Nature talk explores the state of Canada’s birds

Sharp-shinned hawks like this one have seen a population increase since 1970, according to The State of Canada’s Birds website. The site provides bird population trending information, as well as species-specific data.

Lisa Timpf

Advocate Contributor

The topic of Norfolk Nature’s April speaker event, “The State of Canada’s Birds,” had a double meaning.

The talk, delivered by Kyle Horner, Birds Canada’s Nature Counts Engagement Coordinator, made attendees aware of a website called The State of Canada’s Birds. This site provides detailed information about overall trending, as well as species-specific data for all of the birds found in Canada. At the talk, Horner also shared what the data tells us about how birds are doing in this country.

The State of Canada’s Birds website is the result of a partnership between Birds Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. This online resource brings together, analyzes, and organizes data from a number of sources and makes it more accessible to the public. 

Some of the information comes from ‘citizen science’ efforts, or projects that involve the public in helping to count and monitor the varieties and numbers of birds seen in Canada, such as the Nocturnal Owl Survey, the Marsh Monitoring Program, and the Christmas Bird Count events.

Overall, the news isn’t great when considering the changes in bird populations since 1970, the earliest date that offers what Horner referred to as “good, reliable, long-term data.” While waterfowl, wetland birds, and birds of prey have increased, marine birds have stayed the same and forest birds have shown a very slight decrease during that time.

The remaining groups of birds, which include arctic birds, long-distance migrants, shorebirds, aerial insectivores, and grassland birds, have all declined. The biggest declines were in the grassland birds category, which has seen populations drop by around two-thirds.

Horner highlighted five key observations, or stories, revealed by the data.

First, grassland birds in Canada are in crisis, particularly those who rely on native prairie grasslands for survival. The chestnut-collared longspur is one example. This species has shown a 95 per cent drop in numbers since 1970.

The decline in this species’ numbers is caused by a number of factors, including, as the State of Canada’s Birds website notes, “the destruction, degradation, and fragmentation of the native grasslands it needs.” 

Grassland birds that are present in agricultural settings are showing a downturn of around 42 per cent, with individual species skewing higher or lower. One such species found in Ontario is the bobolink. Ontario’s bobolink numbers are consistent with those in other parts of the country, with populations having declined by 79 per cent since 1970.

These are sobering statistics, but Horner noted that part of the reason we look at data is to identify where action is needed. Horner said there are efforts underway to help declining species. For grassland species, these include incentives to encourage farmers to make their land more hospitable for affected birds.

The second observation Horner made is that shorebirds are continuing to decline. Here, good data is available since 1980. The shorebirds group includes long-legged birds that wade or scurry along the shorelines of oceans, lakes, rivers, and marshes. Plovers, sandpipers, and whimbrels are examples of birds that fall in this category.

Shorebirds time their migrations to take advantage of when insects hatch and when berries are available for food. With climate change affecting the timing of these seasonal events, the resources might not be available when birds need them.

In the case of shorebirds that favor prairie wetlands, climate change is affecting the frequency of drought. In this case, finding a solution to help the birds is complex, as there are larger factors at play.

One example of an affected shorebird species in Ontario is the killdeer. Ontario’s killdeer population, consistent with the country-wide data, has dropped by 75 per cent since the early 1970s.

Horner’s third key observation is that there are signs of hope for aerial insectivores, a category that includes swifts, swallows, nightjars, and flycatchers. While the group has shown a decline of 43 per cent since 1970, the declines seem to be leveling off. 

In some cases, species are starting to show a slight recovery, though scientists are uncertain why that may be. Still, species like the olive-sided flycatcher are in trouble. 

The fourth story emerging from the data is that long-distance migrants are facing difficulties. The blackpoll warbler is a case in point. This particular species has undergone an 81 per cent decline since 1970.

Long distance migrants, Horner said, are birds that travel to tropical locations to overwinter. They are facing more serious declines than species that travel shorter distances.

There are number of contributing factors affecting long-distance migrants. For one thing, some of these species travel long distances over water. With increasing weather variability and more severe weather events, this becomes riskier. 

As well, birds may encounter decreased food supplies at their stopover sites. Cross-border collaboration is needed to ensure long-term recovery for these species.  

The fifth key story emerging from the data is that three groups of birds, waterfowl, birds of prey, and wetland birds, have increased in population since 1970. This data, Horner said, needs to be considered in context. Many of these species had seen big population drops in the early and middle 1900s, so the ‘increase’ in population in some cases represents a recovery to previous levels. Still, Horner said, “it shows it is possible for populations to come back.”

The peregrine falcon is one example of a species that has bounced back. Almost wiped out in the 1950s due to poisoning from the pesticide DDT, peregrine falcons have made a huge recovery in numbers, although they have not yet rebounded to the populations they held in the early 20th century. Ducks are another group that is on the rise, with the wood duck being one example. Wood duck populations have tripled since 1970, after being heavily impacted by unregulated hunting, the feather trade, and the disappearance of wetlands.

In addition to offering overall bird population data and analysis and individual species profiles and status assessments, The State of Canada’s Birds also gives information about threats and conservation efforts. The site also lists actions individuals can take to help birds, such as maintaining bird-friendly habitat, preventing bird collisions with windows, and taking part in citizen science efforts.

More information about the state of Canada’s birds can be found at www.stateofcanadasbirds.org.