Video: Scientists at Environment Canada may have finally determined what has been behind a precipitous drop in Canada’s bird populations. Jacques Bourbeau reports.
A new study published today reveals that 269 million birds are killed every year across Canada as a direct result of human-related activities.
Nature conservation groups across the country, in collaboration with the federal government, are calling on both individuals and governments to do something about this issue before it is too late.
“We are deeply troubled by the disquieting research published today on the number of birds killed every year in Canada due to human-related activities,” said Ian Davidson, Executive Director of Nature Canada. “Fortunately, there are concrete and sensible ways that people and governments can prevent the needless death of birds, especially now during the migratory season.”
The research suggests that about 90% of the 269 million birds killed fall under the protection of the Migratory Birds Convention Act and that the major causes of death include feral and pet cats, agriculture, oil and gas activities, and collisions with buildings.
Under the Act and as a signatory to the Migratory Bird Treaty, the federal government has an obligation to conserve migratory bird populations.
“It’s important that better building standards, including measures to prevent bird deaths, are adopted and enforced by cities across Canada”, said Caroline Schultz, Executive Director of Ontario Nature. “These can be really common sense measures like muting reflections in windows, reducing light pollution or providing visual markers.”
Nature Canada is calling on municipal and other governments to adopt a variety of measures to mitigate these bird deaths, including demanding better building standards from developers; muting reflective surfaces by angling glass or adding awnings or overhangs; and putting legislation in place to cut down on the wasteful practice common in some office buildings of leaving lights on overnight.
“As simple as it sounds, one of the best things Canadians can do is really just to keep your cat indoors, especially around dawn and dusk,” said Alexander MacDonald, Manager of Protected Areas for Nature Canada. MacDonald also stresses that feral cats are an especially acute threat. “Bob Barker really was right: we should help control the pet population and have our pets spayed or neutered.”
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