Hamilton earns coveted ‘Bird-Friendly City’ designation from Nature Canada
Published April 1, 2022 at 11:27 am
Hamilton is now the sixth city in Canada to be designated as ‘bird friendly’ by Nature Canada.
The certification, confirmed on Friday (April 1), recognizes the community’s dedication to supporting and protecting wild birds.
“The Bird Friendly City designation has been developed by Nature Canada to encourage Canadian cities and municipalities to become safer and better places for birds,” the nature conservation charity said in a press release.
Some of the Hamilton initiatives that Nature Canada highlighted in its designation announcement include:
- Establishing a “no-roam” by-law for cats to reduce the impact of cat predation on wild bird populations,
- Protecting natural lands and greenspaces, and implementing nature-based climate solutions such as tree planting and wetland restorations,
- Conserving bird populations in Hamilton by engaging residents to participate in community science initiatives for children, youth and adults.
In order to qualify for the bird-friendly certification, members of Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington, the group of community organizations that formed to work towards this designation, launched a public engagement campaign to determine the community’s official ‘City Bird.’
Last month, the results of the public poll were announced and Hamilton residents selected the Peregrine Falcon as the city’s bird of choice.
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“Our local birds and those that migrate here are part of our eco-diversity that also brings much delight and pride to our residents,” said Hamilton’s Ward 3 councillor Nrinder Nann in a statement.
“This initiative enables us to be responsible and responsive to continuing to foster an environment in our city that cares for all species.”
The certification comes with the responsibility to ensure that conservation and protection efforts remain consistent as the designation is evaluated annually and can be downgraded if a community has strayed from its bird-friendly path.
Conservation efforts have stepped up across Canada and North America in recent years as studies have shown that some bird populations have suffered severe decline for decades.
According to data from Environment Canada, for the years between 1970 and 2016, populations of shorebirds, grassland birds and aerial insectivores (birds that feed by catching insects in the air) decreased by 40 per cent, 57 per cent and 59 per cent, respectively.
“There are three billion fewer birds in North America today than 50 years ago,” Nature Canada noted in Friday’s release.
“Much of these losses are caused by human activities. As urban expansion continues, cities must act quickly to ensure that North America’s bird populations are protected and supported.”
To learn more about Nature Canada and Canada’s Bird-Friendly Cities, visit the organization’s website.
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