Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark

Species information

The following is a report on progress made towards the protection and recovery of Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) in Ontario from 2007 to 2020. This report meets the legislative requirement for a review of progress under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”). Bobolink was listed as a threatened species on the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List under the ESA on September 28, 2010. Eastern Meadowlark was listed as a threatened species on the SARO List on January 13, 2012.

The species-specific policy for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, known as the Government Response Statement (GRS), was published in 2015 and includes the government’s recovery goal for the species and the actions and priorities it intends to lead or support to help achieve that goal. The GRS considers science advice provided in the recovery strategy, when developing recovery actions for the species. As legislated in the Act, the purpose of this review is to report on progress made towards implementing the protection and recovery actions in the GRS. The review can also help identify opportunities to adjust and adapt the implementation of protection and recovery actions to achieve the recovery goal for the species.

Bobolink

Eastern Meadowlark

Further information about Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, including the threats that they face and actions being taken to help protect and recover these species, is available on the Government of Ontario website for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. A summary on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark and an annual update on the broader species at risk program (i.e. the Introduction to the 2020 Review of Progress report) is available on the Review of Progress towards the Protection and Recovery of Ontario’s Species at Risk webpage.

Snapshot: Progress toward the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark

This snapshot provides an overview of the progress made towards the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark in Ontario. Additional information on each of these topics can be found in the full report text.

Progress towards meeting the recovery goal

• The recovery goal in the Government Response Statement (GRS) for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark in Ontario includes a short and long-term goal for the species. The short-term goal is to slow the population decline by maintaining and enhancing grassland habitat. The long-term goal is to maintain a stable and self-sustaining population for Bobolink at 65% of its current [as of 2016] population size, and for Eastern Meadowlark at 72% of its current [as of 2016] population size, throughout the species’ current range in Ontario by 2036 (within 20 years).
• Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government recovery objectives and the majority of the government-led and government-supported actions. Examples of progress include:
  • the establishment of the Grassland Stewardship Initiative to provide financial incentives to landowners to create, maintain and enhance grassland habitats
  • finalizing the Safe Harbour Habitat under the Endangered Species Act policy to provide guidance on the design, implementation and evaluation of effectiveness of safe harbour instruments for species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark
  • government-led and supported research to improve knowledge on Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark breeding behaviour and the influence of agricultural management strategies on reproductive success
  • government-supported projects that created, enhanced, and maintained Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark habitat across the species’ ranges
• In alignment with the GRS, more work is required to:
  • analyze land use in Ontario in relation to Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark occurrences and habitat, and evaluate the socioeconomic, ecological and resource implications of different grassland stewardship implementation options over time
  • track the supply of different types of agricultural grassland habitat through the agricultural census and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s remote sensing crop mapping
  • assess the relative degree to which the species’ populations are affected by threats that occur within Ontario versus threats that occur outside the breeding season and on wintering grounds by working in partnership and sharing information with federal and other jurisdictions

Occurrences and distribution

• Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark are widely distributed across southern and eastern Ontario, with an estimated range of approximately 200,000 square kilometres based on recent observations of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.
• The Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received over 35,000 records of each species based on observations made between 1898 and 2019.
• Since 2010, the species have been observed in locations where it was not previously known to occur and at locations previously thought to be historical. Based on up to date information, the species’ extant distributions are estimated to encompass 11,300 additional square kilometres for Bobolink, and 23,800 additional square kilometres for Eastern Meadowlark than was known in 2010.

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its partners to conduct 48 stewardship projects that have supported the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark since these species were listed under the Endangered Species Act. Thirteen projects ($537,847) focused exclusively on Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, while the other 35 projects ($1,639,211) focused on multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.
• The government’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 2,688 individuals who volunteered 56,675 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is $10,008,080.
• Stewardship partners reported that through their actions 3,899 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.
• Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, to 1,783,242 individuals.
• Also through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario supported partners conducting six research projects ($151,000) to fill knowledge gaps about the species’ habitat needs across several spatial scales and breeding success in agricultural fields under different management strategies.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The Government of Ontario has issued 50 permits for this species: one was issued as a ‘human health or safety’ (17(2)(a)) permit, 14 ‘protection or recovery’ (17(2)(b)) permits and 35 ‘overall benefit’ (17(2)(c)) permits.
• One thousand five hundred twenty nine activities have been authorized for Bobolink under the conditional exemptions requiring registration under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA under ‘Bobolink and eastern meadowlark’ (section 23.6), ‘Early exploration mining’ (section 23.10), ‘Ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), ‘Hydro-electric generating stations – operations’ (23.12), ‘Notice of drainage works’ (section 23.9), ‘Pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), ‘Species protection or recovery activities’ (section 23.17), ‘Threats to human health or safety – non imminent’ (section 23.18), ‘Wind facilities – operations’ (section 23.20).
• One thousand four hundred seventeen activities have been authorized for Eastern Meadowlark under the conditional exemptions requiring registration under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA under ‘Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark’ (section 23.6), ‘Ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), ‘Notice of drainage works’ (section 23.9), ‘Pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), ‘Species protection or recovery activities’ (section 23.17), ‘Threats to human health or safety – non imminent’ (section 23.18), ‘Wind facilities – operations’ (section 23.20).

