Terrestrial Steering Group Birds CBMP TSG Implementation updates

Terrestrial Steering Group: Birds CBMP TSG Implementation: updates Gabriela Ibarguchi Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary gabriela. ibarguchi@ucalgary. ca CBMP Terrestrial Steering Group Implementation Meeting Ottawa, Ontario, February 2015

Avian Expert Group • Tom Christensen - Aarhus University, Denmark • Jesper Madsen - Aarhus University, Denmark • Anthony D. Fox - Aarhus University, Denmark • Mikhail Soloviev - Moscow State University, Russia • Evgeny Syroechkovskiy - All-Russian Institute for Nature Conservation (ARRINC), Canada • Knud Falk – Studies of peregrine falcons, South Greenland (vandrefalk. dk) • Gabriela Ibarguchi – Arctic Institute of North America, Canada NEW MEMBERS since CBMP meeting in 2014, Iceland: • Paul Smith – Environment Canada, Canada • Travis Booms – Alaska Dept. Fish & Game, Tundra Conservation Network • David Anderson – Peregrine Fund, Tundra Conservation Network • Other experts: Gilles Gauthier - Université Laval (Bylot Island)

Need integrated ecosystem monitoring approach E. g. Phenology : Birds and their prey; climate & environmental drivers

MONITORING MIGRATORY SPECIES – Within Arctic & beyond: • Status & trends? • Where are critical habitat & key regions of diversity? • Major drivers and threats? ? Pan-American Present. . . Absent? allaboutbirds. org Actitis macularis Spotted sandpiper

Implementation Workshop 2014, Iceland: Birds group - priorities

Some key monitoring priorities • to monitor abundance and distribution in relation to biotic and abiotic drivers – (including supplementary data from wintering &staging areas outside Arctic) • to monitor how changes affect birds & other groups – ecosystem function, interactions – phenology, productivity, reproductive success, structure, abundance (e. g. birds and also of other groups) http: //www. hww. ca

Implementing ABA recommendations Priorities for Birds as part of monitoring and CBMP: • ABA #10: Promote the sustainable management of the Arctic’s biodiversity and habitat • TK, international cooperation, adaptive ecosystem mgt. • ABA#13: Improve knowledge through increased and focused inventory, sustained monitoring and research • including ecosystem function, cycles, interactions • ABA#16: Research & monitor cumulative effects, identify gaps and priorities especially for those impacts with rapid and significant potential effects • Others: #5, #6 ( habitat), #8 (migratory sps ), #15 (outreach)

Implementation of Avian Monitoring Site- and station- based monitoring Focal species Remote sensing Aerial surveys Capture-mark-recapture (banding, satellite telemetry) • Citizen science & Traditional Knowledge • Include data from regions outside Arctic • Opportunistic: focal studies, collaborations • • • Photo: Eric Reed; www. hww. ca • CREATE METADATA – CBMP data portal: www. abds. is – Polar Data Catalogue: http: //www. polardata. ca/

Implementation Workshop, Iceland: Birds

PROGRESS: Integration, knowledge gaps International Networks (e. g. Tundra Conservation Network; Peregrine Fund; etc. ) Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) Environment Canada & Arctic Institute of North America - Essential components, pilot integrated monitoring design: Freshwater, Terrestrial - Station and site-based monitoring & capacity - Arctic. Connect (Arctic Biomap, e. Bird)

PROGRESS: Avian functional groups included Included: • Herbivores (geese, swans, and ptarmigan) – Canada (ptarmigan, : Pam Sinclair, Cameron Eckert, Dave Mossop? • Omnivores (divers/loons, cranes, and ducks) • Insectivores (shorebirds , passerines) – Canada (songbirds: Pam Sinclair? ) – Some declining shorebirds? : (AMBI , in collaboration) • Carnivores (raptors , owls, skuas, ravens) – Owls? : (AMBI in collaboration with the International Snowy Owl Working Group) Ongoing Some leads Little progress

PROGRESS: Avian Monitoring & Data • Finding data sources, experts, networks – AMBI, Wetlands International, Manonet – Within countries , expertise – BUT NEED HELP – Earth Observation Networks (GEO BON; ISAC – birds as part of ecosystem) • Funding to support activities – CHARS proposal: pilot testing of simplified, integrated monitoring design – Searching for opportunities: Arctic e. BIRD platform, Arctic Biomap • Site- and station- based monitoring – Working with collaborators: Bylot I. , East Bay, KLRS, others • Remote sensing – Working with larger TSG team on list of needs & products ; Marlene and team at Environment Canada (Alex Brooker, Mallory Carpenter) • Citizen science & Traditional Knowledge – e. BIRD, Avibase, Arctic Biomap ; (Kent Spiers at AINA – CBM list & evaluation • RESEARCH!!! Synthesis work, field and lab studies, collaborations – Manuscripts (monitoring & technology), focal studies, key habitat & hotspots, climate & drivers

PROGRESS: Goose Audit • UPDATE FROM TONY FOX (Jan. 22 nd, 2015) – Have 76% of the population profiles either finished or closed to finished – Ongoing working on others with potential authors – Now can begin discussion with CAFF (Courtney) on layout (i. e. text, maps, figures and other graphics) – Challenges: Material is not forthcoming quite as fast as collaborators initially said but many have made huge contributions

Gaps & Integration: Other ecosystems? Link to monitoring / data: cover entire life cycle - Within Arctic, elsewhere - Beyond Arctic: Wintering, stopovers Known polynyas & ice: ABA 2013

Gaps & Integration: Other ecosystems?

