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Wetlands provide food and shelter for numerous birds year-round: Whimbrels in west coast estuaries, Bonaparte’s Gulls on marshy lakes in the boreal, pelicans on prairie potholes, bitterns in Great Lakes coastal marshes, rails in wetlands along the St. Lawrence, sandpipers on Bay of Fundy mudflats, and on and on. Many bird species spend some or all of their lives in a wetland, so protecting them has never been more important

In 2024, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the status of six bird species, two for the first time. Of the reassessed species, just one improved in status since its previous assessment; the remainder are unchanged, or reassessed at a higher threat level. Ninety-four bird species are now assessed to be at risk of extinction in Canada, a number that only keeps rising.

The Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) is a small but extraordinary songbird renowned for its incredible migratory journeys. Weighing just 12 grams, this bird connects boreal forests in North America to tropical regions in South America by traveling thousands of kilometers each year. For the last decade a dedicated group of researchers have been studying the complexities of Blackpoll Warbler migration in order to address the pressing need for conservation action.

Joining the longest-running bird census is a way for all of us to help protect wild birds.