Richard J. Cannings. 1998. Birds in Smith, I.M., and G.G.E. Scudder, eds. Assessment of species diversity in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone. Burlington: Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network, 1998.

BIRDS

Richard J. Cannings
Cannings Holm Consulting
Naramata, B.C.

INTRODUCTION - GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Birds are perhaps the best known animal group in terms of distribution and abundance, and thus make excellent subjects for biodiversity studies. They are interesting as well in their ability to fly long distances quickly. This ability has given them the opportunity to leave areas in times of seasonal food shortages, or to go to areas with seasonally abundant food sources. As a result, southern Canada has an unusually diverse breeding avifauna in summer, more diverse than most parts of the United States. In winter, most of these species return to the tropical and subtropical regions that are their home for most of the year.

Approximately 373 species of birds have been recorded in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone (Stepney 1981, Cannings et al. 1987, Antoniazzi et al. 1988, Banff National Park 1988, Campbell et al. 1990, 1997, Davidson 1991, Roberts and Gebauer 1992, Semenchuk 1992, White and Ross 1993, Howie 1994, Cannings 1995, Van Damme 1996, Ferguson and Halverson 1997). Of these, 254 are known to have bred in the area and 92 are year-round residents or are most numerous in winter. Twenty-nine species occur on migration only, 54 winter in small numbers and 75 are found irregularly, i.e. less than once per year. Two species have been extirpated from the ecozone in historical times. The following discussion will concentrate on the 271 resident, wintering and/or breeding species since they are considered to have a significant ecological relationship with the Montane Cordillera Ecozone.

These figures give the Montane Cordillera one of the most diverse breeding bird faunas of any Canadian ecozone. In comparison, the more southerly Mixedwood Plains Ecozone has only 230 breeding and 85 resident/winter bird species (Brunton 1997). This diversity arises from two main sources. One is the obvious diversity of habitats and ecosystems in this ecozone, from the arid grasslands of the south Okanagan through many types of coniferous forest to the alpine tundra on the high mountains throughout. The second source is the geographical position of the ecozone, between the intermontane deserts of the western United States in the south and the subarctic taiga in the north, and between the Pacific coastal forests to the west and the eastern boreal forests, parkland and prairie to the east.

 

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