Our Student Program

The MBO research program has steadily been growing since initial seed funding in 2016. Since that time, led by Dr. Barbara Frei and in collaboration with Dr. Kyle Elliott from McGill University, MBO home-brewed research has included studies looking at migration timing, documenting new hybrid warblers, spatial structure in migration connectivity, blood metabolites as measures of health in wild birds, and moult migration of neotropical migrants.

Since then, ten undergraduate and graduate student theses have been supported by the MBO research team.

Research area

McGill Bird Observatory collaborates with academic and gouvernement researchers as well as university students in many different fields.

Our role goes from sharing our banding and observation data, helping during the sampling process or being completely involved with the elaboration, analysis and publication of our own primary research.

You can found a list below of the peer-reviewed publications publish directly by our team and students or publish by collaboratives studies using our banding data.

Posters

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Publications

  • Poirier, V. (2023). Stopover ecology of two moult migrating passerines: Tennessee warblers (Leiothlypis

    peregrina) and Swainson’s thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) in a large urban park.

  • Morales, A. (2020). Stopover ecology of moult migrant Swainson’s thrushes «Catharus ustulatus».

  • A. Blanc-Benigeri, McGill University (Honours) “Fecal DNA dietary analyses of moult migrant neotropical

    songbirds during fall migration in an urbanized landscape” with Dr. Kyle Elliott

  • G. Freitag, McGill University (Honours) “Quantifying daily energetic levels for moult migrant songbirds from

    telemetry data” with Dr. Kyle Elliott

  • M. Lefvert, McGill University (Honours) “Home range and stopover duration of boreal breeding moult migrants”

    with Dr. Kyle Elliott

  • E. Tranze-drabinia, McGill University (Honours) “Energetics of molt migrants in relation to stopover habitat

    quality” with Dr. Kyle Elliott

  • J. Depolla, McGill University (Honours) – Spatial analysis to understand how urban tree planting can benefit

    avian biodiversity and sequester atmospheric carbon on the island of Montreal. with Dr. Kyle Elliott

  • N. Goudreau, McGill University (Honours) – Using historical banding data from the McGill Bird Observatory and

    the Tadoussac Bird Observatory, to investigating wing length and body mass trends of short- and longdistance migrant passerines. with Dr. Kyle Elliott

  • Blanc-Benigeri, A., Poirier, V., Narango, D., Elliott, K. H., & Frei, B. (2024). Diet of moulting Swainson’s Thrushes

    (Catharus ustulatus) and Tennessee Warblers (Leiothlypis peregrina) at a stopover site during fall migration measured with fecal DNA metabarcoding. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 9913.

  • Poirier, V., Elliott, K. H., & Frei, B. (2024). Peri-urban forest margins are important stopover sites for moult-

    migrating songbirds. Journal for Nature Conservation, 77, 126539.

  • Poirier, V., Frei, B., Lefvert, M., Morales, A., & Elliott, K. H. (2023). Moult migrant Tennessee Warblers undergo

    extensive stopover in peri-urban forests of southern Quebec. Canadian Journal of Zoology. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjz-2023-0109

  • Morales A, Frei B, Mitchell GW, Begin Marchand C, Elliott KH. 2022. Reduced diurnal activity and increased

    stopover duration by molting Swainson’s Thrushes. Ornithology 139(2): ukab083

  • Junda, J. H., Duval, S., & Gahbauer, M. A. (2020). Use of discrete molting grounds by migrant passerines

    undergoing prebasic molt in southern Quebec. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 132(1), 72-82.

  • Nip, E.J., B. Frei, and K.H. Elliot. 2018. Seasonal and temporal variation in scaled mass index of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). Canadian Field-Naturalist 132(4): 368–377.

  • Jarjour C., B. Frei, and K.H. Elliott. 2017. Associations between sex, age and species-specific climate sensitivity in migration. Animal Migration 4: 23-36.

  • Hobson, K.A., S.L. Van Wilgenburg, E.H. Dunn, D.J.T. Hussell, P.D. Taylor, and D.M. Collister. 2015. Predicting origins of passerines migrating through Canadian migration monitoring stations using stable-hydrogen isotope analyses of feathers: a new tool for bird conservation. Avian Conservation and Ecology 10(1): 3.

  • Confer J.L., L.L. Kanda, and I. Li. 2014. Northern Saw-whet Owl: regional patterns for fall migration and demographics revealed by banding data. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126: 305-320.

  • Hudon, J., and R. Mulvihill. 2017. Diet-induced plumage erythrism as a result of the spread of alien shrubs in North America. North American Bird Bander 42: 95-103.

  • Hudon J., D. Derbyshire, S. Leckie, and T. Flinn. 2013. Diet-Induced Plumage Erythrism in Baltimore Orioles as a Result of the Spread of Introduced Shrubs. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 125: 88-96.

  • Wolfe, J., and P. Pyle. 2011. First evidence for eccentric prealternate molt in the Indigo Bunting: possible implications for adaptive molt strategies. Western Birds 42: 257-262.

  • Hudson, M-A., M.A. Gahbauer, S. Leckie, and B. Frei. 2008. Unusually Extensive Preformative Molt in Hatching-year Song Sparrows. North American Bird Bander 33: 1-6.

