Dozens of Events Welcome Birds Back to Canada
OTTAWA, ON (May 7, 2018) – Dozens of groups from coast to coast are celebrating World Migratory Bird Day this coming Saturday, May 12, with events ranging from bird watching to face painting. Spring is when hundreds of species of birds are on the move, with many returning to Canada from as far away as South America.
“We’re thrilled so many groups are participating in this year’s Bird Day,” said Graham Saul, Executive Director of Nature Canada. “Birds go through incredible journeys to be with us, and we owe it to them to step up our conservation efforts so that they can continue to thrive.”
A new report from BirdLife International, State of the World’s Birds 2018, reinforces what we already knew – birds are in trouble. Forty percent of the world’s 11,000 bird species are in decline, and one in eight bird species is threatened with global extinction. Threats to birds include habitat loss, climate change, chemical use, window collisions and outdoor domestic cats.
Nature Canada and its partners encourage Canadians to take positive actions on behalf of birds, including keeping cats safe from roaming, making their gardens bird-friendly, reducing window and car collisions, and celebrating birds — on Bird Day and throughout the year.
World Migratory Bird Day was created in 1993 and is a project of Environment for the Americas to raise awareness on the need to conserve birds and their habitats.
“Birds are a fantastic subject matter to engage people in nature,” says Jody Allair, National Conservation Outreach Manager for Bird Studies Canada. “Participating in a bird-themed event on World Migratory Bird Day is a sure-fire way to become inspired by Canada’s amazing birdlife.”
“With the arrival all of these migratory birds happening in May, it seems as though nature is making its claim against the long winter that we just had,” says Jean-Sébastien Guénette, director of Québec Oiseaux. “It is by far the most exciting time of year for ornithologists and nature lovers alike.”
Groups across the country have listed their events on a map hosted at www.birdday.ca [journeedesoiseaux.ca]. The World Migratory Bird Day initiative in Canada is a joint project of Nature Canada, Bird Studies Canada and Québec Oiseaux.
For more information contact:
Graham Saul at 613-710-2819
Jody Allair at 519-586-3531 ext.117
Jean-Sébastien Guénette at 514-252-3190
Nature Canada is the oldest national nature conservation charity in Canada. Over the past 75 years, Nature Canada has helped protect more than 63 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species that depend on this habitat. Today, Nature Canada represents a network comprised of over 65,000 members and supporters and more than 350 nature organizations across the country with affiliates in every province.
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