Science tells us where to focus our conservation efforts so we can protect the birds we love. At Birds Canada, we bring together the passion and dedication of thousands of volunteers and collaborators with the expertise of professional scientists to collect and share data, deepen our understanding of birds, and identify the conservation solutions needed for them to thrive.
Photo: Kris Cu
Photo: Kris Cu
Science is at the heart of all we do—it has been for 65 years. Delivering strong science is all about turning observations into solutions that protect birds, sustain their habitats, and help populations thrive. What makes us unique is the scale and rigour of our knowledge, data, and expertise on bird populations, and how we share it.
To take effective action, we need to understand how birds are doing and what they need to succeed. We track where they breed, how they move across landscapes, where they stop to rest and refuel during migration, and where they spend their time during Canadian winters. By listening to what birds are telling us, we provide the evidence to guide conservation action where it is most needed.
Understanding birds requires many eyes and ears, which is why volunteerism plays a critical role in our work. Each year, more than 24,000 volunteers like you across Canada contribute 1.6 million hours, alongside scientists, to generate a powerful source of information helping assess the status of bird populations, understand why they are changing, and identify opportunities to protect them.
The State of Canada’s Birds report is the most comprehensive assessment of bird populations in Canada.
Powered by decades of volunteer-collected data, and co-published by Birds Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, it helps guide conservation priorities, inform policy decisions, identify research needs, and measure progress toward conservation goals.
Photo: Sasha Chilibeck
Birds Canada is developing technology that makes conservation more effective. Tools like the NatureCounts mobile app streamline data collection, helping volunteers and professionals alike contribute directly to one of the world’s largest biodiversity datasets with over 380 million bird records available.
By saving time and improving data accuracy, NatureCounts removes barriers to delivering faster, smarter land-use decisions grounded in the best available science.
©NatureCountsPhoto: Kris Cu
Motus, led by Birds Canada, is the world’s largest ground-based wildlife tracking network. Used by thousands of researchers and collaborators worldwide, Motus is transforming our understanding of how birds move across landscapes, use habitats, and respond to changing environmental conditions. This knowledge helps identify important stopover sites, connect populations, and guide conservation action. For example, Motus has helped identify a critical Atlantic Flyway stopover in the southeastern U.S. for the Endangered Red Knot, supporting new policy restricting horseshoe crab harvests and helping protect an essential food source for these migrating birds.
Photo: Natasha Barlow
Science only creates impact when it is connected to action, which is why we firmly believe in sharing our knowledge generously, by leveraging technology and through collaboration. We work closely with scientists, governments, Indigenous communities, conservation organizations, universities, industry partners and local communities to understand how birds are responding to change and what they need to thrive. Through this collaborative approach, we turn research into practical conservation solutions, including land-use guidance, best management practices, and science-based advocacy to help decision-makers take action for birds.
Read how science goes to work within a year on the Canadian Prairies to incentivize opportunities to stem the loss of native grasslands through the Bird Friendliness Index, and how two decades of long-term monitoring led to critical habitat designated for the endangered Bicknell’s Thrush.
Photo: LeeAnn Latremouille
Science grows when knowledge is shared. A core part of our approach is training, mentorship, and creating opportunities for people of all experience levels to build their skills and contribute to conservation.
Our annual Young Ornithologists’ Workshop (YOW) has helped launch hundreds of careers in science and related fields. Graduates have gone on to become research leaders, conservation managers, policy advocates--champions for birds across universities, governments, industry and non-profit organizations.
Photo: Kyle Cameron
Our Approach to Science
©Great Blue HeronPhoto: Angela Hindmarsh
More than a century of conservation efforts paid off this spring, when a pair of Piping Plovers established a nest at Long Point for the first time since 1977. For nearly 50 years, birders, scientists, and nature lovers have eagerly awaited the return of nesting Piping Plovers to the Canadian shores of Lake Erie. Read on to learn just how significant this return is, and why it gives us hope for the future.
Government of Canada invests $2.6 million in bird monitoring – bolstering the impact of our volunteers
For well over a century, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) has connected people with birds and nature while establishing one of the longest running wildlife datasets in the world. A renewed partnership agreement between National Audubon Society (Audubon) and Birds Canada reaffirms a shared commitment to this international collaboration, more than 125 years in the making.