HISTORY

The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory (PEPtBO) is located along the eastern tip of Prince Edward County about 20 minutes southeast of Picton, Ontario in a National Wildlife Area. The observatory was established as a migration monitoring station in 1995 to continue the research started by the Kingston Field Naturalists in the 1970's and 80's.

The banding site is very significant due to the tremendous number of migratory birds that pass through the area. The location is a focal point for passerines, waterfowl and raptors with yearly reports of rare and unusual species. The Canadian Nature Federation and Bird Studies Canada designated Prince Edward Point as a Globally Important Birding Area (IBA) in 1998.

In 1999 the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory became part of a nation-wide collaborative program of Bird Studies Canada called the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network.

The main objective of PEPtBO is to monitor migratory bird populations in the spring and fall through observations, a daily census and banding practices. The information collected year to year can help us get an idea of population densities, longevity and migratory routes of various bird species.

Banding is done by first catching the birds in mist nets and then placing an aluminum band with an identification number around their leg. During this process information is written down about the bird such as wing length, weight, sex and age of bird.

The observatory is a non-profit organization that raises money each year through donations, fundraising and memberships to continue their research. It is entirely run by volunteers each year both from the community and university students looking for research experience. For more information about PEPtBO check out our Powerpoint Presentation here. (Note: It requires Powerpoint and please allow time to download)

The observatory is focussing much of its efforts this year with fundraising initiatives to help continue its research. Please check out our Special Events pages for our fundraising events and how you can help. Lots of work still needs to be done and certainly any donations to our research and education programs would be greatly appreciated (A charitable tax receipt will be issued).

Check out How You Can Help for further information on ways you can assist the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory and volunteer opportunities.

PEPtBO has a Privacy Policy that protects our volunteers, members and donors. Please see our Privacy Policy below for more information.

The privacy of members and supporters of Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory is important to us. PEPtBO does not collect any personal information about its members and supporters except that which is knowingly and specifically supplied to us by them. We will not disclose any personal information to any outside parties unless the member or supporter was advised of this possibility before providing the personal information. Where an individual uses his or her home contact information as business contact information as well, PEPtBO considers that the contact information provided is personal contact information and therefore subject to protection as personal information. Personal information gathered by PEPtBO is kept in confidence.Safeguards are in place to ensure that the information is not disclosed or shared more widely than is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was gathered. Measures are also taken to maintain the integrity of the information and to prevent its being lost or destroyed.