Burlington Earns Nature Canada’s 'Bird Friendly City' Designation & Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington Names Trumpeter Swan as City Bird

*ADMINISTRATOR'S NOTE: This post was updated on April 20, 2022 after the regularly-scheduled Council meeting on April 19.

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On April 7, 2022, Nature Canada announced the Burlington was officially certified as a 'Bird Friendly City', largely due to the efforts of Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington.On April 19, Burlington City Council unanimously approved a resolution from Councillor Paul Sharman asking for Council support of the official designation and directing staff to report back on the additional actions identified by the Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington group to support the Bird Friendly City certification.Additionally, Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington recently undertook a process to name our City Bird -- after voting from the community, Burlington's City Bird is the Trumpeter.For more on all of this exciting news, please scroll further down this post.

"The City has done a lot to make our local airspace friendly to our feathered friends, including committing to grow our tree canopy, establishing a firm urban boundary to conserve Burlington’s Natural Heritage System and prevent urban sprawl, and implementing bird-friendly design guidelines in our Official Plan and Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines, just to name a few. This is great news for our city and I commend the fantastic work by Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington in getting this recognition for our community." -- Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

*Please see below a news release issued by Nature Canada.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEUnceded Algonquin Territory – Ottawa, ON, April 7, 2022 – Nature Canada is proud to announce Canada’s next certified Bird Friendly City, Burlington, ON. Burlington is the seventh city in Canada to earn the designation.The City of Burlington has worked in collaboration with Nature Canada’s partners including Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington, which is composed of many community organizations and residents of Burlington working to make the city a safe haven for wild birds.The city has implemented bird friendly policies and actions to help birds thrive in Burlington. These actions include:

• Protecting natural habitat through the exemplary Cootes to Escarpment Eco-Park System, a multi-partner initiative to conserve, restore, grow and connect natural spaces on public and private lands in the west end of Burlington (and Hamilton);
• A strong commitment to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including nature-based solutions which also benefit birds;
• Establishing an Animal Control By-law that includes a “no-roam” policy for cats, to help reduce the large problem of cat predation on wild bird populations across North America.
• Abundant opportunities to view, learn about, and appreciate wild birds around the city and get involved in activities and citizen science initiatives for bird conservation.

The Bird Friendly City designation has been developed by Nature Canada to encourage Canadian cities and municipalities to become safer and better places for birds.Birds play an essential role in maintaining healthy and resilient ecosystems in our communities and on our planet. But there are three billion fewer birds in North America today than 50 years ago. Much of these losses are caused by human activities. As urban expansion continues, cities must act quickly to ensure that North America’s bird populations are protected and supported.Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly City program encourages communities to take action to:

• Reduce the number of human-related threats to birds such as roaming cats, the use of pesticides, and glass treatment on buildings with large windows,
• Create safe environments for birds by promoting stewardship and ensuring that natural habitats are protected and restored,
• Engage and educate citizens about the benefits of Bird Friendly Cities and celebrating birds in our communities.

In each municipality seeking to become Bird Friendly certified, Bird Teams are created and residents are actively engaged in protecting, monitoring and celebrating their local bird populations.Nature Canada is pleased to acknowledge the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Bird Friendly City program and World Migratory Bird Day.

"Burlington is known for its natural areas. It is one of the most biodiverse communities in Canada, located within the Atlantic Flyway migration corridor and also along the eastern edge of the Mississippi Flyway corridor. Residents, organizations, schools, businesses, and government have taken many actions and initiatives that make Burlington a Bird Friendly City. The Bird Friendly certification is a true testament to the work being done that makes Burlington safer for migratory birds and to reverse their population decline. Birds are an essential part of our ecosystem, and this recognition complements our efforts to become a more environmentally sustainable community." -- Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman, City of Burlington

Additional Resources:

• Bird Friendly City Certification Program 
• Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington

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BIRD FRIENDLY HAMILTON BURLINGTON NAMES TRUMPETER SWAN AS CITY BIRDIn March 2022, Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington recently held a community poll for residents to vote for Burlington's No. 1 City Bird.After a short-list of 10 finalists was created for the community to vote from and on March 21, Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington shared the Top 3 votes with the Trumpeter Swan being named Burlington's City Bird:

• Trumpeter Swan
• Northern Cardinal
• Black-capped Chickadee

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BURLINGTON COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON BIRD FRIENDLY CITY DESIGNATION*ADMINISTRATOR'S NOTE: This resolution went to the EICS Committee meeting of April 7, 2022 where it was recommended for approval at the April 19, 2022 Council meeting. Council unanimously approved it.Motion for Council to Consider:On behalf of the Sustainable Development Committee, I present the following resolution for approval by City Council:

1. Support Burlington being certified a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada as nominated by the Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington group; and
2. Direct the City Manager or designate to report back on the additional actions identified by the Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington group to support the Bird Friendly City certification.

