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CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Red-winged blackbirds are attacking Toronto residents again. Here is why
The red-winged blackbird is a familiar and noisy inhabitant of nearly any wet habitat across Canada. (Canadian Wildlife Federation/Keith Sharkey) Torontonians hoping to enjoy a walk or run this summer should prepare to be back on the defensive as dive-bombing attacks from the notoriously small but mighty red-winged blackbirds have reportedly returned. The small bird that bears an uncanny resemblance to the famed bird from the Angry Birds game, shares more similarities than just their bold-coloured appearance. Pedestrians and runners around the city have taken to social media to report sightings of the birds. In past years, the bird's have been particularly prevalent in Toronto's Liberty Village neighbourhood, but experts say they are common near areas with dense vegetation and water. But why do the birds display such high levels of aggression? The songbirds' defence mechanism is triggered when humans or other large animals approach their nesting areas, which can lead to them defending their nests against what they perceive as a threat, Andrés Jiménez Monge, the Executive Director of Ontario Nature told CTV News on Tuesday. 'They're defending because they have a housing crisis,' Monge says. 'Very little ecosystems and habitats are left in certain areas, and some cases, in those poor-quality habitats that are left, one male ends up with having a ton of females (mates) because that's where they found an opportunity to nest.' The birds that carry out these aerial attacks are usually the males of the species, he adds. The breeding season of the red-winged blackbird begins in early May and could continue until August, when they can be witnessed flocking in the marshlands preparing to migrate for the winter, Monge says. Primarily, they nest in areas with dense vegetation, like parts of marshlands or in wetlands, he explains. But due to rapid urban development, much of their natural habitat is now closer to the residential population. The blackbirds usually call out warnings prior to taking any action and attacking, but most people – like runners or pedestrians wearing headphones – don't hear their calls, he adds, which leads to them attacking anyone who comes close to their nests. 'They fiercely defend their territories during the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours in territorial defence,' Monge says. He states that being mindful of the animals and birds and their habitats could substantially decrease the likelihood of being attacked by them. 'Pay attention to the birds. Look at them and realize if they are calling and singing,' Monge says. 'And if they (people) just stand a little bit away from dense vegetation where they like to nest, they will easily avoid being confronted by a red-winged blackbird.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Red-winged blackbirds are attacking Toronto residents again. Here is why
The red-winged blackbird is a familiar and noisy inhabitant of nearly any wet habitat across Canada. (Canadian Wildlife Federation/Keith Sharkey) Torontonians hoping to enjoy a walk or run this summer should prepare to be back on the defensive as dive-bombing attacks from the notoriously small but mighty red-winged blackbirds have reportedly returned. The small bird that bears an uncanny resemblance to the famed bird from the Angry Birds game, shares more similarities than just their bold-coloured appearance. Pedestrians and runners around the city have taken to social media to report sightings of the birds. In past years, the bird's have been particularly prevalent in Toronto's Liberty Village neighbourhood, but experts say they are common near areas with dense vegetation and water. But why do the birds display such high levels of aggression? The songbirds' defence mechanism is triggered when humans or other large animals approach their nesting areas, which can lead to them defending their nests against what they perceive as a threat, Andrés Jiménez Monge, the Executive Director of Ontario Nature told CTV News on Tuesday. 'They're defending because they have a housing crisis,' Monge says. 'Very little ecosystems and habitats are left in certain areas, and some cases, in those poor-quality habitats that are left, one male ends up with having a ton of females (mates) because that's where they found an opportunity to nest.' The birds that carry out these aerial attacks are usually the males of the species, he adds. The breeding season of the red-winged blackbird begins in early May and could continue until August, when they can be witnessed flocking in the marshlands preparing to migrate for the winter, Monge says. Primarily, they nest in areas with dense vegetation, like parts of marshlands or in wetlands, he explains. But due to rapid urban development, much of their natural habitat is now closer to the residential population. The blackbirds usually call out warnings prior to taking any action and attacking, but most people – like runners or pedestrians wearing headphones – don't hear their calls, he adds, which leads to them attacking anyone who comes close to their nests. 'They fiercely defend their territories during the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours in territorial defence,' Monge says. He states that being mindful of the animals and birds and their habitats could substantially decrease the likelihood of being attacked by them. 'Pay attention to the birds. Look at them and realize if they are calling and singing,' Monge says. 'And if they (people) just stand a little bit away from dense vegetation where they like to nest, they will easily avoid being confronted by a red-winged blackbird.'
