BECO  is a non-profit organization that uses ecological research to advance the conservation of birds in Ontario.

Filling knowledge gaps

There are many unanswered questions about the ecology of at-risk bird species in Ontario and the causes of population declines. BECO strives to address key knowledge gaps to contribute essential information needed for the conservation of wild bird populations and their habitats.

Conducting scientific research

We conduct scientific research to address ecological questions about Ontario’s bird species at risk. By providing this information to the conservation community, our goal is to improve the outcome of conservation actions, thereby contributing to the recovery of species at risk.

Collaborating

As a small non-profit organization, we rely on the strength inherent in collaboration to address complex conservation issues. Our goal is to develop partnerships with like-minded people and organizations, thereby increasing the impact of our work and drawing important connections between the health of bird populations and ecosystems.

Recent Projects

Grasshopper Sparrow conservation on farms
2022
Grassland conversion, bird surveys, and conservation research
2020, 2021
Grassland bird research in a community pasture
2019, 2020
Grassland bird stewardship on farms
2019

Recent News

August 2023 — Read about our field research in this recent issue of BECO News.

August 2023 — BECO attends the 2023 joint meeting of the American Ornithological Society and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists/Société des ornithologistes du Canada, presenting a poster on stewardship for nesting grasshopper sparrows on farms in Ontario.

February 2023 — BECO’s research on grassland birds in the Grey Dufferin Community Pasture published in The Canadian Field-Naturalist.

February 2023 — Learn more about the secretive Grasshopper Sparrow in our newly created Grasshopper Sparrow fact sheet.

February 2022 — BECO’s research on worldwide bird population declines published in Ibis and featured in Wiley’s Research Headlines, EurekAlert!, and Science Magazine. Read more about this research in a post by lead author, Xuan Zhang, on the BOU blog.

September 2021 — Farmtario features an article about our Ontario Trillium Foundation project and 2021 field research.

May 2021 — The Beef Farmers of Ontario publish an article by BECO about Bobolink conservation in the Ontario Beef magazine.

October 2020 — Bobolink nest survival research published in Avian Conservation and Ecology.

September 2020 — BECO’s research on estimating Bobolink abundance published in the Journal of Field Ornithology.

July 2020 — Our Barn Swallows and social cues research paper receives the James Fletcher Award for best paper in a volume of The Canadian Field-Naturalist.

April 2020 — Find out about bird life in agricultural grasslands on BECO’s new grassland bird website!

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    Title photo credit: Jaelyn Kloepfer

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