In order to anticipate the effects of rapid habitat change on boreal birds, the Boreal Avian Modelling Project (BAM) is amassing a broad and comprehensive set of data on bird communities, from across Canada. Through this national collaboration, the BAM project seeks to provide answers to key questions about the present and future health of the boreal avian community.

The boreal region of Canada hosts one of the most species rich communities of birds in North America. Currently, we know little about the habitat requirements and biogeography of these species. Such information is becoming increasingly important to support decision-making and management within boreal forests, with various demands for information to complete environmental assessments, build conservation plans and manage biodiversity effectively. To address this knowledge gap, the Boreal Avian Modelling Project (BAM) has made great efforts to assemble a comprehensive database of all systematic, spatially referenced, observational data on boreal birds that have been collected in Canada. BAM has also developed predictive habitat-association models and maps depicting the distribution and abundance of several boreal bird species.

To support this work, forest inventories from across the boreal are being compiled under the Common Attribute Schema or CAS. A background document on the Common Attribute Schema can be downloaded here.

To learn more about BAM, visit www.borealbirds.ca