SGin Xaana Sdiihltl'lxa: Night Birds Returning
Backgrounder
The Night Birds Returning project was jointly launched by Parks Canada and the Haida Nation in 2009 to restore nesting seabird habitat throughout the national park reserve.
The introduction of rats to many of the forested islands of Haida Gwaii has meant the demise of several historic seabird nesting colonies, including that of the Ancient Murrelet, a Species at Risk also known as SGiN Xaana, meaning Night Bird in the Haida language. According to traditional knowledge, the Ancient Murrelet was once abundant on Murchison and Faraday Islands and a seasonal food source for the Haida. Murchison and Faraday Islands are located within the Juan Perez Sound, an area that includes islands which are recognized internationally for their globally outstanding seabird populations (Ancient Murrelets, Cassin’s auklets) and other seabirds (Leach’s storm-petrels, Fork-tailed storm-petrels) and shorebird species.
During the Night Birds Returning project, the Haida Nation and Parks Canada worked with regional partners Coastal Conservation, Simon Fraser University and Laskeek Bay Conservation Society, as well as United States-based partners Island Conservation, Bell Laboratories, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Luckenbach Council and Mexico’s Conservacion de Islas.
Biodiversity under threat
Gwaii Haanas’ biodiversity is under threat from a range of biological, climate and human impacts. One of the most significant threats of Gwaii Haanas is that of introduced species. Rats, first introduced to Haida Gwaii with the advent of maritime shipping in the late 1700s, are known to occur on at least 18 islands throughout the archipelago. Rats have devastating effects on populations of nesting seabirds, forest songbirds and native small mammals.
Phase One
Phase 1 of the project involved the removal of invasive Norway rats from Arichika and the Bischof Islands (95 ha). Regular monitoring and ongoing biosecurity efforts are in place on Arichika Islands to continue to maintain the conservation gains and benefits of the eradication. Unfortunately, the Bischoff Islands were re-invaded.
Phase Two
Starting in September 2013, an aerial eradication began on Murchison and Faraday Islands. The work is a collaboration between Parks Canada and the Haida Nation, and its partners Coastal Conservation and Island Conservation. In addition, Parks Canada is drawing on technical expertise from international experts in New Zealand and Mexico. Aerial eradication is a proven conservation management technique to remove invasive rats from islands that has been used extensively in New Zealand, Mexico, the United States and the Galapagos.
Monitoring
Building on previous successful rat removal initiatives on Haida Gwaii, including on Langara Island and St. James Island, Parks Canada and the Haida Nation will collaborate with partners to establish baseline population data, and to gauge ecosystem response to the removal of rats by monitoring populations of nesting seabirds, songbirds, small mammals and intertidal foragers.
Automated acoustic listening devices to measure seabird populations have been established on affected islands, and scientists will use these to study the frequency and distribution of seabird calls and determine species presence and absence. Over the coming years, a number of other restoration techniques such as the construction of artificial nesting burrows to encourage seabirds to re-colonize the islands will be employed.
Parks Canada also used infrared cameras over the last two years to monitor the possible presence of rats on Faraday and Murchison Islands. The most recent photos indicate that no rats are inhabiting either island. Acoustic recording devices have been put in place to monitor the long term recovery of seabirds.
Taking Action
As an active step to maintaining the rat-free environments on Murchison, Faraday and Arichika Gwaii Haanas works with visitors to prevent re-invasion. To keep visitors’ vessels rat-free, Gwaii Haanas offers boaters travelling to the area free Rat Aware program kits. For more information visitors can contact us by telephone: 250-559-8818 or email: gwaii.haanas@pc.gc.ca
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