Long Point Bird Observatory
CMMN Status: Full Member
Affiliation: Long Point Bird Observatory is a program of Bird Studies
Canada.
Location: LPBO operates three migration monitoring stations on Long
Point, a 32 km-long sandspit on the north shore of Lake Erie. Two of the
field stations (Tip and Breakwater) are accessible by boat only, while
the third station at the base of the point (Old Cut) is road-accessible
and is open to the visiting public (adjacent to Long Point Provincial
Park). The nearest communities are Port Rowan (10 km), Simcoe (45 km),
and Tillsonburg (35 km). Nearby airports are Hamilton (90 km), London
(100 km), and Toronto (180 km). An airport shuttle service is available
from Toronto (Pearson) to LPBO.
Special Features: Long Point attracts large numbers of landbirds and
waterfowl during migration. On average, over 20,000 landbirds of about
150 species are banded annually. More than 370 bird species have been
recorded in the Long Point checklist area. The on-line LPBO Sightings
Board is updated weekly during the migration seasons.
Long Point is recognized as a globally Important Bird Area (IBA), a
World Biosphere Reserve, and an international Monarch Butterfly Reserve.
Much of Long Point is formally protected by a combination of federal,
provincial, and regional agencies, along with private hunting clubs.
History: Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) was founded by the Ontario
Bird Banding Association in 1960 and is the oldest institution of its
kind in the Western Hemisphere. LPBO was formally incorporated as a
non-profit research organization in 1968. After thirty years of growth
and development, the name of the corporation was changed to Bird Studies
Canada to reflect the national scope of its expanded suite of programs.
Since 1998, LPBO has continued to operate as a local program of BSC.
Migration monitoring: The standard migration protocol at each station
consists of a minimum of 6 hours of banding each day, a one-hour daily
census along a standardized route, and recording numbers of migrants
observed throughout the day. Birds are captured using a combination of
mist nets, Heligoland traps, Jay traps, and ground traps. At the end of
each day, volunteers compile the day's information and use these data to
estimate the total number of individuals of each species occurring at
each station.
Spring migration coverage generally runs from 1 April through 10 June.
Fall migration coverage typically runs from 15 August through 10
November. Spring and fall count data have been collected annually since
1960.
Other projects: The migration program is the central activity of the
Observatory, but other on-site programs include a long-term breeding
study of Tree Swallows (1 May to 10 July), and breeding-bird censuses
(25 May to 5 July) in 15 permanent plots on Long Point. Daily counts of
migrating Monarch Butterflies are conducted during fall migration. LPBO
also runs the Doug Tarry Young Ornithologists Workshop -- an
intensive field course for teenagers -- each summer.
Volunteer opportunities: LPBO relies heavily on volunteer assistance in
one form or another. On-site accommodations are available at the field
stations for up to 20 staff, volunteers and researchers. Most on-site
volunteers come for a minimum of one-month period and receive training
in bird banding and migration monitoring. Shorter-term volunteers are
also welcome, but pay a nominal fee to cover accommodations and food. In
addition, the Friends of LPBO are volunteers from the local community
who help out at the Old Cut station one morning a week by providing
information to visitors and manning the visitor centre and gift shop.
For more information:
Website:
www.bsc-eoc.org/longpoint/lpbomain_en.html
Contact Person:
Landbird Programs Coordinator
Email: lpbo@bsc-eoc.org
Tel: 519-586-2885 (Old Cut Field Station); 519-586-3531 (BSC
Headquarters)
Fax: 519-586-3532
Mailing Address: Bird Studies Canada, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, ON
Canada N0E 1M0
