MAPS
Grasshopper Sparrow
The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program is a collaborative effort among banders across Canada and the U.S. to collect long-term data on North American bird species.
This program allows us to monitor populations of breeding birds in Prince Edward County.
This type of data is very useful because it can be used to infer details about the breeding populations of our local birds through measures such as annual survival of adults and annual productivity (i.e. numbers of juvenile birds).
All of PEPtBO’s MAPS data is submitted to the Institute for Bird Populations, which allows for the comparison of data for various species across all North American sites to assess survival and productivity trends.
PEPtBO has been participating in the MAPS program since 2021.
As of 2023, PEPtBO operates five sites. Each site has anywhere from 10 to 12 nets depending on habitat and size of the test sites. Our MAPS stations operate from early June through early August to accommodate the regular breeding dates for most birds in Prince Edward County.
MAPS Site (Habitat):
Wetland
Mixed red cedar and prickly ash, small wetlands and a pond.
Local breeders include American Woodcock, Nashville Warbler, Field Sparrow, and Song Sparrow.
Sand Dunes
Sandy dunes with grasses, small wetland, and a tall pine plantation.
Local breeders include Gray Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Kingbird, and Common Grackle.
Forest
Mixed red cedar and shrub fields, flooded old growth forest.
Local breeders include Orchard Oriole, American Redstart, Red-eyed Vireo, and Black-and-white Warbler.
Grassland
Regenerating agricultural land, old growth forest, large wetland, along Lake Ontario shoreline.
Local breeders include Grasshopper Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Wood Thrush, and Red-winged Blackbird.
Alvar
Dry, rocky fields of prickly ash, red cedar, and a floodplain marsh.
Local breeders include Brown Thrasher, Black-billed Cuckoo, Magnolia Warbler, and Eastern Towhee.
