State of Canada’s Birds – June 26, 2012

There’s nothing more symbolic of Canadian summer than the call of the loon. But is the status of birds in Canada a loon call or a swan song? How are Canada’s over 450 bird species doing? Since the 1970s, birds have undergone an overall decline in numbers, according to a first-of-its-kind national report on the state of Canada’s bird populations. While some species are doing well, others are not.

Compared with a generation ago…

How are birds doing in Arctic, Great Lakes, Oceans, Southern Shield, Maritimes, Boreal Forest, Prairies, Mountains and West Coast regions?

  • From big to small, from insectivores to to carnivores, which birds are most in trouble, which populations are stable, and where are the recovery success stories?
  • What human influences have the greatest impact – positive and negative – on birds?
  • What are the broader implications of changing bird populations for the ecosystems that sustain us?
  • And …why should we care?

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Canadian expert panel on the State of Canada’s Birds is here to answer these questions and illuminate how human actions can help or hinder bird species.

Panelists: (click a name to hear a recording of their presentation)

Charles Francis (Panel Chair), Manager, Species Abundance and Distribution, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada.

Dave Howerter, National Manager of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research

Ted Cheskey, Manager of Bird Conservation Programs, Nature Canada

Richard Cannings, Senior Project Officer for Bird Studies Canada and National Board Member, Nature Conservancy of Canada

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