In the heart of many Canadian cities and towns you\u2019d be hard pressed to not find (or hear) at least one or two species of birds. Maybe a House Sparrow in a nearby bush or an American Crow on a hydroline. Birds not only bring their beautiful song, vibrant plumage colours, and graceful flights to our neighbours, they also help to boost our mental health and serve as key indicator species of overall ecosystem health.<\/p>\n
However, many of Canada\u2019s bird populations have been declining since the 1970\u2019s due to a variety of factors including habitat loss, climate change, predation by free-roaming cats, pesticides, and collisions with glass structures and vehicles. With the majority of Canadians now living in urban areas, and many migratory fly-ways intersecting with our large cities and towns, it is time to take action together to ensure our built environments are bird-friendly! This is where Nature Canada, QuebecOiseaux<\/a>, and Environment for Americas<\/a>\u2019 annual World Migratory Bird Day<\/a> campaign comes in! Each spring, Nature Canada invites event hosts and community members to learn more about the many ways that we can take collective action to save bird lives in our built environments. This year\u2019s conservation theme, Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>highlights the urgent need for sustainable municipal planning and community action to mitigate the threats birds face as urbanization continues to grow. If birds and biodiversity are overlooked in our municipalities and neighbourhoods, we risk losing our feathered friends forever. But there is good news! Over 30 Canadian municipalities<\/a> have already taken a stand to reduce key threats to birds in their communities. There are many simple, easy and effective steps you can also take to protect birds this World Migratory Bird Day including:<\/p>\n Together, we can make a significant difference for birds and the ecosystems they support. Hosting a World Migratory Bird Day event is a powerful way to inspire your community, celebrate the beauty of the return of migratory birds, and take meaningful steps toward creating safer shared spaces for them. Whether it\u2019s organizing a bird walk, tabling at a farmers\u2019 market, planting a native garden, or rallying for bird-friendly policies to your elected officials of local government, your efforts can have a lasting impact.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s work together to turn our towns and cities into safe havens for birds and ensure their songs continue to enrich our lives for generations to come. Stayed tuned for our 2025 World Migratory Bird Day website and sign up for updates by becoming a Migratory Bird Defender:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sources:<\/p>\n Buxton, R.T., Hudgins, E.J., Lavigne, E. et al. Mental health is positively associated with biodiversity in Canadian cities. Commun Earth Environ 5, 310 (2024). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-024-01482-9<\/p>\n Gregory, Richard. (2010). Wild Bird Indicators: Using Composite Population Trends of Birds as Measures of Environmental Health. Ornithological Science. 9. 3-22. 10.2326\/osj.9.3.<\/p>\n Birds Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada.. (2024). State of Canada’s Birds 2024 Report. Retrieved from https:\/\/naturecounts.ca\/nc\/socb-epoc\/report\/2024\/en\/<\/p>\n Statistics Canada. (2022). Canada’s large urban centres continue to grow and spread. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/220209\/dq220209b-eng.html<\/p>\n Alex Vlaiculescu, Cristiano Varrone, (2022) Chapter 14 – Sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to reduce the use of pesticides, Pesticides in the Natural Environment, .nc-signup__form { The post Create Safer Built Environments for Birds this World Migratory Bird Day!<\/a> appeared first on Nature Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the heart of many Canadian cities and towns you\u2019d be hard pressed to not find (or hear) at least one or two species of birds. Maybe a House Sparrow in a nearby bush or an American Crow on a hydroline. 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Elsevier, Pages 329-364, ISBN 9780323904896, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/B978-0-323-90489-6.00014-8.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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