Bird and Fish Monitoring Programs at the Horizon Oil Sands Mine: 2013 Site-Specific Results

The Bird Contact Monitoring Program at the Horizon Oil Sands Mine was implemented in 2013 to track bird landings and mortalities on process-affected ponds. Twenty-one survey stations across 18 ponds were monitored daily during spring and fall migration periods, following regional protocols. Surveys documented 93 bird species, including 55 from target guilds of waders, dabblers, and divers, and recorded over 7,500 detections of landed birds. Mortality searches were conducted biweekly using foot, vehicle, and boat transects, supplemented by incidental observations of mortalities. Freshwater pond monitoring at the Compensation Lake was also conducted twice weekly to provide a comparison with process-affected water bodies. The program aimed to standardize monitoring methods, identify species of conservation concern, and provide data to inform adaptive management and bird deterrent programs.

Findings show that bird use of process-affected ponds was widespread but varied greatly between pond types and survey locations. Waders accounted for the highest proportion of landings, while dabblers and divers made up significant portions of detections. Mortality detections were low overall, with only one confirmed carcass from systematic searches, although incidental observations recorded 25 mortalities, many at the Tailings Pond. Several species of conservation concern, including Horned Grebe, Sandhill Crane, and Western Grebe, were observed landing at process-affected ponds. Monitoring of the Compensation Lake indicated higher bird landing rates, especially among divers, compared to process-affected sites. Overall, the program provided robust site-specific data on bird landings and mortalities, highlighted species of concern, and identified opportunities to refine monitoring protocols and improve bird deterrent measures.