Blog / eNews

Each spring and summer, the Birds Canada team, partners and volunteers, enjoy visits from Piping Plovers originating from all across the Great Lakes. Young plovers often wander throughout the region, visiting new beaches to scope out potential future breeding habitat. This year, over 30 individual Piping Plovers visited Ontario, but only 8 individuals nested in the province. So, who are the other hopeful guests who stopped in throughout the season? Here are a few of their stories!

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Betty Chanyi, a cherished member of the Birds Canada family and a beloved figure in Norfolk County, Ontario. Betty was a lifelong resident of Norfolk, and her passion for community and nature shone brightly in all that she did.

Every year, Long Point Bird Observatory hosts the Doug Tarry Young Ornithologists’ Workshop (YOW) for young birders from across Canada. In 2024, two workshops were held, hosting 13 participants from six provinces. Here is a recap of their two weeks of hands-on ornithological, science, and naturalist-oriented programming.

Bird-related events and activities are helping newcomers to Canada connect with nature and their community in the Greater Toronto Area. From accessible guided walks with birding experts to online presentations, these events engage the public with urban nature through a shared love of birds.

In the rolling hills outside the village of Lenore, Manitoba, Hodgins Farm is proving that farming and conservation can work together. Lisa and Cameron Hodgins and their four kids run their family farm, where they’ve embraced regenerative agriculture, making their land a safe haven for birds and wildlife. Their impact isn’t just anecdotal—thanks to Birds Canada’s Bird-friendliness Index (BFI), it’s clear that Hodgins Farm is making a measurable and meaningful difference for the local bird populations.

The third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas aims to map the distribution and relative abundance of the province’s birds. Coverage in roadless areas can be a significant challenge. Each year, teams of volunteers fly into northern Ontario to conduct Atlassing on foot and by watercraft, embarking on extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime journeys to gather vital data.