To the great surprise of many Ontario birders, a Ferruginous Hawk, a native species of the grasslands and open country in western North America, was recently recovered near the town of Erieau. This rare occurrence marks only the 9th recorded sighting of this species in Ontario. The hawk’s journey, from being rescued after a tumultuous encounter with passing vehicles to its successful rehabilitation, has now taken an exciting turn with the implementation of advanced tracking technologies. In collaboration with the Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation and the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders ..read more

By: Amanda Bichel, Key Biodiversity Areas Coordinator Frank Lake is as gem just outside of a city of more than a million people, and I’m happy to say, it will stay a gem for the time being.  Frank Lake is the most important wetland for birds in Southwestern Alberta and hosts an impressive number of migrating and breeding species, as well as species at risk, including Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, Franklin’s Gulls, and Bank Swallows. Many land use and conservation planning exercises conducted over the last half century have highlighted the importance of the Frank Lake wetland and surroundi ..read more

Common Nighthawk Photo: Nick Saunders Canadian Nightjar Survey (nationwide)   Volunteer opportunity Nightjars are a unique part of Canada’s avifauna and three species breed here: the Common Nighthawk, Common Poorwill, and Eastern Whip-poor-will. Due to their crepuscular and nocturnal habits, these aerial insectivores have been little studied. In fact, there is currently insufficient information to determine population trends for the Common Poorwill in Canada. However, the data that are available for the Common Nighthawk and Eastern Whip-poor-will suggest strong declines, possibly linked ..read more

If anybody knows the challenges of being a mother, it is our beloved Chewie. For those of you who don’t know, Chewie is an endangered Piping Plover who has been nesting in Ontario for the past couple of years. First spotted in 2020, she laid one unsuccessful egg on Toronto Island. She tried again in 2021 at Darlington Provincial Park, and was unsuccessful in both of her attempts at nesting. She produced two clutches with four eggs each. They were predated each time. Piping Plover. Photo: Diana Turchin After another unsuccessful attempt at Darlington in 2022, she found herself on Toronto I ..read more

Download Media Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 9, 2023, Toronto, Ontario – Spring has sprung in the GTA which means the birds are back in town! Just like the film stars that flock to Toronto each year, our honoured guests will soar together at the 7th annual Toronto Bird Celebration. Toronto is an important area for more than 50 million birds that will visit the city this spring. What better way to make these “celebirdies” feel welcome than to join the Toronto Bird Celebration party. This month-long festival of events spans from the Rouge Urban National Park, out to Toronto Island, and up ..read more

By Sue Abbott, Associate Director – NS Programs On Thursday, April 20, 2023, Nova Scotia Natural Resources & Renewables Minister Tory Rushton announced the provincial government would not consider a proposal for a golf course development at West Mabou Beach Provincial Park. This decision brings enormous relief to us and many other supporters of this park and its wildlife. Let’s take a moment to celebrate this conservation win! We send a huge thank you to the nearly 250 supporters who wrote to Minister Rushton and Premier Houston through our campaign webpage. Our collective voices heighte ..read more

Download Release MEDIA RELEASE: Federal Government fails to protect birds and biodiversity in Fraser Delta with approval of Roberts Bank Terminal 2   For release: April 21, 2023 Port Rowan, ON – The federal government has approved a proposal to build a second container ship terminal in the Port of Vancouver, including the Fraser River. During the historic United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal this December, the Government of Canada made commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Unfortunately, the Government of Canada is not following through on this promise ..read more

Download Media Release Download Photos FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2023, Port Rowan, Ontario – Birds Canada and partners are launching the third season of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas-3 project (Atlas-3), the largest province-wide Citizen Science effort which surveys all species breeding in Ontario. Volunteer birders, of all skill-levels, can help collect critical data to inform conservation actions to better protect birds and biodiversity. The Atlas runs for five years, and only happens once every two decades. Ontario successfully accomplished Atlas-1 (1981–1985), the first standardi ..read more

By Graham Sorenson, Aerial Insectivore Conservation Program Coordinator Chimney Swifts are an amazing species – they migrate from Canada to the Amazon River basin, spend most of each day flying, nest and spend nights in chimneys and hollow trees, and eat a lot of insects (1,000+ a day!). And they are easy to see and hear – no need for early morning wake-ups or long hikes into the forest – Chimney Swifts can be found above most cities and towns in the eastern half of Canada. Declines and Conservation As European settlers arrived in North America, they cleared the mature forest which containe ..read more

by Caroline Biel They weigh scarcely more than a slice of bread. They look dainty enough to get blown away by a gust of wind. Yet each year they migrate vast distances, jumping from country to country as if playing hopscotch across Earth. Adult Western Sandpipers are easy to identify in summer plumage. Rufous streaks on their head and wings distinguish them from other “peeps” (little brown shorebirds). When adults lose their rusty highlights in autumn, a long, slightly drooping bill is another field mark to look for. Western Sandpiper. Photo: Finn Grathwol Western Sandpipers winter on the ..read more