Friday, October 17, 2014

Mike Burrell, Bird Studies Canada, on “Ontario Important Bird Areas”

The Important Bird Areas Program is a global initiative to identify, monitor, and conserve the world’s most important sites for birds and biodiversity. Using scientific criteria, nearly 600 Canadian sites have been designated. IBAs are found throughout the country. Ontario’s 70 IBAs cover more than 23,000 km2, largely along the coasts of the Great Lakes and Hudson and James Bays. Most sites regularly host large concentrations of birds, or significant numbers of species at risk. Join Ontario’s IBA Coordinator to find out more about these amazing sites and learn how you can help make a difference.

Mike Burrell has been a keen naturalist since a young age. He completed a Bachelor of Science at Trent University and a Master of Science in Forestry from the University of Toronto, both while completing field work and theses on bird ecology in Ontario. He currently works for Bird Studies Canada on the Important Bird Area program, and devotes much of his spare time to Citizen Science projects like eBird.