Written By: Alexandra Mitnik
Edited By: Colleen Haridass
Designed By: Cece Ndiwa
Published By: Miriam Alonge Wato
Birds Canada is a non-profit, charity organization founded and contributed to by volunteer Citizen Scientists. The organization strives to “increase the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of birds in Canada”.
Though Birds Canada is based in Ontario, its services are offered in both English and French– one of the reasons that Birds Canada is one of the largest Canadian ecological charities. Regarding services, Birds Canada has many, which are divided into three categories: conservation, discovery, and scientific research.
Conservation
Birds Canada advocates for the importance of biodiversity and conservation. Right now, the biggest challenge to that is climate change. In fact, their website mentions research predicting 2⁄3 of North American birds will be affected by the climate crisis. To mitigate climate change, Birds Canada encourages people to be more conscious about the environmental impact of their actions, to support sustainability initiatives, and to join bird-monitoring volunteer programs.
Discovery
Whereas Birds Canada’s conservation page is all about how to protect birds, their discovery page underscores why doing so is important. The major ways Birds Canada teaches people about the importance of bird welfare are online classes, workshops, and informational packages for schools and workplaces. Additionally, bird watching hopefuls can find plenty of birding tips on the site, plus a code of birding ethics.
Scientific Research
Finally, Birds Canada’s science content focuses on tracking birds and analysing the data tracking provides. They rely very heavily on citizen scientists for this data, and getting enough information to allow for trend analysis is a very difficult task. At the time of this article, Birds Canada’s website currently offers visitors a chance to look at the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, read scientific reports/publications for free, consult a nesting calendar tool, and view Birds Canada’s own data reports.
If you’re interested in joining Birds Canada, or are simply an ornithology enthusiast, you can learn more about them from their website, birdscanada.org
That’s all for Birds Canada! Fly high, ornithology enthusiasts.