The City of Guelph is the 17th city in Canada to become Bird Friendly certified.

Nature Canada developed The Bird Friendly City designation to encourage cities and municipalities to become safer places for birds as urban expansion continues. In each municipality seeking to become certified, Bird Teams are created and residents are actively engaged in protecting, monitoring and celebrating their local bird populations.

Guelph achieved Intermediate Bird-Friendly Status with a total score of 35 points – 13 in Section 1, Threat Reduction, 9 in Section 2, Habitat Protection, and 13 in Section 3, Community Outreach and Education. Initiatives include incorporating bird-friendly design and lighting guidelines, handing out window treatment kits, and rolling out the One Canopy Strategy with city-wide canopy cover targets.

According to the City of Guelph, all glass/glazing poses a collision risk to birds; however, buildings with high levels of glass/glazing that are located near vegetation are at greatest risk of causing bird-window collisions. As such, Guelph has been working to correct the issue,  alongside Bird Safe Guelph, The University of Guelph Arboretum, Nature Guelph and many other local organizations.

Angela Demarse, of Bird Safe Guelph, said that every year the city will have to review the bylaws and design standards that are still harming wildlife.

” I look up to the City of Toronto, because they’ve taken a strong, scientific approach that requires Bird Friendly standards for all new builds, not just the ones beside green spaces,” she said. “I’m grateful Guelph is such an environmentally progressive City!”

Photo by Mohan Nannapaneni