Latest news with #MigratoryBirdsConventionAct
Hamilton Spectator
17-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Tree debris removed at Burlington Millcroft Greens site as investigations continue
Removal of tree debris at Millcroft Greens began June 11 as an investigation into last month's tree cutting on the Burlington property continues. City forestry staff are supervising the removal work. Both the City of Burlington and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) are investigating the tree cutting on parts of Millcroft Golf Club. The tree cutting took place May 1, in preparation for future construction of 90 homes, but the city apparently issued a stop work order shortly after the cutting began and opened an investigation under its private tree bylaw. Details of the planned development can be found at the city's project website . The city issued a permit allowing the developer's contractors to access or cross city property in order to remove tree debris from the golf course. The golf club currently operates just nine of its 18 holes. Due to the ongoing investigation, the city is releasing limited information. An ECCC spokesperson told the Burlington Post on May 2 the federal department had launched an investigation to determine whether the tree cutting contravened the Migratory Birds Convention Act. That law 'prohibits the disturbance or destruction of migratory birds, their nests, and eggs.' Spokesperson Cecelia Parsons stated in a June 11 email ECCC publishes enforcement notifications or news releases that relate to convictions and when it is in the public interest, may, in some cases, share information about investigations or charges that are before the court. 'Otherwise, to protect the integrity of enforcement processes, the department does not share specific details relating to its inspections or ongoing investigations,' Parsons said. According to a joint statement issued by ward 6 city councillor Angelo Bentivegna and Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, the permit issued earlier this month allows the landowner to remove fallen trees and branches but prohibits any further removal of living trees or stumps. The stop work order remains in place — limiting any work on site to the permitted removal of tree debris. According to a previous update issued by Meed Ward, the city and Millcroft Greens had a pre-servicing agreement that set out conditions to be met before tree removals could begin. 'Millcroft Greens began removing trees before all conditions were satisfied,' Meed Ward's statement continued in her June newsletter. 'As a result, the City issued a cease-work order on May 1, 2025.' Representatives of Millcroft Greens did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. A statement on the Millcroft Greens website acknowledges 'many in the community are disappointed to see the removal of trees' but calls the work 'a necessary step in the creation of new homes.' 'As part of our approved development application, we have preserved 425 existing trees and are planting over 2,600 new trees in the developed blocks,' the Millcroft Greens statement continues. 'We also want to assure the community that all work that has been conducted on site was undertaken only after the necessary approvals were obtained.' The Millcroft Greens website states an ecologist ensured no active migratory bird nests were disturbed and some trees within a designated buffer zone were preserved. Sonia Robinson, of the group Millcroft Against Bad Development , said large machines rolled into the neighbourhood at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11 to begin the removal of tree debris. 'The noise level was unbearable yet they continued to wood chip the felled trees for over 10 hours,' Robinson said. 'This heavy machinery was less than 50 feet from some of the homeowners' backyards.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
'Pretty evil birds' are dive-bombing pedestrians in Etobicoke, residents say
Red-winged blackbirds are dive-bombing residents of one Toronto neighbourhood, swooping down and pecking at their heads, but an expert says there's not too much the locals can do as the birds protect their nests. On one street in Etobicoke, near Kipling Avenue and Dundas Street W., the birds with the distinctive markings are annoying and even frightening residents. In some cases, if the pedestrians flee, the birds will chase. Ron Glatt, a local resident who has lived in the area for four years, said on Thursday that the attacks seem to be worse this year than last. He said the red-winged blackbirds live in the trees in the area, including outside his house. "We've just really been seeing them be more aggressive than usual," Glatt said. "When people are running, it seems to make things worse. The birds will follow them down the street. We've seen delivery drivers get repeatedly attacked while they're trying to deliver packages. So yeah, they're pretty evil birds." Glatt said his home security camera footage has shown instances where people have been attacked to the point where they have fallen over. Glatt said it would be good if the birds found another area in which to nest. But failing that, he said he has found that staring at the birds, or making eye contact, is one way to lessen attacks. "Walking backwards and looking at the birds tends to work pretty well," he said. One of the homeowners who lives in the neighbourhood told CBC Toronto that her family stopped using the front door to avoid getting attacked. 'A territorial bird just protecting its eggs' Tristan Boswell, another resident, said he was pecked in the head earlier this week in the evening when he was not wearing anything on his head. "It's a territorial bird just protecting its eggs. And it's annoying," he said. "I've seen people, when people are just passing through, get swooped on and they're like, they're being attacked by some invisible enemy, but it's just a bird nesting and trying to protect its little ones." Boswell said he thinks the birds' behaviour is more of an inconvenience rather than a major problem, but he said the city could perhaps put decoys of hawks or owls or blue jays in the trees to ward the red-winged blackbirds off. "Nothing invasive or anything like that... because life is life, you know," he said. Shane Abernethy, bander-in-charge at the Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station, an initiative of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, said the nests are "extremely vulnerable" because the eggs have hatched and they now contain live chicks. Abernethy said bird nests and their eggs are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, an international treaty. Moving them is not possible, he said. 