COSEWIC-listed species

The following is a list of all COSEWIC-listed bird species that breed in Manitoba (and one species that has a provincial listing but not a federal listing). WHEREVER POSSIBLE, please document these with precise location data (e.g. by completing a rare bird form or entering coordinates into casual observation form or by using the Google maps tool). Click on the table to view it at full screen or contact the Atlas office for a printable file.

A question mark beside a region number indicates that the species in question in very uncommon there. An asterix beside a species name indicates that there is some difference in the way subspecies or populations are listed by COSEWIC but only subspecies or populations relevant to Manitoba are given.

How To Enter Casual Observations

Here is how to enter casual observations for the Atlas (click on images to view in larger format):

STEP 1)
Go to: http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/ and then go to “Data and Maps” and then click on “Online Data Entry”. You then need to enter your atlasser number and password and click on “login” (direct link = http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/login.jsp )


STEP 2)
Click on “Casual Obs.”



STEP 3)
Enter a square ID number of the left, then the date on the right then the species and breeding code. In this example I have entered 14PA22 (western Winnipeg), then May 2nd, then I entered the code SOSP and pressed the tab button and the program atomically recognised SOSP = Song Sparrow, then I entered the code S (for “singing”).

You can then go to the next line and enter another observation either in the same square or in a different square…


If you don’t know what square your observation is in click on the little blue circle and a map will pop up like this – you can navigate with the map, zooming in or out as needed as then when you are ready click on the “Transfer” button…

The coordinates will then transfer to the form – note if you have transferred coordinates in this way you do not need to fill in the square number (the program will do it for you)

STEP 4)

When you have entered all the casual observations you want, click on the “Continue” button on the bottom of the page

STEP 5)

The records will appear in a list – check the details and then click “Finalize these records” and you are done (you can then start a new form or go back to the main data entry page or log out)

HAVE FUN!! How to fill out a breeding evidence form is in the post below!

How to Enter Breeding Evidence Online

Here is how to enter a breeding evidence form for the Atlas:

STEP 1)
Go to: www.birdatlas.mb.ca and then go to “Data and Maps” and then click on “Online Data Entry”. You then need to enter your atlasser number and password and click on “login” (direct link = http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/login.jsp )


STEP 2)
For breeding evidence you need to define your squares first. If you have entered casual observations already, you will have a list of squares. If not, click on “List of squares”


When the screen comes up enter in the square number of the square that you want to enter breeding evidence for (you can give the square a name too although this is optional)

When you have your squares defined, click on “Go back”

STEP 3)

Select the square you want from the list that says “Select a square” and click on “Breeding Evid.” (this will become step one once you have done this a few times)

STEP 4)
The data entry screen appears. If you want to indicate the name of any assistants you had during atlassing in this square you can do so on the left (optional). Once you have named an assistant there name can be checked when you do data entry at any future date for any square.

Then enter in the date of your visit number – here I have added May 2nd from 07:15 – 10:30 and since my group never split up while atlassing the total party hours = 3 hours 15 minutes. You can define multiple visits if you want. When you have your visits defined, click on “Species 1” (the visit information and other data will save automatically each time you tab through the form)

Work your way through the species list, adding codes where appropriate. In this example, I had already added some casual observations of Pied-billed Grebe and Blue-winged Teal so these appear on the form automatically with a visit number of “0”. In this case I am adding the visit number of “1” and the code of “AE” beside Cooper’s Hawk (just an example!)

I then click on the “Species 2” tab at the top and then “Species 3” and so on until I have finished and then click the “Finish” tab – a list of species entered in this square to date will be shown…

THAT'S IT - YOU ARE DONE! Be sure to log out when you leave the site.

Now, If you would like to see your data in action go to “Data and Maps” and then click on “Square Summary Sheets” (direct link = http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/squareinfo.jsp?lang=en ) and enter in the square number in the box as shown (I have chosen 14NA80) then click on “Download Square Summary Sheet for XXXXXX”

The summary square sheets shows you not only the list of expected species but also which species have data entered already and the highest breeding evidence code used and the percentage of squares for which data has been entered where any given species has been recorded to date.

HAVE FUN! Atlas time is here!!

Ready to roll!!

Ok folks – everything is ready – the square maps are available off the website www.birdatlas.mb.ca under the data and maps section and under the downloadable maps section you can download a map of your square… if you asked us to send you a kit look for it in the mail by the end of the week! If not, all the pieces of the kit are available for download off the web site. Just in time for the arrival of many species!!

Guide available!

The participant’s “Guide for Atllasser’s” is now available off the atlas website (www.birdatlas.mb.ca) , either from the home page or through Resources >> Atlasser Material >> Guide and Data Forms. This has a few minor tweaks from the one we handed out at FortWhyte (which we had run out of by the end of Saturday) but if you have a copy of that one you can still use it (the content hasn’t changed – just, with your input, we made a few minor editing changes)

The Data forms are also available in the same place. The breeding evidence forms print best on legal paper (14”x8.5”) so if you have difficulty printing on this paper type from home just let us know and we can do it for you. You could of course print these on 11 x 8.5 ( al little squashed but legible) for use in the field and then copy them over to a master copy kept at home and with everything printed very neatly. I recommend people keep one master copy per square they are atlassing in and then use this/these master copy/copies for data entry later. The forms we gave out at FortWhyte, which the watermark “DRAFT” plastered across them, can be used as rough field sheets but please don’t use them as master copies if you are going to send us in datasheets to be scanned.

The Guide For Point Counters will be up shortly. The point count forms are already available and print on letter-sized paper (11”x8.5”). We will soon have the remaining items in the “Atlasser’s Kit” such as the square maps and summary square sheets ready too for download. If you checked the “Yes, please send me the atlasser’s kit” when you registered we will have those in the mail within a week or two.

Casual forms and rare/colonial species forms and nest record cards are all available on the website too. Would be awesome to start the atlas with a rare bird!!

White-breasted Nuthatch

Nella Schmidt submitted the following photo:

Nella writes:

April 7.... Nest-building Whitebreasted Nuthatches...The male (I'm assuming) had some nesting material in his beak and as as he ascended, descended and circled the trunk, he shook his head continuously back and forth. The female ( presumed) watched him. Eventually he placed the material which I couldn't identify into the cavity. On my way home, when I stopped by shortly, the male had a white fluffy seed head in his beak, and again engaged in the same head movements while the female was occupied with arranging the nesting material in the cavity.

House Finch Behavior

Garry Budyk has just sent these interesting behavioral notes:

March 3rd: At home in East Kildonan , I observed a male House Finch doing a spirited courtship dance around a female , with the female following his movements carefully and responding by lowering her head and opening her mouth wide . No food was exchanged but the interaction went on for several minutes . It seems much too soon for a serious mating attempt , but it may show how early House Finches begin their pair bonding and courtship rituals .

March 7th: I observed a male House Finch feeding the female