Migration: A Fascinating and Complex Journey
Migration is one of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena. Countless species, from songbirds to bats and even tiny insects, embark on incredible journeys – some spanning thousands of kilometres! These migrations are essential for survival, driven by the need to breed, forage, and follow seasonal resources.
Many migratory birds, for instance, travel to Canada in the spring to nest and raise their young during the summer months. As the temperatures drop and food sources become scarce, they head back to warmer climates in the fall, ensuring their survival and continuing the cycle year after year.
While much research has been done on migration, many mysteries remain. Understanding migration is crucial, especially as migratory species face threats like habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, and disease. Advances in research and technology, such as the use of tracking technology like the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus), provides invaluable data on species movements and habitat needs.
What is Motus?
Motus is a global network of researchers and educators using automated radio telemetry to track birds, bats, and insects. Strategically placed towers detect signals from tagged animals, providing crucial data on species, location, and migration timing. When detections are analyzed together, researchers are able to gauge the migration route of the individual, leading to greater understanding of their route, stopover sites, breeding grounds, and wintering grounds.
In the biosphere region, Motus towers along the coast help scientists study migration patterns. With support from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Community Nominated Priority Places funding initiative, locally called Maamwi Anjiakiziwin, seven Motus towers were installed within the biosphere region in 2020, complementing existing towers installed by the Georgian Bay Land Trust and Magnetawan First Nation.
Learn more about Motus and the network of towers in the region here.
The Value of the Biosphere Region
The coastal region of Georgian Bay plays a vital role in supporting many migratory species. While many birds breed and winter here, others rely on the area as a crucial stopover site—a place to rest, forage, and regain strength before continuing their long journeys.
These pathways and stopover areas are essential for species’ survival, and conservation efforts must prioritize maintaining these habitats to ensure the long-term health of migrating populations. With its diverse ecosystems and strategic location, the Georgian Bay Biosphere is an irreplaceable link in these species’ migration routes.
Remarkable Research
The seven towers installed in the biosphere region as part of the Maamwi Anjiakiziwin project have contributed to 28 research projects globally and facilitated local research on bird and bat species. Collectively, these towers have recorded 309 detections of 71 individual birds and bats representing 29 species.
Some of the valuable local research made possible by Motus towers includes projects focused on bats and migratory songbirds.
- The Apakwaanaajiinh Mnidoo Gamii (Bats of Georgian Bay) Project by Shawanaga First Nation tracks bat movements and habitat use with radio transmitters. The data helps identify key conservation areas for bat populations.
- The Georgian Bay Land Trust, in partnership with Western University, studies migratory songbirds before their fall migration. Researchers have tagged four species to understand post-breeding behaviour, migration timing, and habitat needs. Early findings highlight Georgian Bay as a critical stopover site.
Read more about this research here.
Small Species, Big Journeys
Motus tracking has revealed fascinating migration stories. A semipalmated sandpiper was detected along the eastern coast of Georgian Bay in early June during its journey to breeding grounds in subarctic Canada and Alaska. Remarkably, this individual was recorded at 15 towers, traveling from southern New Jersey to Grundy Lake Provincial Park, Ontario, in just 24 hours (Figure 2). This observation showcases the species flying at great speeds and demonstrates the importance of Georgian Bay as a stopover site where the bird can rest and refuel for the final leg of its long journey.
Red knots, a migratory shorebird, undertake one of the longest migrations, traveling up to 13,000 km round trip between their Arctic breeding grounds and wintering areas in South America, Africa, and Australia. Red knots are a species at risk facing population declines, in part due to food shortages in traditional stopover sites.
Motus towers in the biosphere region detected a red knot traveling from New Jersey to Churchill, Manitoba, tracking a total of 2,597 km of its migration. This flight was completed in under a month, highlighting the resilience of these birds and the importance of maintaining habitats for their travel.
Ovenbirds, a warbler species with a distinctive “teacher, teacher, teacher” call, migrate from their overwintering sites with storm fronts in the spring and require large areas of mature deciduous or mixed forest for successful breeding in Ontario. In 2021, an ovenbird was tracked by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Avian Research Center to investigate the stopover ecology of migrant songbirds. This particular bird embarked on a remarkable journey beginning on May 20, 2021. It was detected at multiple locations in Ontario, New York, and finally in Pointe au Baril on May 30, 2021. Tracking this species will help provide valuable insights into how songbirds use stopover sites.
These observations emphasize the importance of Georgian Bay as a migratory pathway and reinforce the need to protect stopover habitats that support migratory species on their incredible journeys. Maintaining healthy environments helps ensure these species have safe and sustainable routes to continue their journeys.
How You Can Help
Protecting migratory species requires collective effort. With spring migration just around the corner, simple actions can make a big difference:
- Plant native vegetation – check out GBBs Native Plant Guide,
- Reduce light pollution – learn more from FLAP Canada,
- Keep cats indoors to prevent predation on birds, and
- Use window stickers to prevent bird collisions with windows.
Additionally, supporting organizations that work to conserve habitats and educate the public is crucial. Donations to conservation initiatives, such as those led by the Georgian Bay Biosphere, can help expand tracking networks and support research efforts.