CBC
23-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Atlantic conservationists concerned, frustrated as Trump orders pull back progress
U.S. President Donald Trump is signing executive order after executive order. Some of which involve stripping away protection for marine wildlife and environmental welfare. And now, marine wildlife and environment experts in Atlantic Canada are raising alarm bells. Kim Elmslie, campaign director for Oceana Canada, said there is concern around how policy changes in the U.S. could impact conservation efforts of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. She said these whales, which have an estimated population of about 370, spend more of their time in American waters. "This is a species, like any wild animal, that doesn't recognize borders, so what happens in the U.S. can impact in Canada," said Elmslie. "Rolling back or changing measures in the U.S. could hasten this species decline and potential extinction." A month ago, the Biden administration had dropped a proposed rule that would have required more vessels to slow down in East Coast waters. Elmslie said she will be keeping an eye on changes to policies around vessel speed limits and restrictions around the use of fishing gear and will continue efforts to work with the U.S. on these measures. Sean Brillant, senior conservation biologist for marine programs with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, said one of the greatest concerns for him is a lack of communication from marine scientists and experts in the U.S., with lingering rumours about incoming drastic policy changes. "We've seen situations where, all of the sudden, some collaborators on different projects need approval from higher levels of government before they are allowed to communicate with Canadian scientists," he said. Historically, there hasn't been as much interest in conservation or protection work from the other side of the border, said Brillant, and that's now likely to continue or get worse. Bring on the plastic and "Drill, baby drill" President Trump signed an executive order last week reversing a Biden administrative environmental initiative that eliminated plastic single-use straws within all federal buildings and parks. Paper straws were used as an alternative. Trump instructed the U.S. government to stop buying paper straws and to revert back to plastic. This was just one move Trump made to weaken the country's environmental commitments. He also removed the United States from the Paris climate agreement for the second time and pulled back on a Biden administration policy to end all use of single-use plastics from all federal operations by 2035. "We're facing a global plastic pollution crisis that our leaders cannot afford to ignore and the U.S. is moving in the wrong direction on this," said Krista Beardy, a microplastics researcher at the University of New Brunswick. Beardy said while plastic straws are just one small part of the problem when it comes to ocean waste, they act as a reminder to the bigger issue at hand. "The environment, air, land and sea are completely polluted with plastics," said Beardy. Single-use plastics, such as straws, coffee lids and to-go containers, break down into microplastics that are problematic. "These are turning up in the stomach of fish and birds and other animals as well as now in human blood and tissue," said Beardy. She said estimates suggest about 199 million tonnes of plastic waste are in our oceans right now. And, 16 million tonnes of plastic enters marine habitats every year. "It's really quite alarming," said Beardy who also points to carbon emissions that are created through the production of plastics. "90 per cent of plastic products are derived from fossil fuels." Beardy said the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by 196 countries and took effect in 2016, is meant to hold nations accountable and encourage them to work together in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ensure the world meets a net zero goal by 2050. Beardy said meeting this goal is imperative to a stable climate and to protect our air and water resources. In turn, it's critical for public health and a thriving economy. She said it is for this reason that many multi-national companies are reducing their use of single-use plastics to be in line with their sustainability goals. "So this also makes Trump's decision an absolute outlier in the business world itself," said Beardy. Beardy said governments on either side of the border have invested a lot of money into research that is meant to inform policy decisions. And, it has taken decades of outreach from researchers and conservationists to start seeing change. She said any steps backward are frustrating and ignoring research is a waste of taxpayers dollars and a waste of time. "We don't have that time to waste, global warming and climate change are moving forward and if we don't meet our emission reduction targets then there's going to be trouble," said Beardy. Brillant said it's more important than ever that the government and experts in Canada ensure current protections do not falter. "I think it's part of an emerging understanding that we've had an exceedingly frivolous relationship with plastics, especially throw-away plastics, I think that we see society acknowledging this," said Brillant. He said it's up to governmental bodies to reflect society's desire for cleaner oceans through policy. His hope now is that these drawbacks will reinforce individuals to make their own conscious efforts to reduce plastic waste.
