The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory is a bird observatory located in the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, located on Prince Edward Point in the south-east corner of Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. The National Wildlife Area was established in 1978 covering 560 hectares. The observatory was established in 1995 to monitor bird migrations across the point, continuing the work of the Kingston Field Naturalists who performed similar work in the 1970s and 1980s. The observatory was designated a Globally Important Birding Area in 1998 by the Canadian Nature Federation and Bird Studies Canada. It is also an International Monarch Butterfly Reserve.
Role The observatory's purpose is to observe the migratory bird populations. It does so through a combination of bird banding, daily censuses and observations.
Funding for these activities comes from a variety of sources. In 2002, the Ontario Trillium Foundation awarded the observatory $150,000 to renovate the research station, stabilize the bird banding operations and develop outreach activities. Smaller grants have included a $5,000 donation from the George Cedric Metcalfe Foundation for a modern bird banding facility and a $7,000 grant from the Helen McCrea Peacock Foundation to construct blinds and observation platforms.
Ecology
Prince Edward Point extends about 10 kilometers into Lake Ontario. Off the edges of the point there are both shoals and deeper waters. The point itself is limestone bedrock with a thin covering of unconsolidated Farmington loam topsoil.
The point features an interior with primarily grassland and scrubland. Also present are small amounts of wooded swamps, shrub-lined ponds, mixed forests and alvars. Both sandy and rocky shores are found along the south beaches of the point, while the north beaches are prominent limestone cliffs. Some of the key species in the ecosystem of the point include fringed gentian, viper's bugloss, butterfly weed, jewelweed, black-eyed susan and small yellow lady's slipper. Rare vascular plants found on Prince Edward Point include Ontario aster, downy wood mint and clammyweed.
Prince Edward Point is a concentration point of bird migrations over the Great Lakes. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded at Prince Edward Point. Most of these birds are recorded in migration, however 74 species of bird have been recorded nesting on the point.
Bird species coverage
The site experiences heavy bird migration. Single-day totals of greater scaup, long-tailed duck, and white-winged scoters have exceeded 1% of their total North American populations. Single-day totals of common birds exceed 10,000 individuals for species like tree swallows, long-tailed ducks, and yellow-rumped warblers. The single-day count of dark-eyed juncos has exceeded 70,000 birds.
This table contains the spring bird counts, averaged over 1995–1999. The priority of various species depends on how well their breeding grounds are covered by surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, with birds whose breeding grounds are well surveyed being of lesser priority. The Mean DET is the daily estimated total number of birds migrating across Prince Edward Point, and the Mean Band is the number of birds banded in the season. This table includes only species with at least ten individuals counted per season, across not less than five days.
Table of species SpeciesPriorityMean DETMean BandAlder flycatcherA230Blackpoll warblerA324.6Lincoln's sparrowA5826.4Magnolia warblerA185119.8Savannah sparrowA240.8Swainson's thrushA4832.8Tennessee warblerA124.4Wilson's warblerA2114.2Yellow-bellied flycatcherA226.8Yellow-bellied sapsuckerA172.8American tree sparrowB103.4Fox sparrowB112.6Myrtle warblerB4244224.4Ruby-crowned kingletB553243Rusty blackbirdB1690.6Swamp sparrowB4525.2Dark-eyed juncoB580115.4Western palm warblerB256.6White-crowned sparrowB10747.8White-throated sparrowB514177.4American redstartC11847Barn swallowC3228Black-and-white warblerC3821Black-throated green warblerC12425.4Blue-headed vireoC155.2Canada warblerC2212.2Chipping sparrowC26459.4Clay-colored sparrowC330Cliff swallowC11799.8Common yellowthroatC17848Eastern kingbirdC501.6Least flycatcherC6025.8OvenbirdC4125Red-eyed vireoC5115.4Tree swallowC7121.2Warbling vireoC153.4Yellow warblerC46375American crowD1720.2American robinD77539.8Belted kingfisherD230Black-capped chickadeeD11915.4Brown creeperD9844.2Cedar waxwingD2258.4Common grackleD64237Downy woodpeckerD412.6Eastern phoebeD676.8European starlingD4470.8Golden-crowned kingletD64386Hairy woodpeckerD252.2Hermit thrushD13468Northern flickerD1588.6Purple finchD2022.4Red-winged blackbirdD68131.6Song sparrowD67753.6Winter wrenD3513Baltimore orioleE16118Black-throated blue warblerE5520.6Blackburnian warblerE319.8Blue-grey gnatcatcherE261BobolinkE660.4Chestnut-sided warblerE3823.4Eastern wood-peweeE314.6Grey catbirdE25757.8Great crested flycatcherE505House wrenE6616.4Indigo buntingE134.4Nashville warblerE11245.2Northern rough-winged swallowE911Rose-breasted grosbeakE10229.2Ruby-throated hummingbirdE500Scarlet tanagerE244.2VeeryE2816.6Wood thrushE2613.4American goldfinchF58868.8Blue jayF291166.4Brown thrasherF566.4Brown-headed cowbirdF1184154.6Eastern meadowlarkF410Eastern towheeF233.8Field sparrowF879.4House finchF8715.8Mourning doveF1403.6
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