Nordicana D42 / DOI : 10.5885/45576CE-75E2938693214B96

Monitoring of Lapland longspur reproduction on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada

Gilles Gauthier ^{1, 3}, Joël Bêty ^{2, 3}
¹Département de biologie, Université Laval
²Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski
³Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval

Abstract

The Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) is one of the most abundant and visible terrestrial songbird breeding in the Arctic. As other Arctic-nesting birds, they are constrained by a very short time period during which they can reproduce. Though the timing of hatch is critical for the growth and survival of young, even more crucial is the ability of longspurs to ensure that their nests survive until hatch. Nest predation is an important source of mortality for this bird especially when lemming abundance is low. Longspurs eggs are an alternative prey resource for the Arctic Fox, which preys primarily on lemmings. Alternately, when lemmings are abundant, the Arctic Fox will focus on lemmings, and longspurs may experience reduced predation pressure and increased nest success. Longspur nests are mainly found through systematic searches of a 4.5 km² core area near our main field station from early June to early July since 1995. Nests are also found opportunistically while conducting other field activities over a larger area. Nests found are positioned with a GPS receiver and revisited during the breeding period to determine clutch size, laying and hatching dates and hatching and fledging successes. Nests found in the core area are monitored more intensely (every 2 to 6 days) while those located elsewhere are monitored less intensively.

Data citation

Gauthier, G., Bêty, J. 2020. Monitoring of Lapland longspur reproduction on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, v. 1.1 (1995-2019). Nordicana D42, doi: 10.5885/45576CE-75E2938693214B96.

Location map

Key references

Doucet, C. 2014. Synchronie entre la reproduction et l'abondance des ressources: effet sur le succès reproducteur d'un insectivore nichant dans l'Arctique. MSc thesis, Département de biologie, Université du Québec à Rimouski

Gauthier, G., J. Bêty, M.-C. Cadieux, P. Legagneux, M. Doiron, C. Chevallier, S. Lai, A. Tarroux & D. Berteaux. 2013. Long-term monitoring at multiple trophic levels suggests heterogeneity in responses to climate change in the Canadian Arctic tundra. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B – Biological Sciences, 368:20120482 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0482.

Royer-Boutin, P. 2015. Effets des cycles de lemmings sur le succès de nidification d'oiseaux différant par leur taille corporelle et leur comportement. MSc thesis, Département de biologie, Université du Québec à Rimouski

Contributors

Doucet, Catherine (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Royer-Boutin, Pascal (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Chagnon-Lafortune, Aurélie (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Senez-Gagnon, Fanny (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Lamarre, Jean-François (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

McKinnon, Laura (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Villeneuve, Catherine (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Trottier-Paquet, Myriam (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Bolduc, Élise (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Frenette, Marie-Christine (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Otis, Josée-Anne (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Graham-Sauvé, Maude (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Jones, Kathy (Université Laval)

Acknowledgements

We thank Polar Knowledge Canada for funding the publication of this archive.

Nordicana D43 - Suivi saisonnier de l'abondance des arthropodes à l'Île Bylot, Nunavut / Seasonal monitoring of arthropod abundance at Bylot Island, Nunavut

Polar Data Catalogue links (Metadata)

CCIN 723 - Long-term monitoring of breeding activity of Lapland longspur on Bylot Island, Nunavut

Status

Published

Version history

You can request for data from previous versions at nordicana@cen.ulaval.ca.

Version 1.1 (1995-2019) - Updated January 27, 2020

Version 1.0 (1995-2018) - Updated May 15, 2019

Measurement sites

	Site	Latitude	Longitude	Altitude (m)

More info	Vallée Qarlikturvik, Île Bylot, Nunavut / Qarlikturvik Valley, Bylot Island, Nunavut	73.15625	-79.97187	20
More info	Camp 2, Île Bylot, Nunavut / Camp 2, Bylot Island, Nunavut	72.88851	-79.90606	40
More info	Camp 3, Île Bylot, Nunavut / Camp 3, Bylot Island, Nunavut	73.04735	-80.07749	40
More info	Pointe Dufour, Île Bylot, Nunavut / Pointe Dufour, Bylot Island, Nunavut	72.78381	-79.53589	55