Amie MacDonald
MSc, Trent University
Red Knots take flight at Little Piskwamish Point. Photo courtesy Karl Bardon.
Photo courtesy Karl Bardon.
Amie MacDonald successfully defended her MSc. thesis at Trent University in December 2019. Amie studied Red Knots during migratory stopover in James Bay, Ontario under the supervision of Dr. Erica Nol and Dr. Paul Smith. In partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Service, Moose Cree First Nation, Bird Studies Canada, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, she investigated Red Knot population ecology and determined how many rely on James Bay during their annual southbound migration that spans the Western hemisphere. Her research will inform conservation efforts and aid population recovery for this endangered shorebird. Amie has travelled to James Bay to study shorebirds every summer since 2014.
Research
Red Knot TY was banded in Argentina and has been seen in James Bay many times. Photo courtesy Jean Iron.
Red knot passage population size and timing of migration through james bay
Many Red Knots that stop in James Bay have been marked with uniquely coded leg flags through banding efforts across the Western hemisphere. Amie used resightings of these flagged Red Knots to model how many Red Knots stop in James Bay during southbound migration each year, how long they stay, the ratio of adults to juveniles, and the timing of arrivals and departures. An integrative modelling approach with a strong field component will allow us to better understand ecological and demographic processes affecting Red Knots and inform conservation efforts. This will also hopefully provide a metric for assessing population health and conservation outcomes.
Red Knots in flight at Little Piskwamish Point.
Annual survival of red knots staging in james Bay
Amie also used resightings of flagged Red Knots to determine the rates of annual survival for adult Red Knots that stop in James Bay. She explored possible links between survival and conditions that Red Knots experience throughout the year to investigate where Red Knot populations may be most vulnerable. This may provide information that will aid population recovery for this endangered shorebird.
