Open Government Portal

What? Owl abundance is being monitored in the Acadian land regions of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to determine if occupancy rates are changing or have changed historically. When? Monitoring frequency occurs annually in the spring of each year for the survey routes in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Bird sanctuaries areas of importance for the protection of migratory birds, their nests, and eggs. Nunavut has an abundance of sites favourable to the migratory habits of several bird species.

Gwaii Haanas has partnered with ECCC to monitor a set of permanent plots mapping colony structure and burrow occupancy rate by excavating samples of burrows of Ancient Murrelet and Cassin’s Auklet. The data are used to determine if the breeding population areas are changing at specific key nesting colonies and if the change signifies an increasing or decreasing population trend. An estimated 1.5 million seabirds breed colonially on the 200+ islands, islets and rocks of Haida Gwaii, including globally and nationally significant proportions of 5 seabird species. A significant threat to breeding seabirds is predation by non-native mammals, notably raccoons and rats.

Monitoring of the number of eggs and nests for the tern. Field data from 1992 to 2019. Many islands in the MANPRC are used by the terns for their nesting. The presence and great abundance of this species are characteristic of the inland ecology of the park.

Monitoring of the number of eggs and nests for the common eider. Field data between 1988 to 2015. Many islands in the MANPRC are used by the common eider for nesting. The presence and great abundance of this species are characteristic of the inland ecology of the park.

This program is used to track Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) population trend, local abundance, and annual survivorship. Bird banding, re-sighting visits and nesting population counts occur annually in the spring, with banding occurring in May to July since 2007, and nesting population counts occurring in late May or early June since 2008. The measurement for this species represents a complete annual census of birds nesting at key nesting locations across the park and is standardized across the three National Parks in the Coastal British Columbia bioregion with links to monitoring programs taking place in Alaska and Washington State. Completely dependent on marine shorelines for its food and nesting, these monogamous and long-lived birds establish well-defined breeding pairs and occupy composite feeding and nesting territories year after year, often along low-sloping gravel or rocky shorelines where intertidal prey are abundant.

Area (hectares) treated with prescribed fire. This measure evaluates the success of the park’s fire program in restoring the ecological process of fire on the landscape level. Fire also has the potential to increase diversity of habitats available for Species at Risk, such as burrowing owls, long-billed curlews and chestnut-collared longspurs.

Field data from the monitoring of the common eider. The number of eggs and nests of the common eider were surveyed between 1988 and 2005. Many islands of the MANPRC are used by the common eider for nesting. The presence and great abundance of this species are characteristic of the inland ecology of the park.

In partnership with ECCC, Gwaii Haanas monitors five Marbled Murrelet colonies by using a radar station located offshore. As birds fly out to the ocean at dawn, and return at dusk, the radar data is used to estimate the number of birds per hectare of suitable nesting habitat. Sampling areas focus on estuarine areas where the watershed or catchment contains old growth stands likely to host nesting birds in June and July. Marbled Murrelets are unique among seabirds because of their nesting habits – non-colonial nesting on thick, moss-covered limbs of large, old growth trees.

Monitoring of the number of eggs and nests for the Great black-backed and European herring gulls . Field data from 1996 to 2015. Many islands in the MANPRC are used by the Great black-backed and European herring gulls for nesting. The presence of this species is characteristic of the inland ecology of the park.