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Migratory birds environmental assessment guideline
Information requirements
- Context
- Priority species/areas
- Specific information
This section describes both the contextual and specific information requirements
that should be included in an EIS addressing potential environmental effects
of a project on migratory birds.
1. Context
The environmental assessment should be conducted in an ecosystem context.
Although ecosystems are dynamic in nature and changes are often the result
of normal ecological processes, projects often cause changes outside the
realm of natural variation, often at accelerated rates. As a result, the
quality of birds' habitats or avian behaviour (such as selection/use of
traditional staging areas) can be affected. Too radical changes could ultimately
influence the survival of migratory birds. Therefore, baseline information
needs and potential environmental effects of a proposed project should
be determined by examining the likely effect of the proposed project on
the migratory birds, the ecosystem (particularly their habitat), and the
linkages between them.
Quantification of information provides the basis for more accurate prediction
of impacts and selection of mitigation measures, and facilitates objective
monitoring. Therefore, during the planning and execution of an environmental
assessment, particular attention should be paid to the collection and presentation
of good, scientific baseline data where parameters that could be affected
by the proposed project are quantified.
Disturbance to critical habitats can lead to significant adverse environmental
effects. Therefore, when gathering or compiling baseline information, proponents
of projects should give special consideration to information related to
the critical habitat requirements of any species of migratory bird. These
requirements will vary according to the species and its specific life-history
strategies and behavioural characteristics. For example, old trees and
snags may be a critical habitat requirement for cavity-nesting birds; whereas
an undisturbed mud flat may be a critical habitat requirement for migrating
shorebirds. Qualitative aspects of habitat may also be important, for example,
poor water quality or contamination of food sources can lead to reproductive
impairments for some waterfowl species.
The preservation of habitat is necessary for the maintenance of migratory
bird populations. However, preservation of habitat per se does not guarantee
an absence of impact. Depending on the individual or species, disturbances
(such as human presence, noise, and light) can also affect the utility
of otherwise sound habitat and should be considered in the impact analysis.
For example, disturbance in a traditional staging area can deter feeding
by migratory birds, which is necessary if they are to replenish their energy
reserves prior to migration.
In many situations the effects of a project on habitat can provide a surrogate
measure of the effects of a proposed project on migratory birds. The state
of habitat can serve as an indication of the “health” (e.g., abundance
and diversity) of migratory bird populations in an impact area. This may
facilitate impact assessment for proponents, because focusing on habitat
will allow for reasonable impact prediction at times when it is difficult
to collect adequate data on migratory birds themselves. Consequently, in
this guideline many of the considerations used to assess environmental
effects on migratory birds focus on habitat, although other considerations
may be equally or more important.
Photo: Corel
2. Priority species/areas
When providing information, proponents should give particular, but not
exclusive, consideration to migratory birds or habitat that meet one of
the following criteria:
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species listed or under review by the Committee on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) (COSEWIC species list updates can be obtained
from the Canadian Wildlife Service) or species-at-risk listings in other
jurisdictions;
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areas of concentration of migratory birds, such as breeding areas, colonies,
spring and fall staging areas, and wintering areas;
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breeding and nesting areas of species low in number and high in the food
chain (e.g., eagles, osprey);
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species that are identified by priority ranking systems 1; or
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habitats in or near areas that have been or are in the process of being
identified by land managers as particularly important to the survival of
the species globally, regionally, or locally, or habitats valued by local
users of the resource. These include, but are not limited to, areas with
the following existing, proposed, or potential 2 designations:
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Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
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National Wildlife Areas
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Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network sites
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Ramsar (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as
Waterfowl Habitat, or Ramsar Convention) sites
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Important Bird Areas (IBA), and
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National Parks and other types of protected areas that have been established,
in part, to protect migratory birds and their habitat
3. Specific information
Specific information requested for migratory birds will depend, in part,
on the scale of the proposed project or activity and the projected degree
of impact. For example, the significance of the impact is viewed as higher
if priority species or critical habitat used by birds could be affected.
The regional environmental assessment practitioner of the Environmental
Conservation Service of Environment Canada (ECS/EC) can provide guidance
on how to obtain the specific information required and may be able to identify
information sources to assist in carrying out the environmental assessment.
