Bird News
Nearly 3,000 Canadians have submitted their choice for a national bird of Canada, with the red-tailed hawk currently heading a list of 10 species.
The latest assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has once again designated the whooping crane as Endangered and the flammulated owl as a Species of Special Concern.
Mammal News
Beavers in Wood Buffalo National Park, AB have constructed the world’s biggest beaver dam, large enough to be visible from space.
A rancher on the outskirts of Calgary, AB has set up a wildlife camera on his property, and captured images of a mother cougar and four cubs.
British Columbia’s Environment Minister say the province will continue to allow hunting of grizzly bears in spite of protests by environmental groups.
For the first time in over 100 years, a grey whale has been seen in Howe Sound, BC indicating efforts to restore the ecosystem may be working.
Parks Canada is holding four open houses to improve safety and reduce human-coyote encounters in Nova Scotia.
Environmental groups in BC are strongly opposed to the proposed aerial killing of wolves, arguing that human activities are the main cause of woodland caribou decline, not predation.
A bear shot in the High Arctic has been confirmed as a second generation cross between a grizzly and polar bear, indicating the northward range expansion of the grizzly bear.
A grey whale made a temporary detour to downtown Vancouver, BC on its migration north to the Bering Sea.
Herptile News
The search for a reported crocodilian in a Hamilton, ON pond has been temporarily called off until further sightings are reported.
Fish News
A biologist in BC is on a quest to save threatened wild salmon stocks from the danger presented by fish farms, citing disease transfer, the killing of whales and massive algae blooms.
Insect News
An insect ecologist at l’Université de Moncton, NB says our early spring could mean particularly large populations of insects this summer.
Beekeepers on Vancouver Island are angered by the dropping of a quarantine that has prevented the importation of honey bees to the island, fearing disease transmission to existing hives.
Nova Scotia is set to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides on lawns, but commercial use in agriculture, forestry and on golf courses will still be permitted.
An entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture says the cold, wet weather that hit the prairies this week will do little to control the grasshopper population.
Ecosystem News
The government of New Brunswick has surpassed their goal of constructing 300 km of wildlife fences along the province’s highways, with more fencing still planned.
Aboriginal groups in Alberta fear the construction of a new dam will devastate the Peace-Athabasca delta which is recognized worldwide as an important habitat for migrating birds.
A marine biologist warns an oil spill off Canada’s east coast could threaten millions of seabirds, and says governments and operators have failed to prepare for such a disaster.
Scientists have found that the cooler Canadian climate may limit northward expansion of the invasive purple loosetrife.
The journal Nature reports the temperature rise in the far north is twice the global average; the more the ice melted, the more the upper ocean warmed, feeding the warming trend.