Guest speaker Olivia Maillet, M.Sc. Candidate from Trent University, gives a presentation entitled: “Red-eye flight: Secrets from subarctic shorebirds migrating through Ontario.”
“Birds are vulnerable to different threats at each stage of their annual cycle, so it is important to examine factors that could contribute to population decline on both their breeding grounds and along their migratory pathway. Little is known about the migration of the Short-billed Dowitcher and the Stilt Sandpiper, two shorebirds breeding in the Churchill, Manitoba region. There are indications of locally declining populations in their subarctic and arctic breeding areas but the reason for their decline has not yet been investigated. We seek to understand the varying responses of these bird species at the edges of their ranges to climate change in Churchill’s unique ecotone that spans the boreal forest, subarctic tundra, and coastal environments. I will share interesting results, photos, and stories from my recent research in the subarctic.”