'They're not out for blood' "These birds are defending their nests so this is a purely defensive action. They're not out for blood. This is nesting season for red-winged blackbirds and, in fact, the peak of it," Abernethy said. "As a result, they're aggressively driving away anything they perceive as a threat, which will include any potential predators as well people who have wandered a little bit too close to the nest sites themselves," he said. Abernethy said the attacks should end in the next few weeks. He said the birds attack from behind and he recommends that people make eye contact if a bird is spotted close by, avoid getting close to the birds and consider wearing a hat for protection. In a statement, a city spokesperson said the city can't anticipate where nests are being built or how a bird might react to a person's proximity to one. "We encourage the public, if they see or encounter an aggressive red-winged blackbird, to please keep their distance because they're protecting their young and their nest."
National Observer
09-06-2025
- Climate
- National Observer
Influx of chimney swifts in N.B., a promising sign for threatened species: experts
The spring migratory season got off to an encouraging start for one threatened bird species, a national conservation group says, noting it recently logged thousands of chimney swifts at a single address in Fredricton. Allison Manthorne, associate director of Atlantic programs with Birds Canada, said chimney swift numbers have dropped by about 90 per cent since the 1970s. So when Birds Canada counted more than 2,400 chimney swifts pouring into a city flue on the evening of May 25, she said the group was pleasantly surprised. "It's the only large roost that we know of in Fredericton at the moment ... typically, we'll see this kind of pulse in late May of a few hundred birds," she said. "Sometimes there's a bit of a traffic jam, and maybe it's weather, maybe it's a predator, maybe it's a big storm down south, ... We're not entirely sure what happened to make all of these 2,400 swifts pack into that roost on that particular night." Manthorne said Birds Canada staff and volunteers participate in a national roost monitoring survey on four set dates across chimney swift nesting sites every year. Manthorne said the last time Birds Canada counted close to this number of chimney swifts — about 2,700 — was in 2018. The scimitar-shaped chimney swifts are classified as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and are also protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Environment and Climate Change Canada estimated the chimney swift population stood between 20,000 and 70,000 mature birds as of 2023. It said the long-term goal is to maintain a stable population between 2033 and 2043, while the short-term objective is to halt the drop in numbers within 10 years. Chimney swifts are long-distance migrants, breeding anywhere between Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia and wintering in South America. They regularly nest in chimneys or other tall stacks on their travels. Nick Lund, a network manager for US wildlife conservation organization Maine Audubon, called chimney swifts incredible birds. "They're often called a cigar with wings," he said while describing their short, tubelike bodies flanked by scythe-like appendages. "They spend their days zooming around over towns and cities, gulping flying insects out of the air. ... They're never seen perched or on the ground, unless you're able to peer into a nest chimney." Lund said there's a lot to love about chimney swifts, especially for city-dwellers with fewer opportunities to see the natural world in action. 'They're unlike any other bird you'd find in a city — very different from pigeons or starlings — and so they're a great connection to a wilder world for many people." Scientists say the birds are now threatened due to climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use, which depletes the supply of flying insects they rely on for food. "It's not just one single threat," Manthorne said. "It's this constellation of threats, and they're doing the best they can to survive." In 2021, University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner said climate change, insecticides, herbicides, light pollution, invasive species and changes in agriculture and land use are causing Earth to lose probably one to two per cent of its insects each year. Insects 'are absolutely the fabric by which Mother Nature and the tree of life are built,' Wagner said. Ripple effects of habitat loss is affecting not just insects, but birds too. Lund said chimney swifts used to nest in large trees hollowed out by lightning or other forces. But now, he said they nest exclusively in the closest manmade equivalent: chimneys. Manthorne said the birds have large eyes, short legs and "giant" feet that they use to cling on the inside of hollow trees or chimneys. The birds also have distinctive tails, where each feather has a pointy end that helps the birds climb smokestacks. "When they're clinging to the inside of a chimney at night, they're using their giant feet with their big claws, and they're using their tails, and they can hang on to the side of a vertical surface all night," she said. "It's really cool." They often return to past nesting sites, she added, noting that pattern highlights the importance of spots like the roosting site in Fredericton. Manthorne is troubled by what she says is a common misconception that birds and humans can't comfortably co-exist. "We always say chimney swifts make really good house guests. They're clean, they're tidy, they're not loud. You probably wouldn't even know that they're there unless somebody told you, 'Hey, I saw a bird flying down your chimney,'" she said. "If you've got a pair of swifts, it's really special. You're providing a home for this threatened species. And they've chosen your chimney for a reason."