Northern Wheateater (Oenanthe oenanthe) Gaps & Integration: Other key indicators & birds ? 2012 Light-level geolocators Stable isotope data (d. D)

CITIZEN SCIENCE & COMMUNITY-BASED MONITORING Frequency of submitted checklists by region that include species E. g. Northern Wheateater http: //ebird. org/

http: //avibase. bsc-eoc. org/

© Nicolas Lecomte Long-term monitoring of terrestrial wildlife on Bylot Island Gilles Gauthier

Methods (observations + experiments)

Bird monitoring on Bylot Island Species Attributes Period / Length Abundance (nesting density) 1993 -2014 / 22 years Phenology (arrival date, laying date) 1989 -2014 / 26 years Productivity (clutch size, nesting success, youngadult ratio at fledging) 1989 -2014 / 26 years Abundance (nesting density) 1993 -2014 / 22 years Phenology (laying date) 1993 -2014/ 8 years Productivity (clutch size) 1993 -2014 / 8 years Rough-legged hawk Abundance (nesting density) 2007 -2014 / 8 years Peregrine falcon Abundance (nesting density) 2007 -2014 / 8 years Abundance (nesting density) 2005 -2014 / 10 years Phenology (laying date) 2010 -2014 / 5 years Productivity (clutch size) 2007 -2014 / 8 years Abundance (nesting density) 2007 -2014 / 8 years Phenology (laying date) 2010 -2014 / 8 years Productivity (clutch size) Phenology (laying date) Productivity (clutch size, nesting success) 2007 -2014 / 8 years 2000 -2014 / 20 years 1995 -2014 / 20 years Snow geese Snowy owl Long-tailed/ parasitic jaegers Glaucous Gull Shorebirds (several spp) Lapland longspur Modified from Gauthier et al. (2013) Phil Trans R Soc B.

Other monitored components related to birds Group Climate Graminoids Terrestrial arthropods Brown/collared lemmings Arctic/red foxes Ermine Attributes Period / Length Automated weather station (temperature, wind, radiation, precipitation, snow depth) 1993 -2014 / 22 years Timing of snow-melt 1990 -2014 / 25 years Abundance (primary production) 1990 -2014 / 25 years Phenology (date of peak nitrogen concentration) 1991 -2010 / 20 years Goose grazing impact (% biomass removed) 1990 -2014 / 25 years Abundance (biomass) 2007 -2014 / 8 years Phenology 2007 -2014 / 8 years Abundance (summer density) 1993 -2014 / 22 years Abundance (winter nest density) 2007 -2014 / 8 years Demograhy (survival, productivity) 2004 -2014 / 11 years Abundance (number of natal dens used) 1995 -2014 / 20 years Productivity (litter size) 2003 -2014 / 12 years Abundance (number of natal dens used, shelter boxes) 2010 -2014 / 6 years Abundance (number of winter nests used) 2007 -2014 / 8 years Modified from Gauthier et al. (2013) Phil Trans R Soc B.

Tundra Conservation Network

GYRFALCON Ho, 1, 2, 3… -Occupancy -Productivity -Distribution -Health Ho, 1, 2, 3… -RAIN -SNOW -TEMPERATURE Ho, 1, 2, 3… PTARMIGAN SPP. Ho, 1, 2, 3… -Occupancy -Productivity -Distribution -Health Ho, 1, 2, 3… WILLOW Ho, 1, 2, 3… -Occupancy -Productivity -Distribution -Health SOIL Direct Effect Hypotheses: Indirect Effect Hypotheses: Ho, 1, 2, 3… -Occupancy -Productivity -Distribution -Health Abiotic Predictor Variables Biotic Response Variables* *Can serve as predictor or response variables depending on the hypothesis.

Questions for DISCUSSION at ABC, Trondheim Input from You: - HOW TO ACHIEVE THESE: • • Integrate Arctic terrestrial monitoring Your initiatives – program , site, data, protocols Your initiative – implementing ABA recommendations Lessons learned – GOOD or BAD Assessing cumulative effects Gaps and priorities Are you aware of stressors not yet considered ?

Some key monitoring questions for Birds • What are the primary biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic drivers influencing changes diversity and ecosystem function (within and outside the Arctic)? • How are these changing? • What are the implications for birds and other species? (phenology, structure, productivity) • For species of concern, what factors affect phenology, distribution and abundance inside and/or outside Arctic? • What are the trends of priority species (e. g. RAMSAR, national priorities, etc. ) at the population flyway level? • Are protected site networks living up to their intended criteria? • How many birds can be harvested? • Where and how are populations and communities changing?

Selection for monitoring - Priorities > Biotic groups (e. g. birds) > Focal Ecosystem Components (FECs) (e. g. herbivores) > Attributes (e. g. abundance) > Parameters (e. g. density) Highest priority assessed based on these criteria also : • sensitivity to natural or anthropogenic drivers • relevance to Traditional Knowledge-based management • availability & sustainability: monitoring capacity , expertise • relevance to targets and thresholds • practicality • validity • ecological relevance

Avian functional groups included Included: • Herbivores (geese, swans, and ptarmigan) • Omnivores (divers/loons, cranes, and ducks) • Insectivores (shorebirds, passerines) • Carnivores (raptors, owls, skuas, ravens) Not included: part of Marine or Freshwater CBMP Plans • Seabirds • Seaducks • Many diving waterfowl sps. (e. g. foraging in aquatic environments; some overlap with Terrestrial Plan) • Grebes