State of the Birds Canada 2012
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THE STATE OF CANADA’S BIRDS 2012 2 The State of Canada’s Birds TABLE OF CONTENTS This report was published by Environment Canada on behalf of NABCI Canada. TABLE OF CONTENTS Suggested Citation: North American Bird Conservation Initiative Canada. 2012. The State of Canada’s Birds, 2012. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 36 pages. Cat. No.: CW66-312/2012E ISBN 978-1-100-20674-5 Information contained in this publication or product may be reproduced, in part or in whole, and by any means, for personal or public non-commercial purposes, without charge or further permission, unless otherwise specifi ed. You are asked to: • Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced; • Indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author organization; and • Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of an offi cial work that is published by the Government of Canada and that the reproduction has not been produced in affi liation with or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada. Commercial reproduction and distribution is prohibited except with written permission from the Government 3 FOREWORD 22 BEYOND OUR BORDERS of Canada’s copyright administrator, Public Works and Government Services of Canada (PWGSC). For more information, please contact PWGSC at 613-996-6886 4 CANADA’S BIRDS: AN OVERVIEW OF 24 BIRDS OF CONSERVATION CONCERN or at [email protected]. NATIONAL STATUS Photo credits 27 CONSERVING CANADA’S BIRDS Front cover (left to right): STATUS OF CANADA’S BIRDS BY REGION 1. Tufted Puffi n/Alan Burger 32 MONITORING CANADA’S BIRDS 2. White-breasted Nuthatch/Nick Saunders 3. Northern Pintail/Ducks Unlimited Canada 6 SOUTHERN SHIELD AND MARITIMES 4. Swainson’s Hawk/May Haga 34 MEASURING THE STATE OF CANADA’S 5. American Goldfi nch/John Chardine 6. Wilson’s Snipe/May Haga 8 LOWER GREAT LAKES–ST. LAWRENCE BIRDS Table of contents (left to right): 1. Dungarvin Creek, AB/H. Loney Dickson 10 EASTERN BOREAL 35 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2. Melville Island, NU/Kyle Elliot 3. Longridge Point, James Bay, ON/Mark Peck 4. Taiga north of Yellowknife, NT/Craig Machtans 12 WESTERN BOREAL 5. James Bay, ON/Mark Peck 6. Digges Islands, NU/Garry Donaldson 14 PRAIRIES Back cover (left to right): 1. Boreal Chickadee/Nick Saunders 2. Ring-billed Gull/May Haga 16 WEST COAST AND MOUNTAINS 3. Bohemian Waxwing/Nick Saunders 4. Boreal Owl/Alan MacKeigan 18 ARCTIC 5. Mountain Bluebird/H. Loney Dickson Copyright © in photographs rests with individual 20 OCEANS photographers or their organizations or agents. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of the Environment, 2012 Aussi disponible en français The State of Canada’s Birds 3 FOREWORD FOREWORD anadians are lucky indeed to live in Birds have many values to Canadians. and the air. Historically, excessive Ca country where robins and fi nches Bird populations are indicators commercial harvest led to major share our backyards, our forests ring of the ecological integrity of the declines in many bird populations: with the fl ute-like songs of thrushes, environment—healthy bird populations Passenger Pigeons, Great Auks and brilliant warblers add colour to the imply a healthy planet. Bird watching Labrador Ducks all disappeared forever. boreal forests, fl ocks of ducks dot the is one of the most popular outdoor Still, there has been signifi cant progress prairie potholes and seabirds nest in recreational activities in Canada. in bird conservation in the past century. large coastal colonies. Birds fi ll our Millions of Canadians feed birds in The Migratory Birds Convention signed landscapes and are intertwined with their backyards. Waterfowl hunting between Canada and the United States the Canadian culture and identity. provides food and supports local in 1916 led to better hunting controls, economies. Collectively, these activities allowing many species to recover. John Chardine contribute billions of dollars to the Intensive single-species conservation Canadian economy. Birds also provide Common Yellowthroat eff orts brought Whooping Cranes and immeasurable economic and ecological some other species back from the brink benefi ts by controlling insect and of extinction. Controls on pesticide use rodent populations, dispersing seeds The report describes trends in the status allowed many raptor populations to and pollinating plants. of Canada’s birds, the major threats recover from DDT poisoning. Ongoing they face and conservation solutions Canada’s birds have always had to cope land restoration and conservation that benefi t them. It is both a call to with fl uctuations in their environment. activities are helping to restore action and an acknowledgement of Droughts, fl oods, forest fi res and