Hamilton Spectator
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
Influx of chimney swifts in N.B., promising sign for threatened species: experts
FREDERICTON - The spring migratory season got off to an encouraging start for one threatened bird species, a national conservation group says, noting it recently logged thousands of chimney swifts at a single address in Fredricton. Allison Manthorne, associate director of Atlantic programs with Birds Canada, said chimney swift numbers have dropped by about 90 per cent since the 1970s. So when Birds Canada counted more than 2,400 chimney swifts pouring into a city flue on the evening of May 25, she said the group was pleasantly surprised. 'It's the only large roost that we know of in Fredericton at the moment ... typically, we'll see this kind of pulse in late May of a few hundred birds,' she said. 'Sometimes there's a bit of a traffic jam, and maybe it's weather, maybe it's a predator, maybe it's a big storm down south, ... We're not entirely sure what happened to make all of these 2,400 swifts pack into that roost on that particular night.' Manthorne said Birds Canada staff and volunteers participate in a national roost monitoring survey on four set dates across chimney swift nesting sites every year. Manthorne said the last time Birds Canada counted close to this number of chimney swifts — about 2,700 — was in 2018. The scimitar-shaped chimney swifts are classified as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and are also protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Environment and Climate Change Canada estimated the chimney swift population stood between 20,000 and 70,000 mature birds as of 2023. It said the long-term goal is to maintain a stable population between 2033 and 2043, while the short-term objective is to halt the drop in numbers within 10 years. Chimney swifts are long-distance migrants, breeding anywhere between Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia and wintering in South America. They regularly nest in chimneys or other tall stacks on their travels. Nick Lund, a network manager for U.S. wildlife conservation organization Maine Audubon, called chimney swifts incredible birds. 'They're often called a cigar with wings,' he said while describing their short, tubelike bodies flanked by scythe-like appendages. 'They spend their days zooming around over towns and cities, gulping flying insects out of the air. ... They're never seen perched or on the ground, unless you're able to peer into a nest chimney.' Lund said there's a lot to love about chimney swifts, especially for city-dwellers with fewer opportunities to see the natural world in action. 'They're unlike any other bird you'd find in a city — very different from pigeons or starlings — and so they're a great connection to a wilder world for many people.' Scientists say the birds are now threatened due to climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use, which depletes the supply of flying insects they rely on for food. 'It's not just one single threat,' Manthorne said. 'It's this constellation of threats, and they're doing the best they can to survive.' In 2021, University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner said climate change, insecticides, herbicides, light pollution, invasive species and changes in agriculture and land use are causing Earth to lose probably one to two per cent of its insects each year. Insects 'are absolutely the fabric by which Mother Nature and the tree of life are built,' Wagner said. Ripple effects of habitat loss is affecting not just insects, but birds too. Lund said chimney swifts used to nest in large trees hollowed out by lightning or other forces. But now, he said they nest exclusively in the closest manmade equivalent: chimneys. Manthorne said the birds have large eyes, short legs and 'giant' feet that they use to cling on the inside of hollow trees or chimneys. The birds also have distinctive tails, where each feather has a pointy end that helps the birds climb smokestacks. 'When they're clinging to the inside of a chimney at night, they're using their giant feet with their big claws, and they're using their tails, and they can hang on to the side of a vertical surface all night,' she said. 'It's really cool.' They often return to past nesting sites, she added, noting that pattern highlights the importance of spots like the roosting site in Fredericton. Manthorne is troubled by what she says is a common misconception that birds and humans can't comfortably co-exist. 'We always say chimney swifts make really good house guests. They're clean, they're tidy, they're not loud. You probably wouldn't even know that they're there unless somebody told you, 'Hey, I saw a bird flying down your chimney,'' she said. 'If you've got a pair of swifts, it's really special. You're providing a home for this threatened species. And they've chosen your chimney for a reason.' — With files from The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Influx of chimney swifts in N.B., promising sign for threatened species: experts
