Bird Protection Quebec 2020 Grants Report
We had considerable interest in the grant program in 2020 with about double the number of requests from last year. Below is a summary of the grants funded in 2020.
Bobolinks
Gilles Dufour, Biologist and Advisor for Agriconseils
BPQ awarded $1,500 to Mr. Dufour to increase landowners’ awareness of Bobolinks, grassland birds, their habitat and the threats to their survival in Québec. According to M. Dufour, “Better awareness, actions in the prairies and pastures, mobilized government entities may, step-by-step, reduce fragmentation and loss of habitat allowing Bobolinks and grassland species to self-sustain.”
Chimney Swifts
Dévelopement Ortnithologique Argenteuil (DOA)
BPQ fully funded DOA-Chimney Swift’s application to cover the costs ($2,300) associated with drone visits in the fall, which will allow them to verify the presence of nests in chimneys visited by the swifts. This work will follow up on efforts made in 2019 in which potential nesting sites were identified and the owners of chimneys were encouraged to make their structure accessible for the birds.
Chimney Swifts
Granby Zoo
The Granby Zoo received $2,285 from BPQ to study Chimney Swifts’ use of natural forest habitat during breeding, a poorly known behaviour, and their migratory behaviour using radio telemetry. The work will be carried out in the Lac Édouard area
Purple Martins
Kristen Lalla
Ms. Kristen Lalla, MSc student at Macdonald Campus, received $1,500 to continue her research on the foraging ecology of Purple Martins, which are aerial insectivores, the most rapidly declining group of birds in Canada. Kristen will use miniaturized GPS units to calculate foraging range and identify crucial foraging habitats in the breeding and non-breeding grounds of purple martins.
Swallow Nest Boxes
SETHY Foundation
BPQ awarded the SETHY Foundation $620/year for three years to carry out biological monitoring of Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow and Cliff Swallow nest boxes with a farm owner. The goal of this project will be to determine whether swallows switched from nesting in and on the owner’s building to these new structures made for nesting, thus promoting cohabitation between humans and these swallows
Snowy Owls
Falcon Environmental
BPQ awarded $7,500 to Falcon Environmental to examine movements of snowy owls at the Montréal-Trudeau Airport. The goal of the project is to optimize re-location procedures to avoid collisions with aircraft.
Migratory Corridors
Observatoire d’oiseaux de Tadoussac (OOT)
BPQ awarded OOT $10,000 for 2020 and $12,000 for 2021. OOT will assess migratory corridors of three vulnerable species of birds: Rusty Blackbirds, American Pipits, and Horned Larks. OOT will use the Motus network and collaborate with other researchers to expand datasets.
Pesticides and Migration
Sereena Moore
Ms. Sereena Moore, MSc student at McGill Downtown, received $3,000 to examine the effect of chlorpyrifos on the migratory behaviour and neurogenesis of a migratory population of European Starlings. Chropyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that is widely used in Canada, including Québec, but is potentially of great concern to migratory birds as it may disrupt their spatial behaviour
Spring Bird Survey
Dr. Briony Lalor – Nature Hudson
BPQ awarded $2,645 to Dr. Briony Lalor to conduct a spring bird survey. Results of the survey will be used to support conservation of habitat within Hudson.
Education grants
BPQ funded three new education grants in 2020; $3,000 to the Riverside School Board, $3,000/year for three years to St-Patrick & A.S. Johnson Schools, and $1,000 to Valcartier School. These grants will be used to increase the knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of birds by students, staff, and community members.
Pre-committed grants
In 2020, BPQ will give out just over $21,000 in pre-committed grants. Funding will go to Université du Québec à Rimouski ($5,000), Corridor Appalachien ($2,745), McGill Bird Observatory (Fall Migration – $4,500, MAPS at Biggar – $2,958), DOA – Amphybia Nest Boxes ($1,500), Golden Valley School ($3,000), and Pierre Elliott Trudeau School ($1,500).
To apply for a BPQ research grant please see the following page on our website https://birdprotectionquebec.org/research-grants/