A member of the Alcid family along with Murres, Auks, and Puffins, Black Guillemots nest in rocky burrows in coastal Maine. About this project Although anecdotal evidence suggests that Black Guillemot numbers have been declining on the coast of Maine,…
MNHO is excited to announce the launch of a new research project: the Maine Riparian Swallow Survey. The primary focus of this effort will be to document Bank Swallow distribution, abundance, and habitat use along Maine’s waterways. Beginning in 2026,…
Seabird biologists are increasingly concerned that growing mink and otter populations may be negatively affecting where seabirds can successfully nest along Maine’s coast. To better understand this, MNHO is starting a camera tracking project to document where and how frequently…
Repeating Historical Purple Sandpiper Surveys to Update Status of Overwintering Population In the early 2000s, Glen Mittelhauser and collaborators at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife conducted the first systematic survey of coastal Maine to document the distribution…
In the 1990s, research indicated that Jericho Bay was the single largest wintering location for Harlequin Ducks in Eastern North America, but the latest research suggests this is no longer the case.
Monitor a Nest Box on your property! Each spring, Maine experiences an influx of hundreds of migratory breeding birds, many of whom utilize cavities for nesting sites. Our state, with its rich mosaic of different habitat types, provides suitable breeding…
Maine’s Eastern Whip-poor-wills and Common Nighthawks have undergone significant declines in recent years and MNHO is partnering with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Biodiversity Research Institute to try to figure out why and what can be done.
Owls are among the most charismatic and recognizable orders of birds in the world, yet their secretive life histories, elusive nature, and nocturnal habits, with breeding initiated during the winter months, mean they are chronically understudied. Maine is no exception…
Saw-whet Owl GPS Tag Fundraiser was a Success! We exceeded our spring fundraising goal! Thanks to your generous support, the GPS tags will be deployed this year. Stay tuned! We will share live updates of the owls’ locations on the…
An interactive online resource to catalog all living species in Maine.
The Maine Bird Atlas is a project of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in partnership with Maine Natural History Observatory, Maine Audubon, and Biodiversity Research Institute. The data collection phase of the project was from 2018-2022 with the…
The Observatory has conducted plant inventories on over 75 islands along the coast of Maine and counting. This project aims to improve understanding of plant abundance and distribution on Maine’s coastal islands and set down baseline data. The maps and…
Maine's small islands—particularly those along the Downeast coast—may act as important refuge from climate change for boreal bird species...
The Observatory’s work falls into two main categories: data collection and data preservation. Whether it’s notes in a notebook or physical specimens, how data is stored and preserved requires careful planning so that the information will be accessible and usable…
Although numerous marine species depend on seaweeds for food and shelter, seaweeds in Maine are chronically understudied. Very little is known about which seaweed species are in Maine, if any of them are endangered, and the distribution of invasive species. …
The Observatory has worked on Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge (MCINWR) islands for a number of years detecting invasive plant species. Glen sprays a 45% vinegar and citrus oil solution on invasive Wild Radish on Halifax Island. Although the…