FREDERICTON – The spring migratory season got off to an encouraging start for one threatened bird species, a national conservation group says, noting it recently logged thousands of chimney swifts at a single address in Fredricton. Allison Manthorne, associate director of Atlantic programs with Birds Canada, said chimney swift numbers have dropped by about 90 per cent since the 1970s. So when Birds Canada counted more than 2,400 chimney swifts pouring into a city flue on the evening of May 25, she said the group was pleasantly surprised. 'It's the only large roost that we know of in Fredericton at the moment … typically, we'll see this kind of pulse in late May of a few hundred birds,' she said. 'Sometimes there's a bit of a traffic jam, and maybe it's weather, maybe it's a predator, maybe it's a big storm down south, … We're not entirely sure what happened to make all of these 2,400 swifts pack into that roost on that particular night.' Manthorne said Birds Canada staff and volunteers participate in a national roost monitoring survey on four set dates across chimney swift nesting sites every year. Manthorne said the last time Birds Canada counted close to this number of chimney swifts — about 2,700 — was in 2018. The scimitar-shaped chimney swifts are classified as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and are also protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Environment and Climate Change Canada estimated the chimney swift population stood between 20,000 and 70,000 mature birds as of 2023. It said the long-term goal is to maintain a stable population between 2033 and 2043, while the short-term objective is to halt the drop in numbers within 10 years. Chimney swifts are long-distance migrants, breeding anywhere between Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia and wintering in South America. They regularly nest in chimneys or other tall stacks on their travels. Nick Lund, a network manager for U.S. wildlife conservation organization Maine Audubon, called chimney swifts incredible birds. 'They're often called a cigar with wings,' he said while describing their short, tubelike bodies flanked by scythe-like appendages. 'They spend their days zooming around over towns and cities, gulping flying insects out of the air. … They're never seen perched or on the ground, unless you're able to peer into a nest chimney.' Lund said there's a lot to love about chimney swifts, especially for city-dwellers with fewer opportunities to see the natural world in action. 'They're unlike any other bird you'd find in a city — very different from pigeons or starlings — and so they're a great connection to a wilder world for many people.' Scientists say the birds are now threatened due to climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use, which depletes the supply of flying insects they rely on for food. 'It's not just one single threat,' Manthorne said. 'It's this constellation of threats, and they're doing the best they can to survive.' In 2021, University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner said climate change, insecticides, herbicides, light pollution, invasive species and changes in agriculture and land use are causing Earth to lose probably one to two per cent of its insects each year. Insects 'are absolutely the fabric by which Mother Nature and the tree of life are built,' Wagner said. Ripple effects of habitat loss is affecting not just insects, but birds too. Lund said chimney swifts used to nest in large trees hollowed out by lightning or other forces. But now, he said they nest exclusively in the closest manmade equivalent: chimneys. Manthorne said the birds have large eyes, short legs and 'giant' feet that they use to cling on the inside of hollow trees or chimneys. The birds also have distinctive tails, where each feather has a pointy end that helps the birds climb smokestacks. 'When they're clinging to the inside of a chimney at night, they're using their giant feet with their big claws, and they're using their tails, and they can hang on to the side of a vertical surface all night,' she said. 'It's really cool.' They often return to past nesting sites, she added, noting that pattern highlights the importance of spots like the roosting site in Fredericton. Manthorne is troubled by what she says is a common misconception that birds and humans can't comfortably co-exist. 'We always say chimney swifts make really good house guests. They're clean, they're tidy, they're not loud. You probably wouldn't even know that they're there unless somebody told you, 'Hey, I saw a bird flying down your chimney,'' she said. 'If you've got a pair of swifts, it's really special. You're providing a home for this threatened species. And they've chosen your chimney for a reason.' — With files from The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025.
