The Winter Birds Point Pelee National Park
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THE WINTER BIRDS POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK_ Indian and Affaires indiennes Northern Affairs et du Nord Parks Canada Pares Canada Point Pelee National Park Grassy Area Sand Beaches Marsh Cultivated Land Abandoned Orchard Area Red Cedar, Hackberry, Oak, Mixed Forest Elm, Basswood, Mixed Forest Willow, Poplar BeH Parkway 'I certainly never did hear so many birds singing in the winter. when we opened the door in the morning we were greeted by a regular chorus of bird song . .It was more like May than February." P. A. Taverneronavisit to Point Pelee, February, 1909. Taverner Manuscripts No. 1; Rare Book Room, Library, Univer sity of Toronto. All plants and animals, and other natural features of this Park are protected and preserved for all who may come this way. Please do not remove or damage them. The Winter Birds of Point Peiee National Park Ontario by George M.Stirrett, Ph.D. Formerly Chief Parks Naturalist National Parks Service Ottawa, 1973 © Crown Copyright reserved or through your bookseller Available by mail from Information Canada, Price: 500 Catalogue No. R63-7072 Ottawa, and at the following Information Canada bookshops: Price subject to change without notice HALIFAX Information Canada 1683 Barrington Street Ottawa, 1973. MONTREAL Published by Parks Canada underauthority 640 St. Catherine Street West of the Hon. Jean Chretien, PC, MP., Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern OTTAWA Development. 171 Slater Street IAND Publication No. QS-2090-OOO-EE-AI TORONTO 221 Yonge Street WINNIPEG 393 Portage Avenue VANCOUVER 800 Granville Street table of contents Introduction 7 The marsh, boardwalk nature Booklets on the Birds ot Point trail and observation tower 11 Pelee National Park 7 Hypothetical Records 11 Total and Seasonal Numbers of Explanations for Understanding Birds at Point Pelee 7 the Bird List 11 Point Pelee and Point Pelee Bird List for the Winter Period, National Park 8 November 16 to February 29 13 The Interpretive Centre and Park Loons 13 Naturalists 8 Grebes 13 Special Ornithological Events of Cormorants 13 the Winter Period 8 Herons, Bitterns and Ibises 13 Fringilline winter-visitors 8 Swans, Geese and Ducks 13 Winter chorus of song 9 Vultures 14 Christmas bird count 9 Hawks, Eagles, Ospreysand Arrival of first spring migrants 9 Falcons 14 Lingering autumn migrants 9 Quails and Pheasants 15 Birdsandtheirwinterfood 9 Rails, Gallinules and Coots 15 Birds on the northern edge of Plovers, Woodcocks and their winter range 10 Snipes 15 Bird flocks in winter 10 Sandpipers, Avocets and Observation Sites 10 Phalaropes 15 Terminal area of Point 10 Gulls and Terns 16 Woodland nature trail and Post Murres 16 Woods 10 Pigeons and Doves 16 Treesandshrubsbearing fruit 11 Owls 16 Weed covered fields 11 Kingfishers 16 Off-shore waters of Lake Erie 11 Woodpeckers 16 Flycatchers 17 Shrikes 19 Larks 17 Starlings 19 Swallows 17 Vireos 19 Jays and Crows 17 Warblers 19 Chickadeesand Titmice 17 Weaver Finches 19 Nuthatchesand Creepers 17 Blackbirds and Orioles 19 Wrens 18 Tanagers 19 Mockingbirds and Thrashers 18 Grosbeaks, Finches and Thrushes 18 Sparrows 19 Gnatcatchers and Kinglets 18 Acknowledgements 22 Pipits 18 Notes 23 Waxwings 18 ited the area for bird observation and nat introduction ural history studies intermittently through the years, beginning in 1927. Observations and records have been contributed by many persons and institu tions. They have been secured by the examination of specimens, from published and unpublished literature, and from Dr. Stirrett'sown notes and records. Acknowl edgements appear later in the booklet. Booklets on the Birds of Point Pelee National Park This booklet "The Winter Birdsof Point Pelee National Park" deals with the period November 16 to February 29. It is one of four booklets on the birds of Point Pelee. Others in the series are: (1) "TheSpring Birdsof Point Pelee National Park". An account for the period March 1 to June 10. (2) "TheSummer Birdsof Point Pelee National Park". An account for the periodof June 11 toAugust 1 5. The booklets in this series are designed to (3) "The Autumn Birdsof Point Pelee answer the question: When visiting Point National Park". An account for the Pelee National Park what birds can I expect period August 16 to November 15. to see and in what numbers? The answer Dates for each season have been largely depends upon the season and particular determined by the average date of arrival dates of your visit. The bird lists give the and departure of migrant birds in autumn names of all birds recorded for the season, and spring astound at Point Pelee. No set of their earliest and latest dates of appear arbitrary dates isentirely satisfactory, but ance, and