Species at Risk

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) was proclaimed in June 2003, and is one part of a three part strategy for the protection of wildlife species at risk. This strategy also includes committments under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk and activities under the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. In addition, it complements existing laws and agreements to provide for the legal protection of wildlife species and conservation of biological diversity. The Act aims to prevent wildlife species from becoming extinct, and to secure the necessary actions for their recovery. The Act recognises that the protection of wildlife species is a joint responsibility and that all Canadians have a role to play in the protection of wildlife. It applies to all federal lands in Canada; all wildlife species listed as being at risk; and their critical habitat. Of the 516 plant and animal species currently at risk in Canada, 65 species or subspecies are birds.

Bird Studies Canada's involvement with SARA includes the study and monitoring of several species as part of the requirement of the Act that the best available knowledge be used to define long and short-term objectives in a recovery strategy and action plan. Those studied, both in the past and presently, include Acadian Flycatcher, Barn Owl, Bicknell's Thrush, Henslow's Sparrow, Hooded Warbler, Loggerhead Shrike, Piping Plover, Prothonotary Warbler and Short-eared Owl. Further information on BSC's monitoring projects for some of these species can be accessed by selecting the links in the index on this page.

In addition to the species listed by SARA, Bird Studies Canada has been actively involved in monitoring other species of concern including Bald Eagles and Red-shouldered Hawks in Ontario.

For more information contact:

The Bird Populations Biologist
Bird Studies Canada
P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0
Phone: 1-519-586-3531 Fax: 1-519-586-3532
Email: dbadzinski@bsc-eoc.org

Visit the Species At Risk Website:
www.sararegistry.gc.ca/gen_info/default_e.cfm

The complete SARA list includes:

Extinct Great Auk Labrador Duck Passenger Pigeon Extirpated Greater Prairie-Chicken Greater Sage-Grouse phaios subspecies Endangered Acadian Flycatcher Barn Owl (Eastern population) Burrowing Owl Eskimo Curlew Greater Sage-Grouse urophasianus subspecies Henslow's Sparrow Horned Lark strigata subspecies Ivory Gull King Rail Kirtland's Warbler Loggerhead Shrike migrans subspecies Mountain Plover Northern Bobwhite Piping Plover circumcinctus subspecies Piping Plover melodus subspecies Prothonotary Warbler Red Crossbill percna subspecies Roseate Tern Sage Thrasher Spotted Owl caurina subspecies Vesper Sparrow affinis subspecies Western Screech-Owl macfarlanei subspecies White-headed Woodpecker Whooping Crane Williamson's Sapsucker Yellow-breasted Chat auricollis subspecies (British Columbia population)

Threatened Golden-winged Warbler Hooded Warbler Least Bittern Loggerhead Shrike excubitorides subspecies Marbled Murrelet Northern Goshawk laingi subspecies Northern Saw-whet Owl brooksi subspecies Peregrine Falcon anatum subspecies Pink-footed Shearwater Ross's Gull Short-tailed Albatross Sprague's Pipit Special Concern Ancient Murrelet Barn Owl (Western population) Barrow's Goldeneye (Eastern population) Bicknell's Thrush Cerulean Warbler Ferruginous Hawk Flammulated Owl Great Blue Heron fannini subspecies Harlequin Duck (Eastern population) Lewis's Woodpecker Long-billed Curlew Louisiana Waterthrush McCown's Longspur Peregrine Falcon pealei subspecies Peregrine Falcon tundrius subspecies Red-headed Woodpecker Rusty Blackbird Savannah Sparrow princeps subspecies Short-eared Owl Western Screech-Owl kennicottii subspecies Yellow Rail Yellow-breasted Chat virens subspecies