TerraFauna Wildlife Consulting, Inc

Caught and banded my first Bald Eagle yesterday as part of a larger study effort to figure out where the estimated 35,000 Bald Eagles that pass through the Greater Vancouver area every year come from and where they go after wintering here. Boundary Bay and the Lower Fraser harbour the largest gatherings of this species in the world, upwards of 10,000 birds in a very small area when salmon spawning and river water levels are just right. Boundary Bay/Burns Bog is also one the m...ost important stop over sites for migrating birds in the northern Pacific flyway and the most important in all of Canada. We deployed both colour markers and GPS telemetry units so we can monitor this birds movements from any location with internet connection. Now just need to catch a few more to deploy the rest of our transmitters! #baldeagle #BAEA #Halieetusleucocephalus #DeltaBC #ornithology #wildlifemanagement #wildlifebiology

Golf courses present a novel threat to our local and highly threatened population of Sandhill Cranes. Fraser is the 10th bird we know of to be injured from a golf ball strike in a population of less than 35 birds.

The Fraser River Estuary supports life in the Salish Sea and beyond. The Estuary has been central to life on the west coast of North America since long before E...uropean colonization, and even though less than 30% of the Estuary remains in natural condition, it continues to support life locally and across the continent. A Federal Review Panel looked into the environmental impacts of the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, and found that the project will have significant environmental effects on Chinook Salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whales. Birds Canada and government scientists remain concerned the project could also cause the collapse of the Western Sandpiper population that relies on the Estuary as a main stopover site while on migration between wintering sites as far as coastal South America and breeding grounds in Alaska. You can help protect the Estuary! Please contact Minister Wilkinson and encourage him to reject the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project. #RejectRBT2 See more

These are young Northern Goshawks of the laingi subspecies found on the coast of the Pacific Northwest rainforests. This population follows what's known as Gloger's Rule, which states that animals in more humid environments are darker phenotypically (physical appearances) than their counterparts which live in more arid environs. There is a genetically distinct population on Haida Gwaii which are the darkest form found anywhere in their range and likely evolved there. While the rest of the Alaska and BC still had the toes of glaciers touching the Pacific in the fjords up and down the coast, Haida Gwaii was an ice-free, coastal oasis with all sorts of endemic birds and mammals still found there today.

An interesting article on likely one of the earliest conservation translocation efforts for birds!

Many studies have shown how easily both wildlife, and humans can ingest lead fragments from lead ammunition. With other metal ammunition forms now more commonplace, with similar price tags, there is little reason not to move to non-lead options. Because lead is so soft, it almost disintegrates on impact, while copper bullets mushroom but do not fragment and contaminate meat. Lead poisoning in birds-of-prey is a leading non-natural, cause of death for many species, particularly Golden Eagle and California Condor. https://nationalpost.com//b-c-wildlife-experts-urge-hunter

Although not as 'sexy' as big charismatic mammals, even invertebrates are an important part of restoration and reintroduction biology. This project had been almost 40 years in the making to get to this point. #reintroduction #conservation

An inexcusable case of a local business violating the BC Wildlife Act and the Federal Migratory Bird Act. A precedent should be set with this business to ensure this sort of completely unethical behavior doesn't happen again. Considering Cliff Swallows average 3 egg per clutch, and at least 148 nests were destroyed (unclear if adults were in the nests at the time of destruction), we are talking in the order of nearly 500 nestlings killed with zero regard to their welfare. Thi...s certainly has to be one of the most blatant and worst violations of both provincial and federal Acts in provincial history. A resort in Banff was fined $27,000 for destroying 4 Barn Swallow nests. Let's hope the feds follow this same calculation and ensure no business repeats this crime. https://www.cbc.ca//walnut-beach-resort-cliff-swallow-nest Keep your business away from Walnut Beach Resort