As spring firmly sets in across much of Canada, there’s no better time to get outside and get more familiar with the bird species in your neck of the woods. These days, there are no shortage of great online tools and apps to help you learn more about nearby birding locations, solving those tricky bird IDs, or document the birds you find.
At its April meeting in St. John’s, NL, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the status of 19 species, including one bird – the Hudsonian Godwit. Hudsonian Godwits face threats at all stages of their annual cycle, including climate change and overgrazing by geese in the Arctic, loss of wetland habitat at staging sites in the United States and South America, and disturbance of wintering habitat by increasing levels of human development and activity.
Spring is a time for fresh starts, and this spring, the Bird Studies Canada team is delighted to present a fresh look for BirdWatch Canada magazine. If you’re a BirdWatch subscriber your Spring issue (no. 87) should arrive soon!
WildResearch is seeking volunteers to survey for nightjars (birds in the nighthawk and whip-poor-will family) across Canada – especially in Manitoba and Ontario, where there are new survey routes available!
The third season of the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas is poised to take flight. Since spring 2017, volunteer birdwatchers have been scouring the province in search of nesting birds, great and small, to help map their status and distribution. More volunteers are needed.
Last month, we introduced you to some of the employees that have joined our team since 2018. Our team has continued to grow, and we’re excited to share bios from even more recent additions! Meet the new hires putting your support for birds into action.
Bird Studies Canada strongly opposes proposed changes to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (ESA), as brought forward in Schedule 5 of Bill 108. The changes would remove essential legal protections for species at risk and for the habitats that sustain them. Please add your voice for Ontario’s imperilled flora and fauna by providing comments on the 10th Year Review of Ontario’s Endangered Species Act.
The Spring issue of our members’ magazine, BirdWatch Canada, features an article by Dr. William Montevecchi and Dr. Laura McFarlane Tranquilla about the declining Leach’s Storm-Petrel. Do you want to learn even more about this little-known seabird? Dive into this list of references used in the article and further recommended reading.
You’re invited to join some of Bird Studies Canada’s experts in Vancouver, BC; Toronto, ON; or Moncton, NB for a fun day of birding for conservation! Bird Studies Canada staff in three locations across Canada hope you can join them for their Birdathon day this May. Whether you are new to birding or an experienced Birdathoner, and whatever your age, we would love for you to join us in person for a bird walk near you.
Bird Studies Canada invites your students to explore the diversity of birds in your neighbourhood by participating in the Schoolyard Bird Blitz this spring! In addition to getting outside and learning about local bird life, students are ‘scientists’ responsible for conducting a survey of birds at their school and reporting the observations to Bird Studies Canada.
