Canadian birds report

This video is called Birds and Canada’s Tar Sands: Why America’s Number 1 Source of Oil is Removing Millions of Birds.

From BirdLife:

First-Ever “State of Canada’s Birds” Report Released

Wed, Jun 27, 2012

The Canadian BirdLife International co-partners Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada are pleased to announce the release of the first-ever State of Canada’s Birds report. The report draws on 40 years of data to present an overview of how Canada’s birds are faring. It summarizes the status of Canada’s bird populations for eight regions, including the boreal forest, prairies, Arctic, and oceans.

The report shows that Canada’s bird populations have been dramatically influenced by human activity, and finds that there are fewer birds now than in the 1970s. Overall, more species are decreasing (44% of species in Canada) than increasing (33%). Some groups have severely declined, including grassland birds, migratory shorebirds, and aerial insectivores (birds that catch insects in flight).

Other species have increased as a result of successful conservation efforts. The ban on pesticides in the 1970s has helped raptors like the Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, and Bald Eagle recover. Effective management of wetlands has aided waterfowl (ducks and geese).

Birds are crucial indicators of ecosystem health. Changes in bird populations signal changes in the ecosystems we depend on for vital environmental services such as food, clean air, and water. …

The State of Canada’s Birds is available online at www.stateofcanadasbirds.org.