It is that time of year! I like doing Citizen Science. The federal ministry, Environment and Climate Change Canada, has been running 🐸Chorus Frog Surveys for a few years now.

I have never seen a Chorus Frog, but I've heard them! They lay eggs in vernal pools, ones which dry up in summer and don't have fish predators in them. (Clever, eh?)

I programmed my sites onto the map. Then transferred it to my phone.

2025

April 2nd – It was announced that the conditions were favourable for calling.

April 3rd – It was 21 C. in the afternoon, but I had an appointment.

April 4th – Too chilly.

April 5th – Raining.

April 6th – Too cold: 5 ℃, and raining.

April 7th – Just 10℃. Surveyed 4 of my assigned sites. I heard Spring Peepers in the marsh at bedtime.

April 8th – Cold and snowy.

April 9th – Went for a drive, heard them on Perth Road.

2024 and 2023 the program was not run. They are on hiatus for 5 years.

2022

I had news that the season began April 7th.

April 2022

Western Chorus Frog survey #1

Chorus Frog Surveys #2 & #3

I have 4 places to survey locally. JB is my point man. He drives, parks and read maps or a book while I do my job.

Western Chorus Frog (WCF) field survey. We have to wait for 3 things:

1. Temperatures above 10 C.

2. Little or no wind

3. No rain, or light rain.

2021

March 29 We took a drive: frog hunting!
April 6 Frog hunting
April 23 Narrows Lock

2020

We took a drive: frog hunting! March at Code Road. Chorus frog📹

April 2020: Chorus frogs, osprey

🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸

Chorus Frog Survey

This is the map that shows two different populations. The Carolinian population is not at risk. The Great Lakes population is distinct from the green shaded one. The population near us is threatened.

They are unusual frogs, at least to me. They sound like someone running a finger across the top of a plastic comb.

Head Office, AKA the biologists, email us when they are calling in our area. Usually for two weeks in April. We will conduct our survey during suitable weather conditions in or near Western Chorus Frog habitat over the next few weeks.

A few important notes about weather conditions to optimize your chances of hearing the calls for Western Chorus Frogs:

Wait until the temperature reaches 10°C before conducting surveys
The wind speed should not exceed 20 km/hour during survey.
Please conduct surveys when there is no rain, or light rain only.

In 2016, our government declared an emergency order for our species: Canada Gazette – Emergency Order for the Protection of the Western Chorus Frog (Great Lakes / St. Lawrence — Canadian Shield Population)

This is the map that shows two different populations. The Carolinian population is not at risk. The Great Lakes population is distinct from the green shaded one. The population near us is threatened.

View an interactive map of the known ranges of western chorus frogs in Ontario.