New interactive GIS map plots more than 22,000 bird detections, 170 species from 24-day West Branch kayaking trip

Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Board President Michael Kinney and his girlfriend, Missy Gray, paddled the West Branch of the Susquehanna River the first 24 days of May. 

Along the way, they took a Birdnet PUC with mobile hotspot and Jackery battery with solar panels ... a unit modified by Doug Fessler of Fessler IT Consulting to help record, ID and upload bird calls across the 228-mile adventure. 

The unit detected more than 22,000 calls representing more than 170 different species, data that Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association board member Eric Belfanti developed into an interactive GIS storymap.

Check out Belfanti's work at this link or in the window below, especially noting the map at the bottom where you can click on each identified bird call, looking at an image of the bird and listen to the recorded call for verification. Then check out additional feedback on what this all means with comments below.

"I think the data gathered from Michael’s trip is fascinating because it identified birds in locations along the Susquehanna River that are seldom visited or inaccessible to everyone except thru paddlers. The few people that visit these areas are not birders. There is a dearth of data from most of the upper West Branch, a data gap that the BirdNET units are helping to fill," said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association West Branch Regional Director Andrew Bechdel, an avid birder who helps conduct birding studies for various groups. "Many were a pleasure to see pop-up - Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Canada Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper, and others all showcase the amazing avian diversity in our region."

Some detections, such as the Cerulean Warbler, are especially noteworthy, according to Bechdel. The Birdnet recorded the species' call at the Baker Run Canoe Launch.

"Ceruleans are only found in a few areas in PA during the breeding season," he said. "Typically, they are only found along riparian corridors with many open canopy trees. The bird is also declining and of considerable conservation concern."

According to naturalist and longtime environmental educator Jon Beam, it was exciting to see indications of Rusty Blackbirds on Michael's trip.

"Their numbers have been in steep decline, so that is an increasingly rare and nice find," he said. "Michael passed through a great diversity of habitats in many ecoregions along the Susquehanna and he was journeying during spring migration. That would help to account for the large numbers of warblers, waterfowl and shorebirds."

​Some of the rarer species - Brant, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel - may be inaccuracies, Bechdel admitted, "But I think it raises some excitement. What’s out there!? There are undoubtedly many migrant or vagrant birds that go unreported due to the remote locations in which they stop during migration."

As for the regions where bird detections are missing, does that mean no data?

"An area that yields up little to no detections can tell us a lot about the quality of the habitat," Bechdel said. "Sometimes, this is natural structure of the habitat, such as a dense forest. Sometimes it could be a sign that the quality of the habitat is degraded."

That is the concept behind the next stages of the association's Birdnet project -- to study similar waterways that are both full of life and those that are impaired to develop indicators based on bird calls differences and trends.

"We cover a very large watershed and we are a fairly small association," said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "It would be a huge help to eventually use technology and the calls of certain species of birds to help alert us to potential changes in water quality and potential pollution events in some of our more remote areas. Michael's trip, Doug's tech work and Eric's mapping helps push the limits and takes us one more step toward making this bigger dream a reality."

Check out the association's dedicated Birdnet project page for updates on stationary units, online mapping and opportunities to donate toward the next phase of the project at middlesusquehannariverkeeper.org/birdnet.html