Yukon Boreal Bird Monitoring Program (BBMP) - Human Point Counts

The Boreal Bird Monitoring Program (BBMP) - Yukon is a multi-species terrestrial bird monitoring program to support the Boreal Monitoring Strategy and conservation planning of terrestrial birds (landbirds, secretive waterbirds, shorebirds) in all boreal ecoregions in Yukon.

Background: BBMP is a comprehensive (all 22 ecoregions and all habitat/vegetation types), statistically rigorous, hierarchical sampling design (Boreal Optimal Sampling Strategy or BOSS) that includes cost constraints, habitat stratification, and spatial balance. The BOSS design was tested in multiple jurisdictions in Canada. and is being implemented across Canada’s boreal region. For more information on BBMP, see Van Wilgenburg et al. (2020) (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234494).

Avian monitoring is limited both spatially and temporally within Canada’s boreal regions, especially in northern regions. As a result, the Canadian Wildlife Service has developed the BOSS, a national framework for the use of a standardized sampling design to monitor boreal landbirds in a cost-effective way. Between 2017-2023, human point counts were conducted by the migratory birds unit of CWS-NOR in Whitehorse, Yukon across 16 Yukon ecoregions (Klondike Plateau, Yukon Plateau Central, Yukon Plateau North, Mackenzie Mountains, North Ogilvie Mountains, British-Richardson Mountains, Old Crow Flats, Old Crow Basin, Eagle Plains, Liard Basin, Pelly Mountains, Ruby Ranges, Selwyn Mountains, Yukon-Stikine Highlands, Yukon Southern Lakes, and St. Elias Mountains). Human point counts consisted of observers identifying to species (where possible) every bird heard and seen in ten minutes at a specific location to determine the number of individuals per species and time to first detection. Incidental observations either before or after the point count were also recorded. Point counts were conducted during the dawn chorus (2AM-9AM). This project provides important baseline data to better understand species distribution and abundance in remote northern areas where the effects of climate changes are ongoing and human alterations of some of these ecosystems are anticipated.

Note that some location names were changed through the time of the study. See the cross-reference table.

This dataset contains data collected with point counts conducted by humans. See the separate dataset record for BBMP Autonomous Recording Unit (ARU) point counts conducted in 2017-2023.

More details are available in downloaded metadata file.

CWS-North DatasetID: 24_01

Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada | Environnement et Changement climatique Canada

Last modified: 2026-03-13T15:12:14.787372