OBSERVING AND UNDERSTANDING BIRD MIGRATION

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It’s spring time, which means migratory birds are returning to Quebec. Have you seen any lately? We took this opportunity to do a team building  birdwatching activity near Nicolet. You may spot snow geese and Canada geese everywhere, but others are more difficult. To see rare species like the tundra swan in Quebec, you need to go to specific observation spots recommended by other birdwatchers. Migration is an impressive phenomenon, but why do birds migrate, and how do they find their way on this long journey?

Team building migratory birdwatching activity

When and where can I see migratory birds?

The migration of different species follows a specific order. Those that spent the winter in the United States arrive in Quebec first. Those that were in South America arrive next. Some species settle in Quebec for the summer, but others are just passing by. The tundra swan is an example of migrant bird who stops in Quebec to feed and regain its strength before going further north.

In March, among the birds arriving are waterfowl and black birds (red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, and common starlings). In April, the list includes kinglets, sparrows, swallows, thrushes, and blackbirds. In May, wood-warblers and other long-distance migrants arrive.

Red-winged Blackbird, picture by Annie Trudeau

You can easily spot migratory birds, even from your window! Of course, there are better conditions if you want to see a variety of species. We suggest going in natural spaces early in the morning. The birds are more active there! If you’re looking for particularly efficient spots, Audrey FM recommends:

  • Cap-Tourmente, on the Côte-de-Beaupré, for its diverse habitats.
  • Baie-du-Febvre, in the Nicolet-Yamaska RCM, for waterfowl, including the snow goose.
  • Tadoussac, especially in May. The migration of warblers can yield world-renowned migration results (see the eBird record).

In fact, May 9 and October 10, 2026, are dates to mark on your calendar. These are known as Global Big Days. The goal is to record as many bird species as possible worldwide. In Quebec, we also have the Grand Défi QuébecOiseaux. During the month of May, choose any day and record all your observations. This challenge, open to both the general public and experts, aims to raise funds for bird conservation.

Black-crowned night heron, picture by Annie Trudeau

If you’re interested in bird identification, here are a few resources:

  • You can join a local bird club.
  • Cornell University has a website (eBird)and a mobile app (Merlin)  for identifying birds by song and images.
  • In addition, Tendance ornitho tracks bird presence by : MRCs, bird clubs, seasons, and years. Enough to keep you busy for hours!
  • QuébecOiseaux has a page for spotting rare birds in Quebec!
  • Birding Québec has a Discord group to discuss bird sightings, including sightings of rare species!
  • There is also a Facebook group for tracking migration using radars : “Suivre la migration par radars”.

For those who are even more curious, you may visit a bird-banding station. In addition to seeing the birds up close, you’ll have the chance to learn about this process, which is essential for bird research and conservation. Be prepared, visits are only possible when the weather permits it, early in the morning!

The bird observatories of the Canadian Migratory Bird Monitoring Network have banded 2.5 million birds over the past 10 years [1]. Furthermore, each year, approximately 3 to 5 billion birds migrate between the north and the south [1]. This curious and impressive behavior has, however, a simple explanations.

Team building migratory birdwatching activity

Why they migrate?

In winter, if you head south, it’s to escape the cold and enjoy the sun. Migratory birds, however, do so for an entirely different reason: food availability. Some species that feed on seeds, fruits or prey can remain in our regions during the winter. They are called resident species. However, many insectivorous species and other species cannot meet their food needs by staying in Quebec. Instead, they move south where, during the winter, there is abundant food resources [2]. In the spring, warmth returns to Quebec, and with it, food availability. Migratory birds return, and those that leave earliest have the chance to secure the best nesting sites.

It also  appears that birds that migrate as far north as the Arctic reduce the risk of nest predation. A study of the journal Science found that for every additional degree of latitude north, there is a 3.6% reduction in nest predation [3]. So, birds that migrate as far north as Greenland (82° north latitude), rather than Labrador (53° north latitude), would reduce nest predation by 66%.

The champion of migration is the Arctic tern. It travels all the way from Arctic to Antarctica and back. Some individuals even fly up to 80,000 km per year [4]. The Arctic tern is also the species with the longest exposure to sunlight in the world due to its frequent visits to the Earth’s poles. Even while traveling such great distances, the birds do not get lost.

Bird from the Scolopacidae family, picture by Annie Trudeau

How they find their way?

Birds have a “built-in GPS”, an “olfactory map”, and a good memory [5]! They navigate by observing the sky. They track the position of the sun during the day and the stars at night. They also remember landmarks such as mountains and rivers [6]. Some birds even have a mineral in their beaks that acts like the magnet in a compass. Smell also plays a role [7]. Pigeons whose olfactory nerves were sectioned were then unable to find their way back [8]. Despite all these navigation techniques, migration remains a difficult journey from which not all birds return.

Many simply die of exhaustion during the journey. Others fall victim to human development. For example, the destruction of natural habitats reduces the number of places where birds can stop to feed and rest during their migration. In addition, light pollution from cities disorients birds and causes them to divert from their migration path [9]. Furthermore, reflective buildings and houses’ windows cause collisions with many birds every year [10].

Great blue heron, picture by Annie Trudeau

It’s even more appreciated to see birds return in spring, knowing the magnitude of their effort. They migrate to meet their food needs and are able to find their way back thanks to their internal navigation systems. Let’s observe them without disturbing them, they’ve earned it! Finally, here are two other interesting vulgarised science resources on bird migration:

 

 

 

[1] Le Réseau canadien de surveillance des migrations. (2021). Le Réseau canadien de surveillance des migrations : vingts ans de recherche sur les oiseaux terrestres au Canada. Rapport technique no 3 du RCSM. Oiseaux Canada, Port Rowan, Ontario.  https://www.oiseauxcanada.org/etudier-les-oiseaux/le-reseau-canadien-de-surveillance-des-migrations-rcsm

[2] Rappole, J.H. (2022). Bird Migration: A New Understanding. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/book.100160.

[3] McKinnon, L. et al. (2010). Lower Predation Risk for Migratory

Birds at High Latitudes. Science (1880 to 2025), 327(5963), 326–327. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1183010

[4] Egevang, C. et al. (2010). Tracking of Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea reveals longest animal migration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(5), 2078–2081. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0909493107

[5] Mouritsen, H. (2018). Long-distance navigation and magnetoreception in migratory animals. Nature, 558(7708), 50–59. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0176-1

[6] National Géographic. (2018). Les secrets des oiseaux migrateurs. https://www.nationalgeographic.fr/animaux/2018/03/les-secrets-des-oiseaux-migrateurs

[7] Gagliardo, A. and al. (2013). Oceanic navigation in Cory’s shearwaters: evidence for a crucial role of olfactory cues for homing after displacement. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 216(Pt 15), 2798–2805. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.085738

[8] Gagliardo, A. (2013). Forty years of olfactory navigation in birds. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 216(Pt 12), 2165–2171. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.070250

[9] McDonnell, M. et al. (2009). Ecology of Cities and Towns. Cambridge University Press,

Cambridge.10.1017/CBO9780511609763

[10] QuébecOiseaux. (s.d.). Collision des oiseaux avec les fenêtres. [Website]. https://www.quebecoiseaux.org/fr/collisions-fenetres

 

By Audrey Thériault and Audrey Foisy-Morissette
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