  • Flinn T., J. Hudon, and D. Derbyshire. 2007. Tricks exotic shrubs do: When Baltimore Orioles stop being orange. Birding 39(5): 62-68.

  • Morales, A., B. Frei, C. Leung, R. Titman, S. Whelan, Z.M. Benowitz-Fredericks, and K. Elliott. 2020. Point-of-care

    blood analyzers measure the nutritional state of eighteen free-living bird species. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 240.

  • Mackenzie, S.A., and M.A. Gahbauer. 2014. Guidelines for prioritizing bird safety during high capture events.

    North American Bird Bander 39: 61-65.

  • Kerr, K.C.R. 2011. Searching for evidence of selection in avian DNA barcodes. Molecular Ecology Resources 11:

    1045-1055.

  • Crewe, T.L., J.D. McCracken, P.D. Taylor, D. Lepage, and A.E. Heagy. 2008. The Canadian Migration Monitoring

    Network-Réseau canadien de surveillance des migrations: Ten-year Report on Monitoring Landbird Population Change. CMMN-RCSM Scientific Technical Report #1. Bird Studies Canada, Port Rowan ON. 69 pp.

  • BRENNAN, Courtney L., BOULANGER, Emily, DUVAL, Simon, et al. Two cases of a previously undocumented

    New World warbler hybrid (Setophaga magnolia× S. ruticilla) in eastern North America. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 2020, vol. 132, no 3, p. 537-547.

  • Scott, J. D., McGoey, E., Morales, A., & Pesapane, R. R. (2022). Molecular Detection of Anaplasma

    phagocytophilum, Babesia odocoilei, Babesia species and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Songbirds. Journal ISSN, 2766, 2276.

  • Scott, J.D., K.L. Clark, N.M. Coble, and T.R. Ballantyne. 2019. Detection and Transstadial Passage of Babesia

    Species and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ticks Collected from Avian and Mammalian Hosts in Canada. Healthcare 7: 155.

  • Scott, J.D., K.L. Clark, J.E. Foley, J.F. Anderson, B.C. Bierman, and L.A. Durden. 2018. Extensive distribution of the

    Lyme Disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, in multiple tick species parasitizing avian and mammalian hosts across Canada. Healthcare 6: 131.

  • Scott, J.D., K.L. Clark, J.E. Foley, B.C. Bierman, and L.A. Durden. 2018. Far-reaching dispersal of Borrelia

    burgdorferisensu lato-infected Blacklegged ticks by migratory songbirds in Canada. Healthcare 6: 89.

  • Scott, J.D., and L.A. Durden. 2015. New records of the Lyme disease bacterium in ticks collected from songbirds

    in central and eastern Canada. International Journal of Acarology 41: 241-249.

  • Scott, J.D., J.F. Anderson, and L.A. Durden. 2012. Widespread dispersal of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks

    collected from songbirds across Canada. Journal of Parasitology 98: 49-59.

  • Ogden, N.H., L.R. Lindsay, K. Hanincova, K. Barker, M. Bigras-Poulin, D.F. Charron, A. Heagy, C.M. Francis, C.J.

    O’Callaghan, I. Schwartz, and R.A. Thompson. 2008. Role of migratory birds in introduction and range expansion of Ixodes scapularisticks and of Borrelia burgdorferiand Anaplasma phagocytophilumin Canada. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 74: 1780-1790

How Can You Help

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About EDF

Restoration, research and education to protect migrating birds in l’Ouest-de-l’Ile

Starting in 2022, McGill University was awarded $390,000 from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund (EDF) to undertake a three-year project in partnership with the McGill Bird Observatory and with the support of Bird Protection Quebec.

Objectives

1 Restore native habitat for songbirds in the west island by removing invasive species and planting over 1000 native trees and shrubs

2Research the habitat use and mortality of migratory songbirds in the west island across space and time

3Engage in outreach to the local Montreal community , particularly the youths, on the importance of urban greenspaces for migratory songbirds

  1. Restore : The funds supported the coordination and removal of

    close to 500 kg of invasive garlic mustard on the Macdonald Campus and the McGill Bird Observatory. Garlic mustard crowds out native plants, impacting birds and other wildlife that depend on the presence of native vegetation.

  2. Research : The funds were used to purchase three new

    automated telemetry stations (Motus) and radio telemetry nanotags to understand the stopover behavior and habitat preferences of two species of migratory songbirds that are known to use the West Island as an important stopover during their moulting period and fall migration.

  3. Educate : A series of informative and visually appealing videos

    were created to be housed on the MBO’s YouTube channel, where children and their parents will learn about the ecology and conservation of migratory birds and the importance of native plant species and greenspaces to birds.

About the grant

The Environmental Damages Fund (EDF) is a specified purpose account administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to direct funds received from fines, court orders and voluntary payments to priority projects that will benefit Canada’s natural environment. The purpose of any contribution to the EDF is to restore the environment and conserve wildlife and habitats in a scientifically sound, cost-effective, and technically feasible way.

MOTUS

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Key Finding

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Highlights

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TEWA: 400
SWTH:
NOCA:

Total tag since : 100

KEPO

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Key Finding

Phasellus aliquet at odio volutpat efficitur. Praesent finibus condimentum urna ac eleifend. Vestibulum nec lacinia massa. In nunc mauris, venenatis in congue commodo, commodo nec velit.

Highlights

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Captures total: 400

Banded total: 100