The Canadian Field-Naturalist

The recent spread of Coyote (Canis latrans) in the northwest Canadian Arctic

2025-10-20T22:17:41+00:00

We report recent and historical sightings and harvest of Coyote (Canis latrans) in the northwest mainland Canadian Arctic.
Historical sightings of Coyotes extend north of the Arctic Circle in Canada and Alaska; however, sightings are extremely
rare and sporadic at the northern end of this range. Between 2018 and 2025, 15 sightings were recorded by camera traps in the northern Richardson Mountains, Northwest Territories (NWT), and two animals were harvested in 2019 and 2020 within 6 km of our study site. Between 2018 and 2025, at least three Coyotes were present in our study area, the first records there in more than 45 years. We discuss these recent events in the context of Coyote ecology and historical and recent expansion in the NWT and Yukon.

Predator community and human recreation at a Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) nesting site

2025-06-19T12:30:38+00:00

Many freshwater turtle populations experience high nest depredation, resulting in low recruitment, and are subject to high
levels of human disturbance, which can influence behaviour. Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a declining freshwater species and little is known about potential nest predators and human recreation pressures at nest sites. In 2021 and 2022, we identified 18 Spotted Turtle nests at a powerline right-of-way in Bristol County, Massachusetts, and monitored them with camera traps until hatchlings emerged. We identified all potential predator species and human recreation activities detected in images. We assessed predator behaviour using a behaviour ratio that we calculated as the quotient of number of predator “investigating nests” events and total events for each predator species pooled among all nests. We compared behaviour ratios among species. We characterized all human recreation activities at each nest and calculated diversity and the number of events for each recreation type. We detected six potential predator species and five types of human recreation activities at nest sites. Coyote (Canis latrans) was the most frequently detected potential predator but had a very low behaviour ratio (0.03). Raccoon (Procyon lotor) had the highest behaviour ratio (0.39) and was significantly more likely to investigate nests than other potential predators. Raccoon nest investigation rates did not vary by macrohabitat type or distance to edge. Our study reveals a broad look into the potential predators of Spotted Turtle nests, documents human recreation occurring at nest sites, and has several implications for nest site management.

Alpine fruiting macrofungi of British Columbia

2026-01-17T10:54:16+00:00

Based primarily on DNA fingerprinting, we report the occurrence of 92 species (defined as UNITE Species Hypotheses) of
macrofungi found fruiting in alpine regions of British Columbia, Canada. The alpine zone is under threat from climate change and is poorly studied mycologically. Over 10% of the species we report are new records for the province, some are likely to be undescribed species, and others have Arctic–alpine distributions in the Northern Hemisphere. It is important to document the presence of these species in the province to help build a baseline from which changes might be detected and to contribute to global taxonomic and biogeographical studies.

A proposed Important Plant Area as a tool for conserving threatened plants and habitats in the Redberry Lake Biosphere Region, Saskatchewan

2026-02-10T07:20:11+00:00

We applied the Important Plant Area (IPA) framework to identify a high conservation value site containing threatened plants and habitats in the Redberry Lake Biosphere Region (RLBR), Saskatchewan. The proposed IPA, named Redberry Lake Flats, lies in the buffer zone of the RLBR and overlaps with the Redberry Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Important Bird Area, highlighting the strong ecological connectivity of the terrestrial and aquatic landscapes. From 2010 to 2025, we conducted intensive field studies in the 115.6-ha site, documenting 190 vascular plant species in 52 families and 128 genera. This floristic richness is concentrated within a mosaic of saline shorelines, marshes, calcareous marl fens, wet meadows, grasslands, and aspen woodlands mixed with shrublands. We discovered 12 vascular plant species of conservation concern at the subnational (provincial), national, and global levels. Primary threats to rare plants and habitats in the study area include hydrological alteration, intensive grazing and trampling, and successional overgrowth. The exceptional floristic richness of the site, the co-occurrence of multiple threatened plants, and distinct marl–fen habitats satisfy four of IPA’s qualification criteria. Hence, we recommend IPA designation for the Redberry Lake Flats site, targetting hydrology-aware management and continuous monitoring to maintain high plant diversity and habitat integrity.

Two albino Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) hatchlings from Ontario

2026-01-27T20:49:22+00:00

Albinism in turtles is rare but has been reported in more than a dozen species. We observed two albino Blanding’s Turtle
(Emydoidea blandingii) hatchlings from one nest collected and incubated as part of a turtle conservation program in eastern Ontario. The albino hatchlings were the same size (3.4 cm straight-line carapace length) as the other two hatchlings from the nest and only slightly smaller than the average length of Blanding’s Turtles (3.6 cm) produced from our nests in 2025. Only one of 132 (0.76%) successfully incubated Blanding’s Turtle nests over the past eight years has produced albinos. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of albinism in Blanding’s Turtles.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) × Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) hybrid nestlings observed in Parkland County, Alberta

2026-02-15T04:38:29+00:00

We report multiple observations of four Great Egret (Ardea alba) × Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) hybrid nestlings in Parkland County, Alberta, in July 2025. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of an observation of this hybrid combination in Canada and the first report of a nest with young of this hybrid combination anywhere. We outline the timeline and nature of the observations, provide photographs of the nestlings and an adult Great Egret visiting the nest, and briefly discuss the breeding ecology of Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. Finally, we note observations, including photographs, of an apparent hybrid Great Egret × Great Blue Heron observed in Calgary, Alberta, in September 2025.