The CMMN-RCSM is a group of independent bird monitoring and research stations (bird observatories and like-minded organizations) across Canada that contribute knowledge and public understanding of Canadian birds and bird migration, and influence conservation in the Western Hemisphere. It is a collaborative initiative among these member stations, Bird Studies Canada (BSC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). To find out more about the network, check out the CMMN website.
In this Edition:
SAVE THE DATE! CMMN-RSCM National Meeting: Nov 5-8, 2020
Every two years, representatives from the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network (CMMN) gather to share our successes, challenges, and to identify network priorities. So we are excited to announce that our next National Meeting will be held in Chateuaguay, Québec on November 5 - 8, 2020.
McGill Bird Observatory (MBO) will be hosting the meeting at Manoir d’Youville in Chateauguay, Québec which is roughly 40 minutes driving distance from MBO. The Manoir d’Youville is located on the Ile Saint Bernard, right next to the Refuge faunique Marguerite-D’Youville so you will have lots of opportunities to enjoy nature and bird watching during your stay. The Refuge is a major migratory stopover with 234 bird species reported on eBird. We would like to thank Simon Duval, MBO Coordinator, as well as Bander-in-Charge, Gayle McDougall Gruner, and long-time volunteer, Francine Marcoux, for helping to organize this national meeting.
Please mark the date in your calendars and stay tuned for more information as we start to finalize our plans.
New Memorandum of Understanding Agreements arriving at your station
By Doug Collister, Membership Sub-Committee Chair
The Membership Sub-Committee has been sending out membership renewal packages to current stations based on the new criteria developed by the CMMN-RCSM Steering Committee and endorsed at the National Meeting in Victoria last fall.
As a first step in this process, stations protocols on file for our current members received a cursory review prior to sending out the renewal documents. During this initial review, any areas of the station protocols that may require modification to meet the new membership criteria have been identified and brought to the station’s attention. Stations will be asked to review their protocol and modify them as required. Subsequently, the revised protocol submitted by the station will receive a thorough review by the CMMN Science Sub-Committee and if necessary the station may asked to do a second round of modifications. The membership renewal packages include the following:
A new Memorandum of Understanding agreement to be signed by the Station, Birds Canada and one of the chairs of the CMMN-RCSM Steering Committee
Two supporting documents: Habitat Monitoring Requirements and Checklist for Station Self Evaluation.
Renewal packages are being sent out by email to the station contact of record. If you have any questions on the new agreements, you can contact Doug Collister, Chair of the Membership Sub-Committee.
We would like to thank Jon McCracken for his dedication to the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network, and the leadership that he provided during a long and illustrious 30+ year career with Bird Studies Canada and the Long Point Bird Observatory. Jon was instrumental in the establishment and growth of the network and it is hard to imagine the Steering Committee without him! Thank you to Jon for his tireless efforts over the years on behalf of the CMMN and its members. For more on Jon's contributions to bird conservation in Canada, check out BirdWatch Canada.
New Station Representative
Congratulations to Cyndi Smith, your new Station Representative on the CMMN-RCSM Steering Committee. She was elected by acclimation in the recent by-election and she will be your new station representative until the national meeting next fall. Cyndi is a board member with the Calgary Bird Banding Society and also operates two long term MAPS stations in Banff and Waterton National Parks. Welcome Cyndi!
by Stu Mackenzie, Birds Canada Director, Migration Ecology and CMMN-RCSM Steering Committee Member
The intent of bird observatories around the world can be boiled down to assessing the needs of birds and other wildlife, using that assessment to educate a variety of different audiences, and ultimately supporting wildlife conservation. Bird observatories tend to be located at strategic points of migration concentration, and data from each point are valuable, especially regarding the local needs of the birds (and other wildlife) moving through it.
The first International Bird Observatory Conference (IBOC) was held in 2014 at Falsterbo Bird Observatory in Sweden; the second in 2017 at New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory; and the third IBOC was held in Eilat, Israel March 28 to April 1, 2019! Eilat is an incredible place for birds and serves as an amazing migration "bottleneck" of real global importance.
The goal of the IBOC is allow observatories from all over the world to build friendships and partnerships, and to exchange ideas, methods, and results that will enrich all organizations and individuals involved, and ultimately improve our global conservation efforts. It is an excellent opportunity for observatories to showcase the amazing birds, landscapes, and programs that observatories have to offer. The spirit of IBOC is ingrained into within the CMMN-RCSM, and vice-versa, and we’re happy to play a part in IBOC.
The ThirdIBOC hosted more than 100 directors, staff, and volunteers from more than 50 bird observatories from around the world, including five CMMN stations: Inglewood, Bruce Peninsula, Long Point, Thunder Cape, and Rocky Point Bird Observatories. A poster summarizing the CMMN-RCSM’s activities and most recent results was also presented, and the CMMN was featured in numerous presentations given by observatory representatives. One of these presentations featured a summary of a recently published paper using CMMN-RCSM data on migration phenology and climate change. Another, recently published in Animal Migration, presented integration of banding data with stable isotope and DNA analyses to refine the origin of Wilson’s Warblers migrating south through Inglewood Bird Observatory. A special thanks to the conference organizers, The Israel Ornithological Center of The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and host The International Birding and Research Centre in Eilat.
This year’s IBOC followed the Champions of the Flyway event, an international awareness and fundraising campaign dedicated to a global conservation issue. In 2019, the cause was Africa’s imperiled vultures, which are among the most endangered species in the world. For the first time ever, a Canadian Team, Bird Studies Canada and Long Point Bird Observatory’s “The Canucks”, participated in the event. The team scooped up the Guardians of the Flyway award for the most money raised – over $15,000 CAD! – and the highly coveted Bill Thompson III Knights of the Flyway award for raising the most funds for awareness about this year’s cause.
For more information visit https://www.birdscanada.org/news/savevultures and https://www.birdscanada.org/news/thank-you-for-being-champions-for-vultures
If you have questions about the banding program or applying for a permit, contact the BBO at ec.bbo.ec@canada.ca.
We are excited to report that 17 CMMN Stations have raised almost $75,000 in the Great Canadian Birdathon this year. If you are a member of the CMMN, one of the benefits that you receive is a greater proportion of your Birdathon event proceeds from Birds Canada in support of your own observatory programs. This benefit is one that will now extend to other organizations through the new CMMN membership model currently being implemented. So we hope to have even more participants next spring!
We would like to encourage you to become a more active member of your network! Whether it's posting a Migration season summary, sharing an interesting species observation, or showing a new technique that you use...there are many ways to be more engaged with your network. We would love to hear from you!
The Canadian Migration Monitoring Network is a success due to the collaborative efforts and support of our members. Thank you to the following organizations and stations for your commitment to avian migration monitoring!
This year’s IBOC followed the 
