Manitoba Habitat Types and Bird Checklists
For
the purpose of these checklists, Manitoba has been divided into 3
major ecosystems:
- (1) Coastal Tundra
- (2) Boreal Forest
- (3) Farmland / Parkland
The coastal tundra ecosystem borders on Hudson Bay, and includes both low arctic tundra and taiga-tundra transition. Covering the bulk of the province of Manitoba, the boreal forest ecosystem primarily consists of mixed and coniferous forest, with interspersed spruce-tamarack bogs. The farmland / parkland region once included prairie habitat, particularly tallgrass prairie, but today consists chiefly of agricultural land, aspen parkland, riparian woodland, and pockets of boreal forest.
In these checklists, seasons are defined as follows:
- Spring - March to May
- Summer - June to August
- Fall - September to November
- Winter - December to February
Under this classification, "spring" arrives in the Coastal Tundra at the same time it does in the Farmland / Parkland, obviously not reflecting meteorological reality. One should keep in mind that codes assigned to a season may represent abundance for only a small portion of that season. For example, a species which does not appear until the last week of May, but does so in very large numbers is considered abundant in the spring. One must look for a bird at the right time in a given region, as well as in the species' preferred habitat.
These checklists were a collaborative effort on the part of the Manitoba Avian Research Committee, compiled in November 1986 by Herb Copland, Ken De Smet, Scott Edie, Gordon Grieef, George Holland, Richard Taylor, and Russell Tkachuk. For further information on Manitoba's birds, or to report any rare or unusual bird sightings, please contact the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature.
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