1 minute read
Project Updates
by kepo-mck
Bank Swallow Banding + MOTUS Tower Installation
by Cole Delisle, Environmental Projects Coordinator - Terrestrial Habitats
This year we’ve been busy following up on our bird projects and starting new ones In April, we refurbished the bank swallow habitat to prepare for their arrival. This year we’ve had 97 pairs of swallows at the habitat! To help us better understand the behaviour of the species, we installed a MOTUS tower on the island. This is a small radio tower which can pick up the signals given off by tagged birds when they pass by the tower.
In June, we also had the chance to tag and band 60 of the swallows which nest in the habitat The birds are caught using nets at the entrance to the nest. ID tags are put on their legs, and the tag is attached to their back, like a small backpack. Kahnawà:ke’s tower is part of the MOTUS network which stretches all the way down to South America. Bank Swallow have been detected as far as Mexico so it will be exciting to see where our birds overwinter!
