The Seal River Watershed in Manitoba is a haven for migratory birds at a time when birds are losing habitat elsewhere, says a study done collaboratively by land guardians, elders, land users, and the National Audubon Society.

Their report in October 2024 shares the finding from a co-led bioacoustics research project that combined Indigenous knowledge and Western science and showed that 102 bird species rely on the watershed. A previous report, a decade ago, used western science only and found only 70 species.

“It’s really important to show the world the strength and success of including two types of knowledge,” said Stephanie Thorassie, executive director of the Seal River Watershed Alliance. “We got better results with this study because we combined Indigenous and western science.”

Elders and land users from the four First Nations in the Seal River Watershed Alliance have watched the birds nest, grow, fly south, and return each spring. They told stories about these birds and named their children after them. Now they are sharing some of their bird knowledge with the world.

“We know the watershed still supports many birds, and many migrate from here to the United States and all the way to South America,” said Thorassie. “This report helps us prove what we’ve been saying all along: protecting the watershed matters not just for us but for the world.”

While the people in the watershed are used to seeing an abundance of birds, North America’s bird population has dropped by nearly three billion birds during the last 50 years. 

Audubon asked to form a research partnership with the Alliance and together they shaped what the project would look like, including deploying audio recording devices (ARU) to capture bird song.

The Alliance’s land guardians learned how to program the ARUs and hook them up to the required technology. They consulted elders and land users about the best locations to place the ARUs based on their knowledge, experience on the land, and stories.

Land Guardians also talked with the Audubon researchers about safety when deploying the ARUs—where they had to pay attention to ice conditions and where it was better to hike because water levels were too low for a boat. These were things that scientists from outside, working alone, wouldn’t have known.

Altogether, the 28 ARUs recorded 12,000 hours of bird song and other sounds over three years. The Audubon partners used computers to analyze the recordings and help identify bird species.

When Audubon sent the list of bird species, the Alliance added as many Dene and Cree names as possible. Translation events were held at the band offices in the four Alliance communities, and people were invited to come and share knowledge. There isn’t often a simple translation, but instead there are stories—including funny stories—about how that name came to be. So the translation events became full of laughter and memories.

The report now includes bird names in the Dene, Cree, and syllabics from all four First Nations and can be used as a teaching tool for students. “This shows the strength and resilience in our Nations to hold on to languages and hold on to those names,” said Thorassie.  

“It’s a celebration because it’s gives ownership of the process to community members,” said Thorassie. “We can feel proud. Our people did this. Our knowledge—our science—made this report better.”

Cover image: Seal River Watershed Alliance