the numbers of each seen or esti that used is designed to divide the year into mated by one observer in a single day. the major seasons of bird activity as found These numbers are given on dates chosen at Pelee. In autumn the main migration to indicate the status of the bird from the starts about August 16 and ends the middle beginning to the end of the period. of November but there are a few fall A separate booklet has been prepared for migrants arriving in July and some late each season to facilitate field use. migrants may still be around after Novem Information is given to orient you in the ber 15, but their numbers are very small. In park, and notes are added on special spring the main migration starts in early ornithological events occurring in the March and is practically over by June 1, but period under discussion and which you there are a few migrants that arrive as early should not miss. A chapterdescribing as February. advantageous observation sites is also included. Total and Seasonal Numbers The information given about the birds is of Birds at Point Pelee based on records contained in the card The total number of species reported from index to the birds of Point Pelee, now kept Point Pelee from 1877, when the first by the National Parks Service. This index records were published, to date is 326. This was begun by Dr. George M. Stirrett, for number is made up of 286 authenticated merly Chief Parks Naturalist, National Parks species and 40 species retained in the Service, in 1948 and has been maintained hypothetical list. Two of the birds found at by him through the years. Dr. Stirrett has vis Point Pelee are hybrids. 7 One hundred and sixty-three species shore of Lake Erie between the Windsor- have been reported in the winter period. Sarnia area on the west and the Hamilton November 16 to February 29, and are dis area on the east. It is largely confined to the cussed in this booklet. Extinct birds, such sandy and lighter soil areas within this belt. as the passenger pigeon and wild turkey Point Pelee has plants and animals includ and those extirpated from the area, such as ing birds, that are found nowhere else in the ruffed grouse are not included. Canada except in the narrow belt of the eastern deciduous forest. Point Pelee and Point Pelee National Park The Interpretive Centre Point Pelee is a triangular peninsula of and Park Naturalists extreme southwestern Ontario, near Lea The Interpretive Centre is the headquarters mington and Windsor. It juts out into the of the park naturalists and the hub of the western end of Lake Erie some nine miles as program to interpret the park's natural his measured from the road between conces tory. Research vital to the program and to sions "A" and"1" of Mersea Township, park management is also conducted from Essex County. the Centre. Although the base of the Point is taken as A visit to the Centre to see the exhibits, the road between the concession "1" and learn of current programs and seek infor concession "A" of Mersea Township, the mation and guidance from the naturalists beginning of the peninsula, where it starts will make anyone's stay in the park more to extend outward from the general trend of rewarding. the main shore is evident for a much greater distance on either side. On the west the Special Ornithological Events curve of the shoreline extends from Kings- of the Winter Period ville to the end of the Point. Here the curve Winter birding at Point Pelee compares around Pigeon Bay is almost as pro favourably with, if not better than, that in nounced as if it were part of a circle. On the other parts of southern Ontario. Depending east the curve of the shoreline begins about on conditions, onecan usually tally from four miles above Wheatley, in Kent County. twenty to sixty species a day. There are cer This shore has a more gentle curve than tain events in the winter period that one that of the western side and long stretches should not miss. A few of these are dis of the beach appear to be fairly straight. cussed very briefly in the following para Point Pelee National Park, which was graphs. It is hoped that this information will established in 1918, embraces the last 5.9 lead to a more enjoyable experience with miles of land of the Pelee peninsula. Its base the birds. line is about three miles across in an east- west direction. The land narrows fairly rap Fringilline winter-visitors:—Some of the idly into an attenuated point of sand which fringillids that summer or breed in the tun gradually disappears underthe watersof dra and the boreal forest regions of Canada Lake Erie. are winter visitors to southern Ontario, According to the Gazetteer of Canada, including Point Pelee. One should make a Point Pelee National Park is located at lati point of searching for them on all winter tude 41 57'N.