December 15, 2022: Deninu Kųę́ First Nation (DKFN) with the Nationwide Audubon Society, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – NWT Chapter (CPAWS-NWT), and Geese Limitless Canada (DUC) are excited to report on outcomes from DKFN’s summer season 2021 passive acoustic monitoring surveys for birds inside the Slave River Delta with using automated recording items (ARUs).
The ARU’s, offered by the Nationwide Audubon Society’s Boreal Conservation Program, report audio of the encompassing panorama, together with chook songs and calls, at preprogrammed occasions and retailer the recordings till they are often retrieved at a later date. That information can then be analyzed to find out the presence of birds within the space and function an archive of the general bioacoustics panorama. The method will be repeated and in contrast over time to assist perceive adjustments happening inside the ecological communities. Starting in late summer season 2021, members of DKFN arrange 10 ARUs inside the delta to doc chook use of the world through the fall migration interval. In complete, 3300 hours of recordings have been collected by way of the top of October 2021, which have been then despatched to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY for subsequent evaluation. Thirty-three chook species have been detected on the recordings, with Northern Waterthrush and Swainson’s Thrush being essentially the most widespread occurring at 8 out of 10 recording websites inside the delta. Many precedence species for Fowl Conservation Area 6—an ecologically distinct area with related chook communities and habitats that the delta falls inside—have been additionally documented, together with Alder Flycatcher, Bohemian Waxwing, Caspian Tern, Widespread Yellowthroat, Better and Lesser Yellowlegs, Inexperienced-winged Teal, Least Flycatcher, Merlin, White-throated Sparrow, and White-winged Crossbill. Lesser Yellowlegs can also be federally listed as Threatened as a consequence of estimated inhabitants declines for the species of greater than 50% over the past 10 years, in accordance with the Committee on the Standing of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The Authorities of the Northwest Territories ranked Lesser Yellowlegs, in addition to Caspian Tern, as “delicate” species that require particular protections to forestall the danger of inhabitants losses inside the area.
The Slave River Delta is taken into account an Vital Fowl Space, largely as a consequence of its significance to migrating waterfowl throughout spring and fall migration, notably Tundra Swans. Additionally it is of nice significance to shorebirds and land birds throughout migration and gives pristine habitat for breeding birds in summer season. DKFN deployed ARUs once more this 12 months and with an earlier begin date to doc breeding birds within the area. Evaluation of these recordings is about to start within the New 12 months with preliminary outcomes prepared in spring 2023.
This challenge exemplifies collaboration in help of Indigenous-led conservation and land stewardship efforts inside Canada and contributes info to the consideration of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Space (IPCA) on the Slave River Delta and Taltson Watershed. An IPCA challenge is now within the strategy of being launched by DKFN and the Ft. Decision Metis Authorities.
Hyperlinks:
DKFN AND FRMG SIGN IPCA CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
DKFN FRMG Press Launch December eighth, 2022
AUDUBON’S Boreal Conservation Program
Contacts:
Minnie Whimp, lands@dkfn.ca, Deninu Kue First Nation
Chantelle Abma, c_abma@geese.ca, Geese Limitless Canada
Jeff Wells, jeff.wells@audubon.org, the Nationwide Audubon Society
Josh Campbell, josh@cpaws.org, CPAWS – NWT