Birds
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©Gordon Court: Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) |
Quick facts
Background
Status of knowledge
Richness and diversity in Canada
Species spotlight: Atlantic Puffin
Species spotlight - Western Screech-Owl, Megascops kennicotti
Species spotlight: Red-headed Woodpecker
Results of assessment
Comparison with Wild Species 2000
Threats to Canadian birds
Conclusion
Further information
References
Bird - A feathered, warm-blooded vertebrate of the class Aves, having a beak and wings, laying eggs and usually able to fly - The Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
Quick facts
There are approximately 10 000 species of birds worldwide, of which 653 have been found in Canada.
Each spring, up to 3 billion birds of more than 300 species migrate north to breed in Canada's boreal forest!
Arctic Terns make an annual migration from their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to their Antarctic wintering grounds, a round-trip of approximately 35 000 km.
Christmas Bird Counts have been used to survey North American birds since 1900. During the 2004 - 2005 count, 11 829 Canadian volunteers counted 3.05 million birds, of 300 species.
The majority of bird species have Canada general status ranks (Canada ranks) of Secure (55%) or Accidental (30%). In addition, 6% of bird species have Canada ranks of Sensitive, 4% have Canada ranks of At Risk, 2% have Canada ranks of May Be At Risk, and less than 1% have Canada ranks of Extinct or Extirpated.
Of the 629 species of birds that were ranked in both 2000 and 2005, the Canada ranks of 9% have been altered (55 species). 38% of the changes moved species into a category with a higher level of risk, 36% of the changes moved species into a category with a lower level of risk, and 25% of the changes moved species out of the Undetermined or Not Assessed categories Changes in Canada rank have not led to substantial changes in the proportion of bird species within each general status rank.
Citation for species list
Birds
American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
French common names
Devillers, P., Ouellet, H., Benito-Espinal, É., Beudels, R., Cruon, R., David, N., Érard, C., Gosselin, M., Seutin, G. 1993. Noms français des oiseaux du Monde, 1re éd. Éd. MultiMondes Inc., Sainte-Foy, Québec & Éd. Chabaud, Bayonne, France.
