Bird Projects
From coast to coast to coast, Canada’s bird populations are in serious decline. Nesting sites fall victim to natural predators and growing pressure from beach tourism. Agricultural development in the Caribbean and south and central America is destroying the habitat of many Canadian birds that head south for the winter. Meanwhile, climate change presents a host of new challenges, altering conditions on migration routes and overwintering grounds and affecting food availability.
According to Canada’s Species at Risk Public Registry, 50 species of birds in this country are currently Endangered or Threatened. Trends reveal that shorebirds, grassland birds and aerial insectivores that depend on flying insects for food are experiencing the most dramatic declines.
In partnership with other conservation experts, Wildlife Preservation Canada is working to change that. Across the country, our teams are in the field — establishing conservation breeding programs, developing groundbreaking reintroduction techniques and using advanced technology to pinpoint migration routes.
Together, we’re uncovering answers to the threats birds face and developing the best approaches to safeguard their place in our skies.
Active WPC Recovery Projects
Partnerships and Supported Research
Our Recovery Team
Jane Spero (Hudecki), M.Sc.
Conservation Breeding Coordinator – Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program
Jane holds a Master’s degree in Animal Biosciences from the University of Guelph, where she studied building collision injuries in migratory songbird species. Jane worked as a rehabilitation supervisor, where she was responsible for the care, treatment, and reintroduction of injured and orphaned wildlife, including many species at risk.
Helmi Hess
Recovery Biologist – Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program
Helmi joined the WPC loggerhead shrike team in 2023 from a background in wildlife biology, rehabilitation and education. She has worked in grassland and aquatic avian research across Canada since 2015, with species including savannah sparrows, chestnut-collared longspurs and American dippers. Helmi has co-authored peer-reviewed papers in both avian physiology through the University of Guelph and in ecotoxicology through the University of British Columbia.
How you can help
- Be respectful and observe from a distance. Don’t disturb nests, fledglings or adult birds or disturb areas where threatened birds live.
- Take the Pledge to keep your cat indoors.
- Turn off building lights at night during the migration season and use decals or ultraviolet reflective markings on windows to help birds avoid them.
- Choose products that support bird-friendly agricultural, fisheries and forestry practices, such as certified Bird Friendly coffee, range-fed meat, organic products, sustainable seafood and sustainable forestry products.
- Participate in citizen science programs, such as eBird, the Christmas Bird Count and Project FeederWatch.
- Choose alternatives to pesticides and other toxic products.
- Preserve natural areas on your property that provide habitat for birds.
- Plant a variety of native plants that will produce food year-round for nesting birds, winter residents and migrants.
- Help curb climate change by reducing your use of fossil fuels.
- Contact your local government office and let them know that you support responsible land use planning that protects and connects natural areas and endangered species habitat.
- Report sightings of rare species to your provincial/territorial Conservation Data Centre.
- Support Wildlife Preservation Canada.