Birds Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada have released the State of Canada’s Birds, a comprehensive report on the status of birds in Canada and 463 accompanying species accounts. The report and accounts, based on over 50 years of data, provide a look at the health of bird species across the country, highlighting both conservation successes and growing threats that have emerged over the past several decades. While some species of Canada’s birds are thriving, many are in decline. The State of Canada’s Birds report and species accounts draws on monitoring data collected by programs like eBird, breeding bird surveys, and other research initiatives to paint a detailed picture of these shifts and highlight the role of participatory science efforts in providing large scale insights to the health of bird populations.
Below is a summary of the key findings from the report—and what they mean for Canada’s birds.
Population Changes
Birds Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2024. The State of Canada’s Birds Report. Accessed from NatureCounts. DOI: 10.71842/8bab-ks08
Thanks to targeted conservation efforts, populations of some species, particularly waterfowl, have seen significant increases. Ducks, geese, and swans have benefited from extensive wetland protection and habitat restoration initiatives, reversing previous declines. On the other hand, grassland birds and shorebirds have experienced significant population drops. Grassland birds, like the Eastern Meadowlark and Chestnut-collared Longspur, are especially vulnerable, with their habitats being lost to agriculture and development. Shorebirds, including long-distance migrants like the Whimbrel, have also declined sharply, affected by Climate Change and habitat loss along their migratory routes. In addition to measuring populations over time, the report also identifies drivers of these country-wide changes.
Uncovering Drivers of Decline
Habitat loss and degradation remain the biggest threats to Canada’s bird populations. Grasslands, wetlands, forests, and shorelines are all under pressure from human activities such as urban development, agriculture, and resource extraction. Prairie grasslands, one of the country’s most endangered ecosystems, have been particularly hard hit. As these habitats disappear, so too do the birds that depend on them.
Wetlands, which provide critical breeding and feeding grounds for many species, have seen some improvement due to conservation efforts. However, these ecosystems continue to face threats, especially in coastal areas where development and climate change are altering habitats faster than birds can adapt.
Understanding Growing Threats
The report also highlights the growing impact of climate change on Canada’s birds. Rising temperatures, shifting seasons, and more frequent extreme weather events are altering habitats and food availability, disrupting migration patterns, and changing the timing of breeding. Birds that depend on specific climate conditions, such as Arctic-nesting species, are particularly vulnerable as their habitats shrink or shift.
Identifying Impacts: Conservation Efforts Making a Difference
Despite these challenges, the State of Canada’s Birds report provides hope. Many conservation programs are making a measurable difference, helping to stabilize or increase populations of several species. Raptors like the Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle, once endangered, have rebounded thanks to regulatory changes and breeding programs.
Waterfowl have also benefited from large-scale wetland conservation initiatives. These efforts demonstrate that with targeted action and collaboration, it’s possible to reverse the declines of vulnerable species.
The Role of Participatory Science and Community Action
This report is a testament to the vital role that participatory science plays in monitoring bird populations. Data collected by birders through eBird, the Christmas Bird Count, and other programs is invaluable to researchers and conservationists, and provides regional insights to Canada’s birds. Specifically, data collected by eBirders feeds the interactive occurrence maps in the State of Canada’s Birds species accounts, and informs relative abundance estimates for many species. Continued documentation of species by eBirders can help to increase the number of species with abundance estimates. With greater species coverage, communities around the world can develop regional reports on the populations and trends of local birds.
The report celebrates each individuals’ role in conservation, whether through data collection, advocating for habitat protection, or making bird-friendly choices in their own communities. It is yet another story about the impact of collective efforts- of both data collection and passion, that have compounded to help secure the future for birds.
Looking Ahead
The State of Canada’s Birds report is an action map with warning signs for bird lovers, conservationists, and policymakers alike. While some species are recovering, many are still in trouble and action is needed to protect them. The report highlights the importance of continued collaboration between governments, researchers, Indigenous communities, and the public to ensure a sustainable future for Canada’s birds. People around the world have the power to change the course for birds by supporting habitat conservation, mitigating climate change, and continuing to contribute observations to eBird and other community monitoring programs.
Explore the State of Canada’s Birds report to learn about Canada’s bird populations, and continue to submit checklists to eBird to aid in global data collection and the creation of informed conservation efforts.