Andy is right. Yet another mystery about our BC birds. If we started to
compile a list of everything we *don't* know about our birds, we would be
here for a long time. The best way we are going to get a handle on
migration patterns of birds which are not able to be caught in a mistnet is
by way of satellite tracking. So I suggest that some enterprising
biologists look into starting up some research in this area. Otherwise
we'll remain in the dark. Huck some old meat out in appropriate places, do
the cannon-net thing, put some micro-transmitters on some TUVU and see what
happens.

On the general question of available habitat for TUVU in BC, habitat is
only one part of the equation: they need a food supply, also. If we assume
that our road and highway system and the constant roadkills will always
take care of that need for TUVU, then appropriate habitat does become the
main limiter. A few things can be linked here: 1) forests are being cleared
at a fairly constant rate; 2) numbers of large ungulates such as moose
which move into the clearcuts and road allowances have been increasing over
the past 30 years or so as the forests opened up; 3) road and rail kills of
large ungulates have been increasing in lockstep with the increasing
population; 4) we have been experiencing the "global warming" thing in the
latter half of this century. There have been some interesting TUVU records
in BC and Yukon the past several years. One was feeding on a road-killed
moose near Houston, BC a couple of winters ago in January; and Yukon just
recorded its first TUVU at Dawson City this past spring, the farthest north
record yet for Canada. I have absolutely no problem believing that there
are a total of 2000 or so TUVU wandering around BC/Yukon during the summer.
If the bulk of those stayed out in the boonies in the clearcuts, then many
would be missed by observers.

- Jack
Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca