Birds Canada: Advancing Bird Conservation, Science and Community Action Across Canada

Introduction

Birds Canada is a national registered Canadian charity dedicated to protecting birds and their habitats through science, conservation, public participation, community engagement and long-term bird monitoring.

The organization describes its mission as engaging people through science to protect the birds people love, with a vision in which all bird species in Canada thrive in healthy and diverse habitats. Its work brings together professional scientists, conservationists, Indigenous partners, governments, nonprofit organizations, donors and thousands of volunteer community scientists.

Birds Canada works across Canada and beyond its borders because many Canadian bird species migrate internationally and depend on habitats throughout the Americas.

Its principal areas of work include:

• Bird population monitoring.
• Citizen and community science.
• Species-at-risk recovery.
• Habitat conservation.
• Migratory bird research.
• Conservation technology.
• Biodiversity monitoring.
• Public policy and conservation advocacy.
• Environmental education.
• Community conservation grants.
• Bird observatories.
• Research partnerships.
• Youth training.
• Data collection and open conservation information.

Birds Canada is headquartered in Port Rowan, Ontario, near Long Point on Lake Erie, one of North America’s most important areas for migratory birds. The organization is registered as a Canadian charity under charitable registration number 11902-4313-RR0001.

History and Background

Birds Canada has more than 65 years of history, although its modern national organizational structure developed gradually from a local bird-monitoring initiative.

Its roots can be traced to 1960, when a small group of volunteers established the Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) in southern Ontario.

Long Point Bird Observatory is the oldest continuously operating bird observatory in the Western Hemisphere and remains one of Birds Canada’s most important scientific programs.

The observatory was founded to improve scientific understanding of bird migration, population trends and habitat use.

Long Point provides an exceptional research setting because its long peninsula extending into Lake Erie concentrates large numbers of migrating birds during spring and autumn migration.

Researchers and volunteers began using standardized methods including:

• Bird banding.
• Daily migration counts.
• Population monitoring.
• Breeding studies.
• Habitat research.

These long-term datasets eventually became valuable tools for understanding how bird populations were changing across Canada.

From Long Point Bird Observatory to a National Organization

As the scope of its programs expanded beyond Long Point, members of the observatory voted in 1998 to establish Bird Studies Canada as a broader national organization.

Long Point Bird Observatory subsequently became a program within the national organization rather than functioning as the entire organization itself.

Over the following decades, Bird Studies Canada expanded research and community-science programs across Canada’s provinces and territories.

Its activities increasingly encompassed much more than scientific bird study, including:

• Habitat conservation.
• Public engagement.
• Environmental education.
• Policy.
• Species recovery.
• Citizen science.
• Conservation technology.
• Training.

In November 2019, Bird Studies Canada changed its operating name to Birds Canada.

The organization explained that the new name better represented its wider role in conservation, public engagement, habitat stewardship and education rather than suggesting that its work was limited to academic bird studies.

Mission and Purpose

Birds Canada’s mission is to engage people through science to protect the birds we love.

Its vision is a future in which all bird species in Canada are thriving in healthy and diverse habitats.

The organization uses birds as both a conservation priority and an indicator of broader ecosystem health.

Healthy bird populations depend on functioning:

• Forests.
• Grasslands.
• Wetlands.
• Coastal ecosystems.
• Oceans.
• Agricultural landscapes.
• Urban habitats.
• Boreal ecosystems.

Protecting birds therefore often results in benefits for many other species and ecosystems.

2026–2030 Strategic Plan

Birds Canada’s current strategic plan, United by Birds, covers the period from 2026 to 2030.

The strategy is organized around three interconnected pillars:

• Uncover
• Unite
• Act

Uncover focuses on generating strong science and data to understand how bird populations are changing.

Unite brings together people, communities, volunteers, governments, Indigenous partners and conservation organizations.

Act converts scientific knowledge into practical conservation measures protecting species and important habitats.

Thriving Bird Indicator

Birds Canada has developed the Thriving Bird Indicator as its primary measure for assessing the overall condition of bird populations in Canada.