Reason:A member of the Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington (BFHB) recently made a presentation to the Sustainable Development Committee to share their research and reasons why Burlington should be certification a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada. A request was made for the SDC to support the certification.The Bird Friendly City program by Nature Canada provides recognition to municipalities that have worked to save bird lives. It also provides a framework for continual improvement, with the opportunity to earn higher levels of certification. The program is community-driven, but requires collaboration with the local municipality. The first four Canadian municipalities were certified in May 2021:

• Toronto (High Level)
• London (High Level)
• Vancouver (Intermediate Level)
• Calgary (Entry Level)

Certifications must be renewed every two years (with a one-year grace period permitted). An annual progress update “Report Card” is also required. There is no fee required for certification.Based on information provided by Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington, Burlington is known for its natural areas, one of the most biodiverse communities in Canada, with the following examples of natural features:

• Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay/Hamilton Harbour
• Forested greenspace and farmland in the north part of the city, part of which is protected by the provincial Greenbelt
• A transition zone between Carolinian forest and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest.
• The Niagara Escarpment (a UNESCO designated World Biosphere Reserve) which cuts through the north, rural part of the city (along with its associated Bruce Trail hiking network).
• The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) natural lands and wetland sanctuaries, which straddle the west end of Burlington and Hamilton.
• The Cootes to Escarpment Eco-Park System – a land conservancy initiative which straddles an even larger area of the west end of Burlington (Aldershot) and Hamilton, and includes the RBG lands.
• 10 creeks that run north-south through the city to Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay.
• Burlington Beach & Beachway Park: a 1 km natural beach and small dune system (baymouth sand bar) on the Lake Ontario shoreline – one of the few dune habitats in Ontario, and the only one in Halton Region.

Burlington is located within the Atlantic Flyway migration corridor and also along the eastern edge of the Mississippi Flyway corridor. Due to the natural habitat around us, and a suitable migratory ‘rest and refuel’ area between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, we have many species passing through our city during spring and fall migration, in addition to several year-round residents. Winter brings an additional 20+ species of northern and arctic waterfowl to our shores. In all, around 280 species of wild birds can be expected to use the area each year (Burlington/Hamilton and nearby area); as many as 400 bird species have been recorded here historically, including wayward “vagrants”, according to records maintained by the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club.In its extensive research, BFHB has documented actions and initiatives that local residents, organizations, schools, businesses, and government have taken that make Burlington a Bird Friendly City. The following are a few highlights:Designating a firm urban/rural boundary in the Official Plan to protect greenspace and farmland;

• Implementing citywide Private Property Tree and Public Property Tree By-laws;
• Policies, targets, and actions to grow the city’s tree canopy and maintain its health;
• Mandatory bird-friendly design guidelines for new buildings in certain designated areas of the city, via the Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines and Official Plan 2020 with suggested voluntary guidelines for the remainder of the city;
• Mandatory Outdoor Lighting Design Guidelines which aim to reduce light pollution and “up-light”, thus reducing the risk to birds during migration;
• Bird-friendly glass (dot markers) have been installed at Mountainside Recreation Centre and the new Cityview Park pavilion;
• The City is a key partner in the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan, thus helping the many waterfowl, shorebirds, and birds of prey (Eagles, Ospreys) that use our Bay;
• The City is a key partner in the Cootes to Escarpment Eco-Park System to connect and restore natural habitat;
• The City is a key supporter of Conservation Halton’s work to protect our watersheds, plus community initiatives such as BurlingtonGreen’s annual Clean Up Green Up, and Field and Stream Rescue Team’s work, to clean and restore our greenspaces and wildlife habitat; and
• The City is currently developing its climate adaptation plan Climate Resilient Burlington, but has already implemented some adaptation measures.

Additional actions identified by BFHB which could further assist and support the certification of Burlington as a Bird Friendly City include:

• Supporting the certification and resolving to work both collaboratively to in parallel with BFHB to make Burlington bird friendly and maintain and possibly elevate certification BFC status in future years;
• Designate a liaison as a point-of-contact person between the City and BFHB;
• Post a Bird Friendly City information webpage on the City of Burlington website (a certification requirement; and
• Support and collaborate with BFHB on various initiatives and projects, particularly related to engaging community members and groups on how they can ensure Burlington remains a Bird Friendly City.

The Sustainable Development Committee recommends that council support the resolution that Burlington be certified a Bird Friendly City for the following reasons:

1. Be recognized for bird-friendly efforts the City, community members and local organizations have made so far;
2. Fosters a mindset of protecting birds and continual improvement going forward;
3. Appreciation of birds is good for mental health, encouraging people to go outside and enjoy nature;
4. Birds are beneficial as pollinators and insect control;
5. Helps Burlington achieve its strategic goal of being a Healthier and Greener City, where nature thrives; and,
6. Aligns with other Canadian municipalities aiming to become Bird Friendly Cities.

--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist