Passerine (Songbird) Research
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REPORTS (updated weekly during migration) SPRING 2023 (SPRING) Daily Banding Totals (updated 5/22/23) FALL 2022 (FALL) Daily Banding Totals (updated 11/2/22) Check out past totals >>> Here |
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Project Overview
This long-term study to monitor the population status of neotropical migrants and to better understand the relationship between in-route habitat and their breeding ecology is conducted on the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge complex, Creek Bend Sandusky County Park, on neighboring lands in SE Michigan, and at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. Constant-effort mist netting and point counts are conducted at each site to document the spatial and temporal use of the habitats by different birds. Data has been used to develop the Lake Erie Management Plan, Beneficial Wildlife Impairments section of the Clean Water Act, and has been widely used for local and regional management plans. From this long-term data set, timing of different species has been identified to assist the public in improving their opportunities to view their desired species.
The importance of studying avian migration and stopover habitat needs has greatly increased over the past two decades as tropical deforestation and temperate forest fragmentation expands. Little information is known about the "problem" migrants contend with along their migratory routes (Morse 1980), not to mention the transition between spring migration and the breeding period. To offset the energetic costs of migration, birds deposit substantial lipid reserves (fat) which may reach 50% body weight among long-distance intercontinental migrants (Berthold 1975). As lipid stores are depleted during migration, free living birds are capable of replenishing reserves in a few days at rates approaching 10% body weight per day (e.g. Barlein 1985; Biebach et. al. 1986; Moore & Kerlinger 1987). Whereas these lipid deposits are obviously critical for a successful migration, they may also provide a selective advantage to the migrant with energy reserves remaining (see Sinclair 1983; Ojanen 1984; Krapu et.).
The importance of studying avian migration and stopover habitat needs has greatly increased over the past two decades as tropical deforestation and temperate forest fragmentation expands. Little information is known about the "problem" migrants contend with along their migratory routes (Morse 1980), not to mention the transition between spring migration and the breeding period. To offset the energetic costs of migration, birds deposit substantial lipid reserves (fat) which may reach 50% body weight among long-distance intercontinental migrants (Berthold 1975). As lipid stores are depleted during migration, free living birds are capable of replenishing reserves in a few days at rates approaching 10% body weight per day (e.g. Barlein 1985; Biebach et. al. 1986; Moore & Kerlinger 1987). Whereas these lipid deposits are obviously critical for a successful migration, they may also provide a selective advantage to the migrant with energy reserves remaining (see Sinclair 1983; Ojanen 1984; Krapu et.).
Project Protocol
Migrating and resident passerines are sampled at the Navarre Marsh unit of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Spring migration operation begins early April and continues into early June. Fall migration banding is conducted early August to late October. The Navarre station is operated daily (weather permitting) utilizing 23 mist nets, running a half an hour before sunrise until at least 11:00 a.m., with net checks performed every 30-45 minutes depending on conditions. Nets are in permanent locations and are of the standard 2.6 x 12 meter size. All birds are aged, sexed, banded, measured, weighed, and visually inspected for subcutaneous fat deposits using a 6-point ordinal scale (Helms & Drury 1960). Along with banding data, a point count survey is performed every operating day, as well as a presence/absence checklist being maintained to document non-target species (ducks, raptors, shorebirds, etc.). Weather data is compiled from hourly readings of Energy Harbor's Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station.
Spring "Waves"
Research by Black Swamp Bird Observatory has identified major movements of passerines that occur roughly the same time each year. These "waves" of migrants, are associations of species that migrate the same time each year. Day-length is the primary driver of spring migration with weather "tweaking" actual arrival dates. Each wave generally have two pulses each approximately a week apart. Normal weather patterns include low pressure cells crossing the southern part of the continent with large movements in Ohio when the cell is in Oklahoma-Arkansas. This results in tropical warm fronts rotating warm winds up the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys. It generally takes a pressure cell about a week to cross the country. Expected large neotropical waves arrive in three general movements (al. 1985; Krementz & Ankney 1987). Adequate stopover habitat may play an important role in delivering migrating passerines to their breeding grounds with sufficient energy reserves to successfully nest.
The first wave dominated by male White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, male Myrtle Warbler, and male Ruby-crowned Kinglet occurs around 25 April. Sub-dominant warblers include the Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, and Nashville. This first wave has been named the "overflight" wave as several more southern species of warbler get caught up in strong southwest winds and over shoot their normal range, resulting a gradual filtering back to the south.
The second wave, known as the big wave, occurs 7-13 May and is represented by the greatest species diversity of the spring and is dominated by female White-throated Sparrow, Swainson's Thrush, female Myrtle Warbler, female Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and male Magnolia Warbler. The second pulse of this wave coming five to seven days after, usually has the largest volume and contains the same species dominants.
The third wave normally comes around Memorial Day weekend and is dominated by female Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Mourning Warbler, vireos, and flycatchers.
The first wave dominated by male White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, male Myrtle Warbler, and male Ruby-crowned Kinglet occurs around 25 April. Sub-dominant warblers include the Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, and Nashville. This first wave has been named the "overflight" wave as several more southern species of warbler get caught up in strong southwest winds and over shoot their normal range, resulting a gradual filtering back to the south.
The second wave, known as the big wave, occurs 7-13 May and is represented by the greatest species diversity of the spring and is dominated by female White-throated Sparrow, Swainson's Thrush, female Myrtle Warbler, female Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and male Magnolia Warbler. The second pulse of this wave coming five to seven days after, usually has the largest volume and contains the same species dominants.
The third wave normally comes around Memorial Day weekend and is dominated by female Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Mourning Warbler, vireos, and flycatchers.