The indicator combines the best available information for different species and examines whether populations are within appropriate target ranges and have stable or increasing trends.

As of 2026, Birds Canada reports that 44% of birds assessed through the indicator are thriving in Canada.

The organization’s long-term goal is to move toward 100% thriving birds.

This provides Birds Canada with a measurable framework for evaluating progress rather than relying only on the number of projects implemented.

Governance and Structure

Birds Canada is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors responsible for strategic leadership and organizational oversight.

The Board helps guide:

• Conservation strategy.
• Governance.
• Financial oversight.
• Organizational priorities.
• Accountability.
• Long-term planning.

As of 2026, Trevor Swerdfager serves as Chair of the Birds Canada Board of Directors.

His professional background includes senior roles at Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service, as well as work involving environmental science and conservation policy.

Executive Leadership

Birds Canada is led by Patrick Nadeau, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Nadeau is a biologist and environmental nonprofit leader whose work focuses on biodiversity conservation and organizational leadership.

The professional staff structure includes specialists working in areas such as:

• Conservation science.
• Migration ecology.
• Species recovery.
• Data science.
• Community science.
• Habitat conservation.
• Communications.
• Fundraising.
• Indigenous engagement.
• Technology.
• Education.
• Finance and administration.

Staff operate across Canada, allowing the organization to manage both national programs and conservation initiatives focused on particular ecosystems or regions.

Funding and Financial Model

Birds Canada is funded through a combination of charitable, institutional and partnership resources.

Its supporters include:

• Individual donors.
• Charitable foundations.
• Governments.
• Conservation organizations.
• Corporate supporters.
• Community fundraisers.
• Partner organizations.

Individual supporters can contribute through:

• One-time donations.
• Monthly donations through the Flight Club program.
• Gifts of securities.
• Gifts in wills.
• Donor-advised funds.
• Memorial and tribute gifts.
• Community fundraising.
• Birdathon.

Birds Canada encourages unrestricted contributions because these allow resources to be directed toward conservation priorities where they are most urgently needed.

Donors can also support particular programs or conservation areas through designated arrangements.

Birdathon

Birdathon is one of Canada’s longest-running community-based bird conservation fundraisers.

The program began in 1976 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Participants raise funds while observing birds and engaging people in bird conservation.

Revenue generated through Birdathon helps fund the Birds Canada Community Grant, creating a direct connection between community fundraising and grassroots conservation projects.

Funding and Grants

Although Birds Canada primarily implements its own conservation programs, it also provides financial support to external conservation projects.

Its principal funding opportunities include:

• Birds Canada Community Grant.
• Chimney Swift Fund.

These programs allow Birds Canada to extend its conservation impact by financing organizations, researchers and community initiatives undertaking practical work for birds.

Birds Canada Community Grant

The Birds Canada Community Grant provides one-year grants for projects that increase the:

• Understanding of birds.
• Appreciation of birds and their habitats.
• Conservation of birds in Canada.

The program is funded through revenue generated by participants and donors supporting Birds Canada Birdathon.

The Community Grant builds on the legacy of the James L. Baillie Memorial Fund for Bird Research and Preservation, established in 1976 in recognition of ornithologist James Baillie’s contributions.

Before being refreshed as the Birds Canada Community Grant, the Baillie Fund supported more than 650 bird-related projects across Canada.

Community Grant Funding Levels

Community Grant projects are normally relatively small and community focused.

Grants are typically in the range of approximately $2,000 to $5,000 for one-year projects, although the program has considered higher requests depending on the funding cycle.

The program gives particular attention to smaller organizations and initiatives that may have limited access to other conservation funding opportunities.

Projects can involve:

• Bird research.
• Habitat improvement.
• Monitoring.
• Education.
• Community science.
• Conservation outreach.
• Species recovery.
• Bird tracking.

2026 Community Grant Recipients

The 2026 Community Grant recipients demonstrate the diversity of projects supported through Birds Canada.

South Island Bird Research Network in British Columbia received funding to use Motus tracking technology to improve understanding of Violet-green Swallow breeding ecology and migration while involving community members, university students and conservation groups.

