How human activities are killing birds in Canada

Photo courtesy of Cam Barlow
www.cambarlow.smugmug.com

Recently, researchers in the United States reported that that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals annually in North America.  Now, Environment Canada has put together a list of the 9 leading causes of bird deaths in Canada and cats are once again at the top of the list.  “After cats, both domestic and feral, the biggest bird-killers are collisions with tall structures and road deaths. Combined, these three causes are responsible for 95 per cent of deaths.” – CBC reports

The journal of Avian Conservation and Ecology has also devoted an entire issue to the various human-related causes of bird deaths in Canada.  This can be viewed on their website.

Considering that Canada’s bird populations have declined by 12% on average and some species by as much as 90% since the 1970’s it is important that we as individuals each try to do our part to help do what we can to decrease the amount of mortality that is directly caused by our actions.  Birds serve a wide variety of functions in our ecosystems such as pest control, pollination and seed dispersal and although it is very difficult to accurately measure, they have tremendous economic value to the regions that they service.

What can you do?  Nature Canada’s website has a list of 10 easy things that you can do to help save birds in your area.

Want more Information?:  

To read the complete Environment Canada report visit: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/800519-environment-canada-bird-study.html

For the Avian Conservation and Ecology website, visit: http://www.ace-eco.org/issues/view.php?sf=4

For the complete CBC news article, please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/9-leading-causes-of-bird-deaths-in-canada-1.1873654