Since 2004, BAM has focused on producing data products and research to support the conservation of boreal birds. BAM’s foundational work is the development of 1) a large dataset of bird data and 2) methods to integrate those data to produce 3) spatially-explicit models of breeding bird density. Through collaboration, those methods and products are used to develop data-driven and rigorous science on the ecology and management of migratory bird populations to help support conservation of their populations into the future.
Read more about BAM’s work in detail via our annual reports and a synthesis of the first 20 years of BAM.
We have worked with data partners from across North America to build a dataset with millions of bird records that sits within the WildTrax platform.
We have developed specialized statistical approaches to integrate our harmonized dataset by correcting for survey methodology and species detectability.
We have integrated our harmonized dataset to produce spatially-explicit, high-resolution models of bird density that provide information on population distribution and abundance.
Understanding habitat selection is one of the keys to predicting species distributions and forecasting responses to environmental change. BAM’s boreal-wide dataset supports the understanding of breeding habitat requirements across the range of a species. We use the database to explore causes of differential habitat selection, where different populations respond to different elements of their environment for habitat requirements. We use our understanding of ecology and habitat requirements in our predictive models, ecological forecasting, and conservation applications.
Land-use change encompasses agricultural land conversion, forest management, energy and mining sector activities, and transportation infrastructure. Large areas of the boreal forest, especially in the southern ecotones and in the western sedimentary basin, have been affected by land-use change for many decades. BAM uses a variety of approaches including predictive modelling and ecological simulation to understand the impacts of anthropogenic development on bird populations. We work with partners in industry and government to inform decision-making that keeps birds on the landscape.
BAM has collaborated with conservation practitioners and scientists to develop science to inform recovery action for species at risk, including developing a framework to support critical habitat identification for wide-ranging boreal breeding birds. BAM’s approach to species at risk science incorporates the capacity for differential habitat selection across the range of a species.
BAM develops spatial models to project how climate change may alter the distribution and abundance of boreal landbirds and waterfowl, including the effects of vegetation change, wildfire, and other shifting disturbance regimes. This work identifies climate refugia and other priority areas, helping conservation planners anticipate range shifts and target habitat protection, restoration, and adaptive management under future conditions.
We have collaborated with research partners and organizations to inform multi-species conservation planning, understand species co-benefits, quantify the conservation value of certified lands, and enable cross-border conservation planning.
Publications
See our archive of annual reports to get a snapshot of how BAM has been growing, improving research, and strengthening collaboration of avian data in North America.
See Reports