An examination of forest-dwelling birds in recreational areas within Thunder Bay, ON.

Abstract

Forest-dwelling birds hold various social, economic, and ecological values. This study aims to identify the habitat elements that recreational areas provide or lack for various forest birds. Three recreational areas across Thunder Bay, Ontario were visited in order to gain insight about the effects these areas have on avifauna. The study areas include: Thunder Bay Spacing Trials, Cascades Conservation Area and Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park. These sites were chosen based on their recreational value, size and location. Thunder Bay Spacing trials represents a homogenized recreational forest in comparison to the other two forests which are heterogeneous in structure. Observations of species, weather, time and date, and forest structure were all noted during each trial. Sampling techniques, duration of visits and the presence of a flowing water body remained constant amongst all sites. The relationship between bird observations and weather, bird presence based on forest structure (homogeneous and heterogeneous) and the anthropogenic qualities of each site were all investigated. From the results, there was a slight relationship between bird availability and weather. The bird and tree species composition of each site varied significantly, as well as the total number of species observed at each site.