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Cooking Lake

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Grebe Survey Summary

  • Max Adults: 89
  • Year: 2001
  • Most Recent Adults: 0
  • Year: 2016
  • Survey Type: Boat
  • Most Common Threats Reported: N/A
Lake name:
Cooking Lake
Location:
Alberta
Latitude:
53.4330555
Longitude:
-113.0291667
Surface area (km2):
36
Basin type:
non-reservoir
Region associations:
Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area
Designations:
Recreation Area
Comments:
Considered a large shallow lake.

Surveys (3)

Survey Citation:
COSEWIC. 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 55 pp. www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm

  • Type
    shore; boat; air
  • Time period
    1991, 2011
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 7 1991-2011
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 ? 2011
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Table A.2, maximum counts of breeding Western grebes from surveys mostly conducted during nesting season from June and July from 1991 to 2011 (sourced from Wilson, A. and Smith, P.A. 2013. Distribution and population status of Western Grebes in Canada. Unpublished report for the Canadian Wildlife Service). No break out of data per year or other details.

Survey Citation:
Erickson, M. E. 2010. Persistence and abundance of the western grebe in Alberta. Dissertation. University of Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Same lakes and abundance estimated were checked against Erickson, M. E., C. Found-Jackson, and M. S. Boyce. 2017. Habitat associations with counts of declining western grebes in Alberta, Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology. 12(1):12. Appendix to Erickson et al 2014 is unavailable but presumed to be the same list of lakes and abundance estimates.

  • Type
    shore
  • Time period
    3 June 2008, 14 August 2008
  • Source
    Dissertation
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 7 2004
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 4 2008
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Table B.1 and Table C.1, survey methods and dates for 2008 field season, and latest abundance estimate from 2008, compared to maximum abundance estimate. Source of maximum abundance estimate is from 2004 sourced from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Species at Risk (SAR) #94. 3 June 2008 data is from ASRD, 25 July and 14 August surveys from the shore. I didn't include maximum abundance estimate as part of the survey date for Erickson's surveys.

Survey Citation:
Prescott, D. R. C., J. Unruh, S. Morris-Yasinski, and M. Wells. 2018. Distribution and abundance of the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Alberta: an update. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 160, Edmonton, AB. 23 pp.

  • Type
    boat
  • Time period
    1921, 2016
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 89 2001
Most Recent Adults 0 0 2016
Max Nests 1 to 100 presence 1982, 2001
Most Recent Nests 0 0 2016
Max Chicks 1 to 100 presence? 1982, 2001
Most Recent Chicks 0 0 2016

Comments:

Sources are eBird (accessed Nov 2015 and Dec 2016), FWMIS (Accessed Nov 2015 including field surveys from 2015 and 2016), Berg et al. 2004, Kemper et al. 2008, Erickson 2010, Hanus 2002, and Purdy et al. 1983. This report is an update of Western grebe distribution in Alberta based on previous provincial status reports, additional breeding records (between May 1 to August 31) through end of 2014 from new sources. Lakes were visited in 2015 and 2016 for occupancy and habitat conditions. In a given year, if there are multiple sources of data, the highest count was given. From the Appendix, I entered only lakes (67) with evidence of breeding (either chicks or nests, but doesn't specify which and no nest nor chick numbers provided). Otherwise, 318 lakes supported adult grebe populations. This report compiled a list of 35 priority lakes for grebe surveys and management actions through the provincial recovery plan based on high population and habitat scores. New lakes with breeding reveal a changing system of lake occupancy and possibly higher populations than previously thought in Alberta.

Sources of Information

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