The information identified below is generally required for an understanding
of the potential impacts of a proposed project.
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A complete project description including engineering details should be
provided. This information should be provided or discussed at the earliest
stage of planning to allow for modification of the project design prior
to major commitments by the proponent.
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The geographic boundaries of the environmental effects of the proposed
project must be identified (referred to hereafter as the “impact area”).
The boundaries should encompass the geographic extent of the ecological
processes and ecosystem components that would be affected by the project
and that could potentially affect migratory birds or their habitat. Effects
to consider are the mobile nature of migratory birds, their varied habitat
requirements (e.g., foraging, nesting, and staging habitats), and the seasonal
use of habitats. It is critical that the boundaries of the impact area
be agreed to by the proponent and environmental assessment practitioners
early in the planning stage.
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A description of the potentially affected impact area will be required.
The description should address the terrain, biological settings, and land
use in the area. Particular attention should be paid to habitat requirements
of the migratory birds in the impact area.
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Maps or GIS systems that accurately locate the impact area and baseline
information should be provided at the same scale as the engineering plans
to allow for overlaying of maps. Maps should contain UTM coordinates or
other identifying parameters.
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Species of migratory birds likely to be affected by the proposed project
should be identified along with their seasonal occurrence, relative or
absolute abundance, and population trends.
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The distribution of the species in the impact area with respect to habitat
types (i.e., nesting, staging, feeding, winter habitat) should be identified.
Any variation in habitat use due to seasonality, or climatic or other conditions
should also be described.
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If the potential impact area is an area of particular importance to migratory
birds (e.g., containing a high abundance, high diversity, priority species,
or species at risk) in any season, or if it could potentially be an area
of importance during periods of environmental stress (e.g., drought), then
it should be identified and described. The abundance and diversity of habitats
important to migratory birds relative to other elements in the regional
landscape should be quantified.
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The habitat types expected to be affected by the proposed project should
be described. The critical habitat requirements of priority species should
be described.
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Any known or hypothesized minimal area requirements for any of the species
that could be affected by the proposed project should be described.
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Any species or subspecies in the impact area for which there may be special
genetic considerations should be identified: for example, a species at
the edge of its range or a subpopulation that winters in different locales
than the rest of the population. The genetic considerations should be described.
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Species in the impact area that have limited abundance outside the impact
area should be identified. The reasons for this specificity to, or particular
abundance in, the impact area should be described. For example, is it the
result of biogeographic considerations or previous changes or impacts in
the regional landscape outside the impact area? Species with high abundance
in the impact area should also be identified.
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The proponent should describe the relative abundance and use of migratory bird habitats in the impact area compared to similar habitats in the regional landscape that will not be affected by the proposed project. (This identifies the uniqueness and relative use of the habitat regionally and identifies potential control sites for monitoring environmental effects.)
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If the impact area is known to be habitat for successfully breeding sensitive species or to have the characteristics of such a site, this should be identified. This is particularly important for landbirds in landscapes that have a relatively high degree of fragmentation.
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When identifying migratory birds and habitat that could be affected and for which information is provided, the food sources and/or feeding areas for migratory birds that could be disrupted by the proposed project should be identified.
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The degree of confidence in the accuracy of the information that is presented
in the EIS should be described. Ground truthing may be required (see Monitoring
section).
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Except for those affected by natural evolutionary processes or living at
the edge of their range, priority species are generally good indicators
of present and past disturbances to migratory birds and their habitats.
These disturbances could have occurred either locally or in distant wintering
sites that may or may not be affected by the proposed project. Priority
species require specific attention in the environmental assessment to ensure
avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of impacts. For example, the Canadian
Wildlife Service has developed a preliminary priority ranking, and a means
for assessing importance of a given region to landbirds (Dunn 1997). In
some provinces, Conservation Data Centres have also developed ranking systems.
With respect to seabirds, the status of populations has been assessed;
also for shorebirds, a preliminary assessment of the status of populations
in Canada has been completed. Priority waterfowl are identified in regulations
and/or given priority under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan
(NAWMP). The proponent should consult the environmental assessment practitioner
in the relevant regional offices of the Environmental Conservation Service
of Environment Canada to identify priority species.
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Sites that may potentially be so designated are best identified by local
managers of wildlife and land.
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