Bird Population Monitoring
Bird population monitoring programs take the pulse of our migratory bird populations and provide an essential measure of their health. Monitoring data provide the foundation for conservation action by identifying bird species or populations of conservation concern, tracking the success of management activities (including those for species at risk), and setting hunting regulations. They also provide information on the potential impacts of environmental contaminants, habitat change and other factors that can affect birds. Environment and Climate Change Canada supports and reports on many different types of surveys that monitor Canada’s birds.
We now have a much greater understanding of how our birds are faring than ever before. While some species are doing well thanks to careful management, many others are declining and require conservation action if they are to avoid becoming species at risk. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Status of Birds in Canada website provides an assessment of the population status for all species that breed or regularly occur in Canada, based on a synthesis of the best available population trend data. Working in partnership with the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, Environment and Climate Change Canada released the State of Canada’s Birds 2012 report that draws on 40 years of monitoring and research to provide a picture of the health of Canada’s birds, the potential effects of human activity and a brief summary of some of our conservation successes. These publications would not be possible without long-term, standardized monitoring programs.
Environment and Climate Change Canada also runs the Canadian Bird Banding Office, which provides support for bird banding operations. Bird banding data collected by individual banders across Canada are used for scientific research on avian dispersal, migration, longevity, survival rates, reproductive success and population growth, as well as various management issues.
Learn about the surveys that provide information on the status of Canada’s birds, many of which are supported or run by Environment and Climate Change Canada, including the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the National Harvest Survey and many others.
Learn the about the importance of bird banding to ornithological research and conservation, how to report a marked bird, how to obtain data from the Bird Banding Office, and how to apply for a bird banding permit.
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