Boreal Bird Monitoring Program

At the WRRB’s December 2024 Board meeting, Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) biologists Samuel Haché and Eamon Riordon-Short with the CWS/Northern Region (NR) Landbird Program presented on the CWS/Environment & Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Migratory Bird Program. The program focuses on species distribution, estimating habitat-specific densities, and monitoring population trends and threats. Using techniques like point counts, nest searches, and bird tracking, the team gathers valuable data to support the long-term conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. Previously, 98 ARUs were deployed between March 2023 and 2024 along the Tłı̨chǫ Highway corridor, some ARUs paired with cameras (46), some with both cameras and temperature data loggers (15), and 16 specialized Bat ARUs for acoustic monitoring of bat activity. Preliminary results from 31 of 79 reviewed cameras show 20 bird species have been detected.

This spring 2025, the projects continued. In February and March, Amanda and Tłı̨chǫ Guardians joined our ECCC and Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) partners, traveling along the Gamètì and Wekweètì winter roads to support the Boreal Bird Monitoring Program (BBMP) with monitoring efforts in more remote areas. During the Gamètì trip, a team of seven headed out: Amanda, three ECCC staff, and three Tłı̨chǫ Guardians. For Wekweètì, 10 people convoyed to monitoring sites, including Amanda, four Tłı̨chǫ Guardians, and staff from GNWT and ECCC.

Along the winter roads, wildlife sightings added to the experience. “When we drove to Wekweètì we saw one lynx on day two, and two more on day three — plus fox and ptarmigan. Sadly, no caribou,” Amanda said. “But on the way back from Gamètì, we did see the remains of one — probably taken by a wolf the night before.”

“Some of the ARU units were ripped open — so it’s likely a bear ran through,” she added.

These moments in the field are part of a much larger effort. As part of this broader initiative, biologists are working to better understand and protect bird populations across the NWT’s boreal forest through their involvement with the BBMP. These findings help build a clearer picture of species presence and activity in the region, supporting long-term biodiversity monitoring and conservation across Wek'èezhìı.