Overview
Project Name
Canadian Migration Monitoring Network
Access Level
By Request
Year started
1993
Year Ended
Ongoing
Dataset
Daily Migration Counts: Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory
About
Dataset summary
Counts from the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory (LSLBO)of birds banded and observed during daily operations; plus a composite Daily Estimated Total (DET): the best estimate for each species of unduplicated number of individuals detected within the official count area during the daily monitoring period
Season(s) and frequency
Spring monitoring runs from Late April until June 10. Fall monitoring is from July 12 to September 30
Geographic area covered
Located in central Alberta (55.42, -114.82). Migrants at the site originate primarily from breeding range in Alberta, northwestern British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska
Primary species covered
Captures are primarily small passerines, but all species observed are recorded
Goals
To conduct standardized daily migration season counts and collect ancillary data on migration ecology for use in long-term biological and population monitoring of Canada’s bird species
Methods
Sampling Design
Daily capture and observation during migration seasons to generate species-specific daily totals of birds detected within each study site.
Field methods
Daily operations (standardized since 1994) include 7 h of capture (12 mist nets), a half-hour fixed route census, visible migration counts and incidental observations
Analysis methods
See Quick Links. Population trends for ‘Regular Migrants’ at this site are based on counts from standardized methods only (numbers banded and recorded on census), while trends for all other species are based on Daily Estimated Totals that also include incidental observations
Advice
Any disruption to standardized operations relevant to appropriate interpretation of analytical results is noted in a regularly-updated section of the station protocol (https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/cmmn-protocols). As of 2025, the following notes had been recorded. In 2000, daily count period was extended from 6 to 7 hours. Habitat succession from young deciduous and riparian woodland to mature mixed hardwood likely impacted capture rates prior to 2010. Spring monitoring in 2011 was cut short by fire evacuations, and effort was reduced in spring 2020 due to covid restrictions
Partners
Alberta Parks
Citation
Birds Canada, Alberta Parks, and Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory. 2026. "Daily Migration Counts: Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory". Data accessed from NatureCounts, Birds Canada. 10.71842/wbty-sk72