Nature Nova Scotia received support to expand long-term community-science monitoring of waterbirds in Halifax and Sydney Harbours.

Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario received funding for Barn Swallow habitat restoration and the development of Chimney Swift habitat.

Fundy Biosphere Region in New Brunswick received support to survey threatened Bicknell’s Thrush within Fundy Trail Provincial Park.

Nature Barrie in Ontario received funding to maintain and replace nest boxes supporting Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and House Wrens.

South Shore Public Libraries in Nova Scotia received support to create circulating birding backpacks containing binoculars and learning materials for community use.

Chimney Swift Fund

The Chimney Swift Fund supports the conservation of Chimney Swifts, a species at risk in Canada.

Unlike conventional research grants, the fund provides financial assistance for repairing and restoring structures such as chimneys and barns that Chimney Swifts use for nesting or roosting.

Eligible applicants can include:

• Property owners.
• Conservation organizations acting on behalf of property owners.

The Fund can cover up to 50% of eligible project costs, with applicants generally required to provide matching funding.

Successful projects must preserve the characteristics that make a structure suitable for Chimney Swifts.

Recipients are also expected to maintain access for the birds over the long term and monitor future use of restored sites.

By March 2025, seven restoration projects had received more than $164,000 in support, with individual grants ranging from approximately $2,200 to more than $68,000.

Major Programs and Initiatives

Birds Canada manages one of Canada’s most extensive collections of bird research and community-science programs.

National initiatives include:

• Canadian Migration Monitoring Network.
• Christmas Bird Count.
• Christmas Bird Count for Kids.
• Canadian Lakes Loon Survey.
• eBird Canada.
• Great Backyard Bird Count.
• Motus Wildlife Tracking System.
• Nocturnal Owl Survey.
• North American Nightjar Survey.
• Project FeederWatch.
• Project NestWatch.
• Breeding Bird Survey.
• Aerial Insectivore programs.
• Boreal conservation initiatives.

These programs generate large datasets that can be used to monitor bird populations over years or decades.

Long Point Bird Observatory

The Long Point Bird Observatory remains the historic foundation of Birds Canada’s scientific work.

Established in 1960, LPBO operates three research stations at Long Point:

• Old Cut.
• Breakwater.
• The Tip.

Its migration-monitoring program combines:

• Daily bird counts.
• Bird banding.
• Population monitoring.
• Collaborative research.
• Training.
• Public education.

Long Point’s monitoring dataset is the longest-running dataset of its type in the Americas.

In 2017, LPBO reached an important milestone when it banded its one-millionth bird.

Canadian Migration Monitoring Network

Birds Canada plays a major role in the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network, connecting bird observatories and monitoring stations across the country.

Migration monitoring is particularly valuable for species breeding in remote northern areas that are difficult to survey during the nesting season.

By counting these birds during migration, researchers can estimate long-term changes in populations that might otherwise remain poorly understood.

Motus Wildlife Tracking System

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is one of the most important conservation technologies associated with Birds Canada.

Motus uses automated radio telemetry to track the movements of small flying animals carrying lightweight transmitters.

The network helps researchers investigate:

• Bird migration.
• Stopover sites.
• Survival.
• Habitat use.
• Movement corridors.
• Migration timing.

The technology is particularly powerful because tracking stations can detect tagged animals automatically as they move through the landscape.

Motus has grown from Canadian origins into an international collaborative research network.

eBird Canada

Birds Canada works with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on eBird Canada.

Birdwatchers can submit observations through eBird, producing large amounts of information about:

• Species distribution.
• Migration.
• Abundance.
• Seasonal patterns.
• Rare birds.

The database transforms recreational birdwatching into valuable scientific information while encouraging greater public participation in conservation.

Project FeederWatch

Project FeederWatch is a long-running citizen-science program operated in collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Participants monitor birds visiting feeders during the winter and submit observations for scientific analysis.

The resulting data help researchers understand:

• Winter bird distribution.
• Population changes.
• Disease.
• Irruptive movements.
• Responses to environmental conditions.

