News & Reports
Volunteers Needed for Coastal Surveys in British Columbia
On September 10, Bird Studies Canada will celebrate the start of the 19th season of our British Columbia Coastal Waterbird Survey. This long-term Citizen Science monitoring program involves counting ducks, loons, grebes, gulls, and other waterbirds on the second Sunday of each month throughout the winter.
Piping Plovers Hang On in Ontario and Manitoba
Following an absence of breeding pairs in Ontario for more than 30 years, Piping Plovers have been making a gradual return at selected nesting locations on Canadian Great Lakes shores since 2007. Federal and provincial governments and local agencies cooperate to protect these Endangered shorebirds and their habitat.
Return to Baccalieu Island: Monitoring Leach’s Storm-Petrels
Completing my fifth annual pilgrimage to Baccalieu Island, NL, I spent one gloriously sunny week this July assisting Dr. April Hedd, Wildlife Biologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, in studying Leach’s Storm-Petrels.
Good News for Cerulean Warblers and their Forest Homes
On July 17, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) fund will, once again, support Bird Studies Canada’s efforts to conserve the Endangered Cerulean Warbler in Ontario.
Getting to Know the Mysterious, Increasingly Less-Common, Common Nighthawk
The Common Nighthawk looks graceful in flight, and a bit strange up close due to its large eyes and wide mouth. But no matter how you look at it, this species is becoming a less-common sight. Breeding Bird Survey data suggest it has declined by 76% since 1973 in Canada, where it is now listed as a Threatened species.
Survivor’s Guide to a Piping Plover Breeding Season
To some, spending countless hours from May through August protecting an endangered, camouflaged bird, its four eggs, and its flightless chicks on the open sand – exposed to the elements and busy activities of beachgoers – would sound daunting, and perhaps a bit nuts. I’ve come to learn that cautious optimism and resilience are handy qualities for biologists and Citizen Scientists engaged in Piping Plover conservation.
