Posts Categorized: Notes from the Field

Grinning Grizzly: identifying features of Alberta bears

September 4, 2024

Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and black bears (Ursus americanus) are two species of bears found commonly around the north and west areas of Canada. They can sometimes be hard to tell apart.

Hare in the Air – Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus)

March 1, 2024

The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), characterized by its large “snowshoe like” hind feet is a master of disguise.

On Top – Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)

February 1, 2024

Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are specially adapted to walk on top of snow with their big, splaying, fur-covered feet that function as snowshoes. The advantage of these specialized feet in catching their preferred prey, the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), is debatable due to the snowshoe hare’s own similar adaptation for floating on the snow.

The White Walker – Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)

January 1, 2024

Mountain goats are “white walkers” even when winter isn’t coming. They keep their white coats all year round. At Fiera Biological we study a population of mountain goats in west central Alberta and for part of that study, we are using remote cameras to better understand how predators (and their typical “not mountain goats” prey) use the habitat surrounding the cliff habitat that the goats are using.

Something to Squeal About

December 6, 2021

Invasive species of all types upset the balance of the ecosystem they inhabit, and feral pigs are no exception. Not only do these animals…

Point count survey, bird survey, relative abundance, birds, survey for birds, bird study, bird studies, bird count, biodiversity, migratory birds, avian study, avian point counts, avian research, bird research, consulting, consultant, Alberta, western canada, edmonton, calgary

Point Count Surveys – birds, birds, birds.

April 5, 2017

Birding season is coming! This week, I heard my first robin of the season. That bubbly, cheery song,…

The Fiera Top Five Highlights of 2016

December 28, 2016

What a great year 2016 was for Fiera Biological. We landed new clients, formed new working relationships, hired new…

Habitat connectivity, city of Calgary, Urban Parks, Fiera Biological Consulting, consultant, consult.

Connecting Habitats in Urban Landscapes

October 15, 2016

Habitat Connectivity A lot of planning goes in to designing a North American City. Area Structure Plans that…

Gone Batty! Detecting Bats in Alberta

July 17, 2016

At Fiera Biological, we know a lot about nature and wildlife. A lot of what we know we…

Fiera Biological Consulting has wetland specialists who can help identify, delineate, avoid, mitigate and compensate

Perspective Matters: Wetland Assessments

June 8, 2016

Every spring we get swamped with a slough of requests to delineate the boundaries and evaluate the condition…