waterfowl populations. success. Continued progress on bird insect outbreaks are part of the natural conservation requires action to conserve dynamics of ecosystems. Repeated ice habitat and address threats, both Mark Peck ages and warming periods over the within our borders and internationally past million years caused major shifts in cooperation with other countries— Green Heron in the landscape. In recent decades, three quarters of Canada’s bird species however, increasing human populations spend much of their lives outside in Canada and elsewhere are putting Canada. We hope this report will provide pressures on bird populations that may a voice for birds as Canada shapes its exceed their ability to cope. future. May Haga Wetlands are being drained, and forests Blue Jay are being cleared and native grasslands North American Bird Conservation converted to cultivated crops. The Initiative, Canada These successes tell us that conservation tundra is threatened by climate change. can work; with a concerted eff ort May 2012 Urban and industrial developments across society, human activities can be are replacing natural habitats. Roads, compatible with bird conservation. power lines and pipelines dissect the landscape. Invasive species are In this fi rst State of Canada’s Birds report, spreading. Industrial chemicals and we present a picture of the current Mark Peck pesticides are released into the water health of Canada’s bird populations. Bird watching on James Bay 4 The State of Canada’s Birds OVERVIEW CANADA’S BIRDS: AN OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL STATUS anada is home to billions of birds Cbelonging to some 451 regularly +100 Raptors occurring native species that raise their Waterfowl young or spend their non-breeding +50 Colonial seabirds seasons in this vast and varied country. +25 Forest birds Increasingly, these birds face many +12 0 threats here and elsewhere. Successful −10 conservation of this biological wealth −20 requires that we manage these −33 All birds threats to maintain or restore healthy Other water birds Percent change since 1970 change since Percent populations of all species of birds— −50 Shorebirds including extra measures to ensure Grassland birds −60 recovery of the 66 bird species currently Aerial insectivores assessed as Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern. Careful monitoring 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 of the status of Canada’s birds is essential Indicators of the national population status of all regularly occurring native to guide successful conservation and bird species in Canada and eight selected subgroups. management actions for these and other species. Early response to warning signs in the environment is more cost-eff ective than critical intervention. began for most species. For species fare well in disturbed areas. Canada’s with suffi cient data to monitor their few remaining native grasslands must This report summarizes the status status, 44% have decreased, 33% have be retained, and new ones created, if of Canada’s bird populations, both increased and 23% have shown little species like the Greater Sage-Grouse nationally and individually, for each overall change. Some groups, such as are to survive. Eff ective management of eight major regions of the country grassland birds, aerial insectivores and (see the chapter “Measuring the shorebirds, are showing major declines. State of Canada’s Birds” for details on Other groups such as waterfowl, raptors methods). The results point to the and colonial seabirds are increasing, strong infl uences of human activity on due to careful management, changes in birds, both positive and negative. This habitat and reductions in environmental report also identifi es threats to birds contaminants. and off ers solutions to keep common birds common and restore threatened Declining grassland birds present challenges and opportunities species. for conservation within working landscapes. Many declining grassland Canadian bird populations species can coexist with bird-friendly have changed agricultural practices. Some species Holroyd On average, Canadian breeding bird actually benefi t from appropriate Geoff Charles M. Francis populations have decreased 12% densities of grazing livestock to create Burrowing Owls benefi t from well-managed Bald Eagle populations have rebounded following grazing to maintain their habitat. controls on pesticides. since 1970 when eff ective monitoring their ideal habitat. Other species do not The State of Canada’s Birds 5 OVERVIEW of grasslands is also needed outside Increasing waterfowl populations of new threats, such as endocrine- of Canada, in the United States, Mexico refl ect successful management of disrupting chemicals, are promptly and southern South America, where hunting and wetlands. International identifi