Protecting migratory birds

A century ago, many bird species threatened by fashion, especially hats

This year we mark the centennial of the convention between the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada) for the protection of migratory birds - also called the Migratory Bird Treaty - that was signed on August 16, 1916.

A century ago, it was an era when many bird species were threatened by fashion. Today you might not look twice at a hat with a feather in the brim, but I bet seeing a hat with whole dead bird (or multiple whole birds for that matter) might warrant a double take. In the late 1800s, though, bird hats were so popular that hat makers were harvesting millions of birds each year. Most people didn’t think much of killing the birds and had no idea they could put a dent in an animal’s population.

Birds were so abundant, they were deemed an inexhaustible natural resource. But by the late 19th century, the popularity of the snowy egret plume had nearly wiped out the species’ population in the United States.

The Migratory Bird Treaty led to important environmental legislation being passed in both the U.S. and Canada to make it illegal for anyone to take or sell any migratory bird, its parts, nests or eggs unless they had a valid permit to do so.

Why is the treaty international? Simply put, birds migrate. If you want to protect them, you have to protect the habitats throughout their lifecycle. This international treaty has resulted in continued cooperation among governments, NGOs and other stakeholders in the U.S. and Canada to coordinate conservation efforts for migratory birds, even 100 years later.

Even without a bird hat fashion craze, more than a third of all North American bird species are at risk of becoming extinct unless significant action is taken.

With the treaty in place, few people are harvesting migratory birds without following federal regulations. However, habitat loss is a huge threat to migrating birds. Migratory birds depend on suitable breeding and wintering grounds and stopover sites, where they can rest and feed along their migratory routes. The loss of any sites used by the birds during their annual life cycle could have a dramatic impact on their chances of survival.

Where we have invested in healthy habitats, birds are doing well. And healthy birds mean healthy forests, wetlands, grasslands, shorelines and oceans.

By conserving habitat, we conserve our landscapes and the economies and ways of life that depend on them. From farmers and ranchers to outdoor recreationists and children, we all benefit when birds thrive.

Today, as a result of a treaty 100 years ago, governments, NGOs and partners across the U.S. and Canada continue to work together to protect migratory birds. Every year, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and other partner NGOs participate in the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) funding program and secure significant habitat for migratory species. And funding from the NAWCA program is matched by donations from Canadians and Americans to deliver significant results we can walk on (and birds can nest on).

To date, NCC has secured 350,000 acres (142,000 hectares) of habitat for migratory birds and other wetland species under NAWCA.

Each fall, millions and millions of birds migrate from northern breeding grounds in Canada to their southern wintering sites.

Here are a few good sites to see them as they fuel up for the journey:

Brier Island is one of the farthest reaches of Nova Scotia. It boasts ecologically rich wetland and coastal habitats, which support an extremely high population of nesting gulls.

Holman’s Island near Summerside is dubbed a “Hotel for Birds.” In peak season, up to 2,000 Canada geese and 1,000 Atlantic brants migrate to the area.

The Grand Codroy Valley Estuary is an exceptional place to see thousands of geese and waterfowl during fall migration.

Visitors can feast their eyes on migrating young seabirds and waterfowl such as harlequin ducks at offshore and coastal areas such as Cape St. Mary’s and Witless Bay.

Consider giving to NCC to participate in migratory bird habitat conservation. Want to learn more? < Interactive timeline of migratory bird conservation milestones >