The project demonstrates Birds Canada’s model of combining everyday public engagement with rigorous long-term science.

Christmas Bird Count

The Christmas Bird Count is another major community-science initiative supported by Birds Canada.

The program traces its origins to 1900 and has developed into one of North America’s longest-running wildlife-monitoring programs.

Each winter, volunteers identify and count birds within defined survey areas.

Because the program has operated for generations, its records are particularly valuable for analyzing long-term population changes.

State of Canada’s Birds

Birds Canada is a major contributor to the State of Canada’s Birds assessment.

The 2024 report was co-published with Environment and Climate Change Canada and draws on more than 50 years of bird-monitoring information.

The underlying database includes hundreds of thousands of bird-population trends.

This information helps:

• Identify declining species.
• Establish conservation priorities.
• Assess recovery.
• Guide research.
• Inform government policy.
• Measure conservation progress.

Birds Canada reports that the State of Canada’s Birds initiative assembled more than 400,000 population trends through the NatureCounts data system.

NatureCounts

NatureCounts is a major data platform connected with Birds Canada’s science and conservation work.

It brings together biodiversity and bird-monitoring information from numerous programs.

Making data available in structured formats helps:

• Researchers.
• Conservation planners.
• Governments.
• Environmental organizations.
• Species-recovery teams.

Long-term datasets are especially valuable because many environmental changes become visible only after years or decades of monitoring.

Species Recovery

Birds Canada uses research to support recovery of bird species experiencing serious population declines.

Conservation can involve:

• Habitat restoration.
• Monitoring.
• Research.
• Public education.
• Threat reduction.
• Policy advocacy.
• Partnerships with landowners.
• Species-specific interventions.

The organization’s work emphasizes that population decline is not necessarily irreversible.

Species such as the Bald Eagle, Wood Duck and Whooping Crane have demonstrated that sustained conservation action can contribute to significant recovery.

Protecting Important Places for Birds

Habitat protection is a major component of Birds Canada’s conservation approach.

Scientific data help identify landscapes that are particularly important for:

• Breeding.
• Migration.
• Wintering.
• Feeding.
• Nesting.

Birds Canada works with partners to conserve important landscapes and participates in work involving Key Biodiversity Areas.

Long Point itself is an internationally significant Key Biodiversity Area supporting millions of migratory birds and more than 250 documented bird species.

Grassland Conservation

Grassland birds are among the groups that have experienced serious population declines in North America.

Birds Canada works with:

• Farmers.
• Ranchers.
• Landowners.
• Conservation organizations.
• Governments.

Conservation approaches can seek to maintain productive agricultural landscapes while protecting the nesting and feeding habitat grassland birds require.

This type of partnership is important because much remaining grassland bird habitat occurs on privately managed agricultural land.

Birds and Climate Change

Climate change increasingly affects:

• Migration timing.
• Food availability.
• Breeding seasons.
• Habitat distribution.
• Extreme weather exposure.

Long-term datasets maintained by Birds Canada allow researchers to identify these changes.

For example, more than five decades of Tree Swallow monitoring at Long Point have helped researchers examine relationships between warming temperatures, insect availability and breeding timing.

Community Science

One of Birds Canada’s defining characteristics is the scale of public participation in its research.

Each year, more than 24,000 volunteers across Canada contribute approximately 1.6 million hours to bird science and monitoring alongside professional researchers.

Volunteers participate in activities such as:

• Counting birds.
• Monitoring nests.
• Recording feeder visitors.
• Conducting owl surveys.
• Participating in migration monitoring.
• Submitting observations.
• Tracking species at risk.

Community science dramatically increases the geographic and temporal scale of research that professional scientists could conduct alone.

Education and Training

Birds Canada also invests in developing future ornithologists and conservation professionals.

One important initiative is the Doug Tarry Young Ornithologists’ Workshop at Long Point.

Youth participants receive practical experience in areas such as:

• Bird identification.
• Bird banding.
• Migration monitoring.
• Natural history.
• Field research.
• Conservation science.

