Past Projects

Bird Conservation & Responsible Pet Ownership

We established a Bird Conservation Committee in 2007. This committee engages in research, education, and policy change to reverse the decline of migratory and non-migratory bird species in Atlantic Canada. We work to educate the public about preventable causes of bird death.  

Recent research suggests that 44 per cent of Canadian bird species are declining, including one-third of the species found in the Maritimes. Habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and human-related causes of individual mortality all negatively affect our bird populations. 

The Ecology Action Centre’s Bird Conservation Committee, established 2007, engages in research, education & policy change to reverse the decline of migratory and non-migratory bird species in Atlantic Canada. We educate the public about preventable causes of bird death. 

We also advocate for legislative change that will help protect local bird populations. Our committee is made up of representatives from organizations including the Nova Scotia Bird Society, Bird Studies Canada, and Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Members also include individuals with expertise in bird biology, veterinary science, and graphic design, as well as students and members of the public. Birds play an important role in Canadian ecosystems. We rely on them as an indicator species to tell us about the state of our environment. They control insect and rodent populations and help distribute seeds. 

They are also enjoyed by many Canadians, particularly gardeners, birdwatchers, and naturalists. In fact, bird watching is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in Canada. 

Responsible pet ownership

The EAC and our partners have been working to improve awareness and build support for programs and initiatives in HRM which address the critical issue of the impact of outdoor and free-roaming cats on birds. The rationale for this work arose from studies published in 2013 by Environment Canada which identified cats as the number one cause of human-related direct mortality (habitat loss, for example, is considered an indirect cause) to birds across Canada, with estimates of bird deaths from 1.7 to 4.1 million in HRM alone.   

Many jurisdictions have addressed the multiple issues that have stemmed from cat overpopulation, with the implementation of ‘responsible pet ownership’ programs for owned cats. These programs have positive impacts for human and environmental health and wildlife populations. They benefit the welfare of domestic cats by incentivizing and promoting education of responsible care for the owned cat population. These programs protect cats from becoming stray, lost, or abandoned, and from entering feral populations in the first place.  

Through this work, we aim to build support for a multi-pronged, collaborative approach that addresses this critical issue long term. Most populous municipalities across Canada have adopted municipal education and incentivized program measures including identification, registration, and supervised outdoor access provisions. We promote similar programs to be adopted in HRM, where these programs can provide improved value and responsibility towards owned cats. Without identified owners, such municipal measures don’t apply to un-owned cats, but work cooperatively to complement programs for the feral or stray populations (such as spay/neuter and adoption programs). We promote comprehensive solutions that can make HRM a safe and healthy community for humans, the environment, domestic pets, and wildlife. 

More information

• The Impact of Domestic Cats on Birds: Making Sense of the Science Brochure  

• The State of Canada's Birds 2012 Report 

• The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States (Nature Communications) 

• Estimated number of Birds Killed by House Cats (Felis catus) in Canada 

• A synthesis of human-related avian mortality in Canada 

Partners

We work closely with a number of community partners to help preserve Nova Scotia's resident and migrating bird species. Partnering with Bird Studies Canada, Nova Scotia Bird Society, Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Nature Nova Scotia and Nature Canada, our projects aim to address the joint issue of declining bird species and cat welfare through education, policy change, and community outreach.