Local naturalists meet at the Carden Alvar to talk shrikes
Posted onOctober 15, 2024byHelmi Hess|Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery, Loggerhead Shrike, News and Events
Involving local communities is extremely important for the effective conservation of species-at-risk and their critical habitat. Last month, on September 11th, WPC’s Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Biologist, Helmi Hess, had the opportunity to present an update from the 2024 field season to the joint meeting of the four area naturalists’ clubs near the Carden Alvar in Ontario. The annual Huronia Club joint meeting includes the Carden Field Naturalists (the hosts of the 2024 meeting), Nature Barrie, Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists and Orillia Naturalists’ Club, of which approximately 40 members were in attendance. The Carden Alvar is an important bird and biodiversity area, which many organizations work to protect. It is one of two remaining areas in Ontario in which this endangered songbird can reliably be found breeding.
Having lived off-grid on the alvar for the past two breeding seasons, Hess shared insights from her field research with WPC, including searching for wild shrikes and their nests, monitoring the population and their reproductive success, and caring for conservation-bred young in preparation for their release into the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts, the population has shown signs of recovery, though with fluctuations each year. Hess highlighted that in 2023, the wild adult population of loggerhead shrikes in Carden was ten birds, which successfully fledged seven confirmed young. In 2024, these numbers jumped to 14 wild adults that fledged at least 20 fledglings!
Helmi Hess from Wildlife Preservation Canada and Neil Gray, President of the Carden Naturalists’ Club. Image supplied by Joint Naturalists Club.
Research into the causes of nest failures and population decline is on-going, with habitat loss, predation, climate change and effects of other human activities (such as vehicle collisions and feral cats) on the breeding, migratory and wintering grounds, identified as key contributors. The role of Motus towers and tracking loggerhead shrikes with radiotags is ever-important to see where the shrikes from Ontario are going and why many do not return. With fewer than 110 eastern loggerhead shrikes remaining, the importance of habitat protection and hands-on intervention to sustain the species is evident.
Keep an eye out for future presentations by the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Team, announced on Wildlife Preservation Canada’s social media! @wildife_preservation_canada
Presentation slides: Follow along the video presentation
Associated news articles: https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/rebound-of-loggerhead-shrike-highlighted-at-naturalists-forum-9544089
Helmi Hess
Research Biologist – Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery
Helmi joined the WPC loggerhead shrike team in 2023 from a background in wildlife biology, rehabilitation and education. She has worked in grassland and aquatic avian research across Canada since 2015, with species including savannah sparrows, chestnut-collared longspurs and American dippers. Helmi has co-authored peer-reviewed papers in both avian physiology through the University of Guelph and in ecotoxicology through the University of British Columbia.
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