More than 175 young naturalists had participated in the program by 2024, with many going on to careers in bird research and conservation.

International Training

Birds Canada recognizes that many Canadian migratory birds spend much of their lives outside Canada.

The Long Point Bird Observatory therefore established a Latin American Exchange Program in 1995, in cooperation with the Canadian Wildlife Service.

The program has trained more than 150 participants from 15 countries, helping build bird-monitoring and conservation expertise in regions where Canadian migratory birds spend the winter or pass during migration.

Impact and Examples of Conservation Work

Birds Canada’s impact is generated through the combination of:

• Long-term scientific datasets.
• Public participation.
• Research publications.
• Habitat conservation.
• Community funding.
• Species recovery.
• Policy engagement.
• Conservation technology.

Its scientific information is used by researchers, governments and conservation organizations to determine where conservation action is most urgently required.

More Than Six Decades of Monitoring

Few conservation organizations possess datasets extending over more than half a century.

Birds Canada’s monitoring work at Long Point dates to 1960, while other programs have accumulated decades of observations.

These datasets allow researchers to distinguish short-term fluctuations from sustained population trends.

Long-term information can reveal:

• Population declines.
• Recoveries.
• Changes in migration.
• Habitat impacts.
• Climate-related changes.
• Emerging conservation threats.

Science Informing Conservation Policy

Birds Canada’s research is not intended solely for academic publication.

The organization explicitly seeks to convert scientific knowledge into:

• Better policy.
• Habitat protection.
• Species recovery.
• Conservation planning.
• Best practices.

Its scientists regularly publish and contribute to peer-reviewed research, assessments and reports used by policymakers and conservation practitioners.

Community-Level Conservation Impact

The Birds Canada Community Grant allows relatively small organizations to undertake practical conservation projects that may have difficulty securing major institutional funding.

Examples from 2026 include:

• Tracking Violet-green Swallows in British Columbia.
• Monitoring harbour waterbirds in Nova Scotia.
• Restoring Barn Swallow habitat at Six Nations of the Grand River.
• Surveying threatened Bicknell’s Thrush in New Brunswick.
• Maintaining Eastern Bluebird nest boxes in Ontario.
• Making birdwatching equipment accessible through public libraries.

These projects illustrate how small grants can generate research data while strengthening local participation in conservation.

Why Birds Canada Matters

Birds Canada occupies a distinctive position within Canadian conservation because it combines professional science with large-scale public participation.

Its model recognizes that protecting birds requires both specialized expertise and thousands of people collecting observations across vast geographic areas.

The organization is particularly relevant to people and institutions interested in:

• Bird conservation in Canada.
• Ornithology.
• Biodiversity.
• Citizen science.
• Community science.
• Wildlife research.
• Species-at-risk conservation.
• Habitat protection.
• Environmental grants.
• Bird research funding.
• Migratory bird monitoring.
• Climate-change research.
• Nature conservation.

Birds also provide an accessible way for people to become involved in environmental action. A person does not need to be a professional scientist to submit observations, participate in a bird count, monitor nests or contribute to conservation.

Conclusion

Birds Canada is Canada’s national charitable organization dedicated to advancing bird science and conservation through public participation, rigorous research and practical conservation action.

Its roots date to the creation of Long Point Bird Observatory in 1960. The organization expanded nationally as Bird Studies Canada in 1998 and adopted the operating name Birds Canada in 2019 to better reflect the breadth of its conservation work.

Today, Birds Canada works through bird-monitoring networks, community science, conservation technology, species recovery, habitat protection, education, advocacy and targeted grantmaking.

Programs including the Long Point Bird Observatory, Motus Wildlife Tracking System, Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, eBird Canada, Canadian Lakes Loon Survey, State of Canada’s Birds and Community Grant provide scientific information and practical tools for understanding and protecting bird populations.

Its current 2026–2030 United by Birds strategy focuses on uncovering strong scientific evidence, uniting people around conservation and acting to protect species and the places they need to survive.

With more than 24,000 volunteers contributing around 1.6 million hours annually, Birds Canada demonstrates how professional science and community participation can work together at a national scale.

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