Bird Protection Quebec's monthly meeting
Monday March 1, 2010
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Knox Crescent Kensington and First Presbyterian Church, 6225 Godfrey Avenue, NDG
Birds of Prey of the Tundra: How Important Are They? - with Jean-François Therrien
Jean-François Therrien’s Ph.D. project aims to evaluate the importance of avian predators on the terrestrial food web. He is monitoring avian predators such as Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers on Bylot Island (Nunavut) and Herschel Island (Yukon). By collecting data on avian predator abundance, breeding success and diet, as well as annual abundance of their prey (mostly lemmings), he hopes to assess the relative importance of avian predators to the community structure.
Furthermore, to better understand the long-distance movements and habitat selection of these predators, he equipped 16 adult Snowy Owls with satellite transmitters and has monitored their long-distance movements since 2007. His project will thus provide information on the importance of predation for the stability of the system and will provide basic but crucial information to predict future changes in the abundance and distribution of these key species.
Jean-François was first involved in scientific research during his B.Sc. at the Université de Sherbrooke when he undertook a project on migrating birds of prey. This passion for predatory birds has brought him from the tropics to the arctic as he is now undertaking his Ph.D. at Université Laval (Québec City) on arctic birds of prey. Another great talk that is not to be missed!
Rare and interesting bird sightings from Quebec
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