Banding Together to Save Birds

Whether one lives in the city or the country, birds bring joy and wonder to our lives. They sing, they prance, they fly, they show off their colours, they do silly antics at our feeders.

But birds are also key indicators of healthy ecosystems, those same ecosystems that support us: the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat. 

My name is Martine, and I am a nature lover. Recent news about the decline in songbird populations in North America over the last 50 years have shocked and saddened me. According to an article published in Science magazine in October 2019, nearly 3 billion birds have disappeared since 1970! No doubt, many of you are disheartened by this heart-wrenching tragedy as well. 


There may be many reasons for this decline, but I want to help stop it, for after decline comes extinction. To do that, hard facts and scientific data are required to analyze trends in bird populations and contribute to the development of effective protection solutions. I have united with other volunteer birders and bird banders to set up a scientific banding station that would provide vital data on songbird populations in the aspen parkland ecoregion near Edmonton. This ecoregion, which provides critical woodland bird-breeding habitat and connects the prairies to the mountains, was recently listed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada as one of the most threatened ecosystems in the country. While many banding stations throughout North America provide bird productivity and survivorship data to the Institute for Bird Populations, there are only a few in the aspen ecoregion.


Rest assured, we abide by the North American Banding Council’s Code of Ethics, the standards of the Canadian Council on Animal Care, and the safety and welfare of the birds are our top priorities.

The funds we seek will be used for the purchase of the necessary banding and station equipment.


The decline in bird populations is not restricted to rare or endangered species of remote locations: the friendly birds in our own backyards and parks are all affected. To ensure future generations can enjoy a wide variety of numerous birds, we must band together!