Grassland destruction on Canadian Prairies harming bird populations: report

By Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press on October 8, 2024.

A national bird conservation organization says grassland habitat loss on the Prairies has created a population crisis for dozens of species of birds.

Birds Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada outline what they call a crisis in a new report.

It says that since 1970 birds living full or part time in Prairie grasslands have declined by 67 per cent.

Grassland birds include burrowing owls, numerous species of sparrows and longspurs and Sprague’s pipit.

The report says birds that live primarily or only in grassland areas have declined by 90 per cent over the same time period.

The report says the population decline is a result of the Prairie grasslands being destroyed or fragmented by cropland and urban expansion, the energy industry and climate change.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

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