By Alexandre Terrigeol
Spring has drawn to a close after a season rich in discoveries, marking the end of our field research activities. As summer settles in and the breeding season begins for many species, it’s the perfect time to look back on a decade of monitoring that has transformed our understanding of boreal and arctic bird behavior.
Discoveries thanks to Motus Network
Tadoussac Bird Observatory is proud to highlight the publication, this past spring, of a scientific article in the Journal of Field Ornithology. This publication showcases ten years of monitoring carried out by our organization in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). This project was also made possible thanks to the financial support of Bird Protection Quebec and the help of hundreds of volunteers.
Thanks to Motus network—a vast array of telemetry stations distributed across key locations—it is now possible to track bird movements over great distances. By mapping the migratory routes of several boreal and arctic species, such as the Horned Lark and the Swainson’s Thrush, we have uncovered unexpected paths and emphasized the importance of certain stopover sites.
Did you know, for example, that the Purple Finch primarily migrates at night? This behavior, common among songbirds, was previously unknown in finches, which are often observed during the day, and may vary during irruption years.
Conservation impact of the data
These data not only help us better understand the behavior of bird species in Québec, but also support large-scale conservation efforts by revealing critical connections between boreal and arctic breeding habitats and wintering grounds. The article illustrates how the Motus network is revolutionizing migration research by revealing movements that were previously inaccessible using traditional methods.
While this data complements bird banding stations—which focus on tracking population trends and other biological questions—the rate of external recaptures of banded birds remains very low. Combined with habitat conservation, population monitoring, and citizen science, data from the Motus network helps better target conservation actions.
New project on the Evening Grosbeak
In this same spirit, spring 2025 marked the launch of an exciting new project focused on the Evening Grosbeak, a charismatic boreal species whose movements remain largely unknown. Listed as a species of Special Concern in 2016 and included under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, this species faces a wide range of threats impacting its population. Like many finch species, the Evening Grosbeak is particularly susceptible to Mycoplasmosis, a bacterial disease transmitted through direct or indirect contact (such as shared feeding sites).
This project, launched in collaboration with Junior Tremblay of ECCC and the Finch Research Network, aims to better understand the migration and irruption patterns of this species. With the deployment of Motus and GPS transmitters on several individuals captured in spring and fall, the first signals have already been detected—promising exciting new insights into the species’ movements and habitat use. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Bird Protection Quebec, whose contribution helps make this research possible.
Role and mission of TBO
This new project is a perfect example of the energy that drives TBO: a scientific curiosity motivated by the urgency to better protect boreal and arctic species. Every transmitter deployed, every bird tracked, adds a piece to the great puzzle of migration.
As an active field station located along a major migratory corridor, the TBO plays a unique role: connecting science, conservation, and public awareness. By revealing unexpected routes and shedding light on often invisible threats—like feeder-transmitted diseases—we help guide concrete conservation action here and beyond.
Tadoussac Bird Observatory is more than a place for observation; it is a true open-air laboratory, where every migratory season is an opportunity to better understand—and better protect—the natural world.
To read the article: Walker, J., Therrien, J. F., Bégin-Marchand, C., Côté, P., Terrigeol, A., Gagnon, F., & Tremblay, J. A. 2025. Insights from a decade of using the Motus network to track boreal bird species from Observatoire d’oiseaux de Tadoussac, Québec to temperate and tropical wintering grounds. Journal of Field Ornithology, 96(2):2. (Download)
