On the lookout for ‘Arctic pigeons’: Watching the snow buntings in Iqaluit

The most important phrase in any bird watcher’s lexicon is, “Huh, that’s suspicious.”

It was repeated many times on a recent Saturday morning as two groups of about a dozen bird aficionados, accompanied by researchers from University of Windsor, University of Manitoba and Université du Québec à Rimouski, tried their eyes at spotting the little greyish balls of feathers that were flying around the Iqaluit power plant.

Two adult snow buntings fight each other as they are looking for a suitable spot for a nest near Iqaluit. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)

“That’s suspicious. Why are they doing that?” somebody would say, after noticing a snow bunting flying in and out of rocks, or moss, or someone’s trailer parked on the street.

The birds are likely checking out spots for their future nest, Elena Tranze-Drabinia, a University of Windsor master’s student, would reply.

Snow buntings — or amauligaq in Inuktitut, or even “Arctic pigeons” as Tranze-Drabinia called them — are some of the fly-in residents of Iqaluit or, scientifically speaking, migratory species.

With a wingspan of about 30 centimetres, snow buntings are a little larger than sparrows. When they’re not in the Arctic, they spend their winters all across Canada or in the northern United States.

At this time of year, they are back in the Arctic and are mating and nesting. Tranze-Drabinia and five other researchers are looking into the way Iqaluit’s urban environment is impacting the birds’ lives.

Their preliminary verdict: it’s not too bad.

“We don’t think it’s a harmful impact. They might actually be benefiting from it,” said Patricia Rokitnicki, the project lead and PhD student at the University of Windsor’s avian ecology lab.

She and her team are doing daily walks in and around the community, tracking the birds’ activities and taking note of their nests.

Hungry snow buntings are asking for food in their nests around Iqaluit. (Photo courtesy of Patricia Rokitnicki)

Last year, they were able to find more than 100 nests, giving them names like “Stinky Pond,” “Spanish Latte” and “Hit My Elbow” — the researchers don’t know exactly how the names originated, but rumours say there was an unspecified elbow accident around the nest, Tranze-Drabinia said.

The birds appear to like Iqaluit and are taking advantage of an early snow melt and city infrastructure that can be used for nest-building, Rokitnicki said.

“They’re being really resourceful with what the city has to offer.”

Often, the researchers find cardboard, plastic tubes, mattress feathers, dog fur and even human hair being used by snow buntings as building material.

Rokitnicki didn’t say when she expects the research to be completed, but it’s a “long-term” project.

As part of its research, the group is organizing weekly bird walks with all Iqaluit residents welcome to join.

“The people who live here year-round are obviously more familiar with the area, and so it’s a great way to get connected with those individuals to learn from them,” Rokitnicki said.

The walks started June 7 and will continue every Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. until July 26.

All of the June walks start near the Iqaluit power plant while the July walks will begin at the Hudson’s Bay Co. building in Apex.

There’s no cost to join the walks.