Huntsville Nature Club

As Ontario communities continue to cope with development pressures, our woodlots and wetlands will play an increasingly important role in maintaining vital ecosystems.

One fundamental question regarding protecting these resources is, “How large of an area is necessary?” Doug Tozer, a graduate student specializing in wetland bird research, set out to look at why small wetlands were not as productive as larger wetlands.

Doug notes that larger woodlots in agricultural areas have more songbird species and higher numbers of some birds, compared with smaller pieces of woodland.

In fact, some species are completely absent from small woodlots because their eggs or nestlings are more likely to get eaten by predators. Nest predators such as raccoons and Blue Jays are more common in areas of farmland and around homes near woodlots due to increased access to spilled grain and food provided by people. There are also fewer insects in smaller woodlots for ground-feeding songbirds to gather for their young. This is because wind and sunlight penetrate farther into the trees from the edge, drying out the forest floor.

Bigger woodlands may be better for forest songbirds, but does size also matter for marsh-nesting birds? Do some bird species avoid small wetlands for the same reasons that songbirds avoid smaller woodlots?

Compared to small forests, insect food in small wetlands (because of the abundance of water) is not likely to be negatively affected by drying wind and sunlight, and terrestrial predators are not likely to venture into water. But are there other wetland-specific factors that might contribute to poor reproductive success of birds breeding in small wetlands? At this month’s meeting of the Huntsville Nature Club on Monday, April 28, Doug Tozer will outline his graduate research that was designed to answer these questions. He will also discuss the challenges associated with surveying secretive, wetland-breeding birds, and what he did to overcome those challenges.

The Huntsville Nature Club meets on the last Monday of every month at Club 55 in the town hall at 7 p.m. and guests are always welcome. A voluntary donation of $2 would be appreciated.

For more information regarding the Huntsville Nature Club, contact Ken Morrison at 789-1407 or Rick Stronks at 635-3315. Interested in becoming a member? Single membership is only $15, and family membership is $25.