasites and samples of feathers are also collected to provide information for ecological, taxonomic and toxicology-based studies.

Particular emphasis is placed on the study of Black-backed and American Three-toed Woodpeckers, two relatively little-studies species limited to the Boreal forest. These birds are recognized as being excellent indicators of forest health and of the impact of forest exploitation. Exploratory studies on these two species started in 1997, and standardised monitoring has been conducted since 2001. This work is done in collaboration with Dr. Jacques Ibarzabal, professor at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and researcher with the Research consortium on the commercial boreal forest. This program aims to describe dispersal movements of young woodpeckers by using the deuterium concentration in feathers. Deuterium is a stable isotope of hydrogen found naturally in rainwater and snow, but its concentration varies along a largely north-south geographic gradient. Once deposited on the ground, this isotope enters the food chain and accumulates in the tissues of all organisms. Since the feathers of young woodpeckers are renewed successively during dispersion, the deuterium signature of different groups of feathers also varies. As we know the order in which woodpecker feather moult progresses, the deuterium signature should help to reveal the migratory route taken by individual birds.

The bird banding operation is carried out close to the Maison des Dunes in the Parc national du Saguenay. The Moulin-à-Baude Bay site is ideal for the installation of mist nets due to the alternation between open areas and shrubby vegetation situated along the edge of the St. Lawrence.

Ensuring the health and safety, and the rapid untangling and banding of the dozens of birds caught each time a mist net is opened, requires a smooth running of program and the support of numerous volunteers. In the future, with the aid of sufficient financial support and volunteers, the OOT hopes to run this program on an annual basis.