Would You Like To Help Monitor Sandhill Cranes?
Sandhill Crane monitoring in the Douglas Lake Plateau Important Bird Area
Rick Howie, a member of the Kamloops Naturalist Club, has provided us with instructions on how best to monitor the Sandhill Crane migration. He has also created a recommended route map along with the data forms to record your sightings. The annual migration through the Kamloops area is approximately from April 1 to May 15.
Photo by Rick Howie
Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) migrate across the Douglas Plateau in spring and fall with a small number of breeders scattered across the plateau during the summer months. An estimate of 22,000 – 25,000 birds use this route.
The provincial IBA program coordinator, Liam Ragan, has expressed interest in conducting surveys for cranes and species at risk within the Douglas Lake Plateau IBA. The importance of the area to Sandhill Cranes was instrumental in having the area declared an IBA in the first place.
The following suggestions for methods to survey sandhill cranes are provided in order to help kick-start the survey process. Anyone may participate. Complete one or both of the forms below. The completed data forms can be submitted through e-mail to Rick Howie (howierick@gmail.com) by May 20.
For an overview of sandhill cranes in the Douglas Lake Plateau, download this document. On page 5 is a map of suggested locations.
If you want to observe from one location, download this form.
If you want to follow a driving route, download this form.
Here is an example of a completed form.
we hear then see large numbers every year flying over us at Face Lake. We would be happy to track numbers for you.
Dear readers: today (April 28) I recorded an interview with CBC Radio Kamloops about Sandhill Crane migration and our current survey initiative. The interviewer thought it would be aired Friday April 30 on the morning show between 0630 & 0830 hrs. He could not give me an exact time at this point. Perhaps you will be interested in listening. I may end up getting a copy of the interview and could possibly reproduce it somewhere. I will keep you posted.
Cheers
Rick Howie
Hi Rick
I just listened to your interview on CBC Rick. Well done!! Now that I live in Armstrong I’m not on the flyway but 2 weeks ago we did hear one just south of town at Otter L and a week ago I heard a few flying over my home in town – maybe 5-10 but didn’t get a good look