Canada warbler COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

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Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative has designated the species as a Highest Priority Landbird in Bird Conservation Region 14 (Atlantic Northern Forest) (Dettmers 2003). Partners in Flight lists the Canada Warbler as a species of continental importance in Canada and the United States and a species of high conservation concern in the Northern Forest region (Rich et al. 2004). NatureServe (2007) ranks the Canada Warbler as globally secure (G5, Table 4) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ranks it as Least Concern (BirdLife International 2004).

In Canada, Canada Warbler adults and their nests and eggs are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (Environment Canada 2004), and under the 1982 British Columbia Wildlife Act (Cooper et al. 1997). The General Status of Species in Canada considers the species overall as Secure in Canada, with ranks ranging from May Be at Risk in the Yukon to Secure in most other provinces (CESCC 2006; Table 4).NatureServe ranks the species overall in Canada as Secure, with ranks ranging from Critically Imperiled in the Yukon to Secure in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Nova Scotia when reviewed in 2000 (NatureServe 2007; Table 4). In Alberta, the species has a status rank of “Sensitive” due primarily to its sensitivity to the loss or deterioration of its habitat by various types of land use (Alberta Government 2007). It is also one of 10 species of high conservation concern for forest managers in commercial forest in the Alberta boreal mixedwood (Hannon et al. 2004). In British Columbia, the species is considered Vulnerable (blue-listed) because of uncertainty about the effects of forest harvesting on the quality of its habitat (Cooper et al. 1997). In the Northwest Territories, the species’ status is undetermined (Working Group on General Status of NWT Species 2006).

In the United States, the species is considered Secure (N5B, Table 4). However, it is considered Critically Imperiled (S1) or Imperiled (S2) in three Midwestern U.S. states (Illinois, Indiana and Ohio). The Northeast Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee also consider the species to be a high conservation and research priority (Therres 1999). In the tropical hardwood forests of the Andes, Finch and Stangel (1993) rank the Canada Warbler as a vulnerable species due to intensive deforestation in this region.