Reporting on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark

The implementation of government-led and government-supported actions demonstrates progress toward reaching the desired objectives and the recovery goal set out in the GRS.

Progress towards implementing government-led actions

Progress has been made towards implementing the majority of the government-led actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works toward achieving a species’ recovery goal include:

• Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
• Encourage the submission of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark data to the government’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC).
• Protect Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark and their habitat through the ESA.
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
• Establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to encourage collaboration and reduce duplication of efforts.

Additionally, the government has directly undertaken the following species-specific actions:

Develop and implement the Grassland Stewardship Initiative and the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan

The commitment to conserve the province’s rich biodiversity by protecting and recovering species at risk and their habitats is part of the government’s Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, which provides a roadmap for protecting the province’s land, air and water. To improve the resilience of natural ecosystems, the Ontario government is committed to strengthening and expanding grassland habitats by implementing the province’s Grassland Stewardship Initiative (GSI, or Initiative) that supports on-farm conservation activities to benefit grassland birds at risk.

Following finalization of the Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark Government Response Statement in 2015, the government identified Forests Ontario to initiate and administer the Government of Ontario’s GSI. The Initiative provides financial incentives to landowners to create, maintain and enhance grassland habitats.

As the key first steps – to develop and begin implementing this Initiative – Forests Ontario has:

• created the brand name Grasslands Ontario, which is the division of Forests Ontario that will be leading implementation of the GSI
• identified and worked with partners and delivery agents
• coordinated and established agreements
• collaborated with the Ontario government to establish strategic targets and monitoring outcomes to assess Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark habitat quality and population status to be used as part of the effectiveness monitoring for both habitat and the species

Over the course of the first two years of initial on-the-ground implementation of the Initiative (2018 and 2019), Grasslands Ontario engaged and registered participants and supported restoration of over 420 hectares of high‐quality grassland habitat across Ontario. The GSI funding supported partners in enhancing habitat by removing invasive species and mowing vegetation, maintaining habitat by delaying harvest of crops to promote nesting success, and creating habitat by planting appropriate seed mixes.

In addition to this initial progress toward on-the-ground GSI implementation, the province has supported dozens of grassland-related projects through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program which have contributed to the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. Partners receiving provincial species at risk stewardship funding have reported that they have enhanced nearly 4,000 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark (more information can be found in the Government-supported Stewardship Projects section below).

The continued commitment to the GSI in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, the development of a policy framework, mandate and priorities for the GSI, the establishment of Forests Ontario as the delivery agent, and the recent and ongoing support through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, demonstrate progress towards the government commitments to create, maintain and enhance grassland habitats as outlined in the Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark GRS to support the recovery of the species.

Supporting Ontario’s agricultural communities to protect and recover Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has pioneered strong networks amongst farm organizations, provincial/federal counterparts, and environmental non-governmental organizations to create shared interest in and understanding of the interactions between agricultural operations and grasslands birds. OMAFRA undertakes the following activities:

• Delivers cost-share programming through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) that supports environmental stewardship best management practices, such as fragile land retirement, providing ancillary benefits for species at risk.
• Provides technical support towards the development of technical reports, booklets, and factsheets that support dissemination of key information of agricultural practices and their impacts/interactions with grassland birds, e.g. supported the development of a grassland bird factsheet in collaboration with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) to encourage haying and pasture land management practices that allow grassland bird nesting and fledging.
• Participates regularly in an advisory group to evaluate the environmental value of beef, sheep, and agricultural grasslands in Ontario, including as habitat for species at risk.
• Collaborated with the University of Guelph and the OSCIA from 2014-2018 to support a research project that investigated the impact of delaying first cut on the nutritional quality of hay and the resulting effects on dairy and beef production, contributing to knowledge needed to make recommendations to farmers about practices to balance the needs of agricultural operations and grassland birds (Smith et al., 2018).

Government-led research on Bobolink

From 2014 to 2017 an MNRF scientist completed multiple research projects in conjunction with Trent University students looking at Bobolink habitat use. The collective work of these research projects addresses several actions identified in the GRS by:

• Furthering our understanding on the geographical patterns and timing of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark breeding and forage quality across the species’ range in Ontario, which informs feasibility assessments of targeted regional or site-specific harvest timing
• Improving knowledge on the best management practices that can benefit nest productivity with minimal disruption to farmers
• Evaluating the types of lands used by Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark to better understand the factors that influence habitat selection by the species.
  • Diemer and Nocera (2014) examined the relationship between Bobolink territory size and vegetation structure, prey abundance and patch size in hayfields of southern Ontario. The models they generated provide a detailed assessment of how variables involved in Bobolink habitat selection are related to territory size and further our understanding of Bobolink habitat use.
  • Diemer and Nocera (2016) evaluated three hayfield management strategies to examine how the timing of hay removal impacted resident Bobolink. In southern Ontario, the study found that a modest delay in first harvest may be the most appropriate strategy to balance needs of breeding Bobolinks and farmers, translating to small declines in hay quality and substantial increases in reproductive success.
  • Brown and Nocera (2017) studied changes in hay quality over time at three latitudes in Ontario and related results to the timing of Bobolink breeding for central Ontario. They concluded that, in central Ontario, a delayed hay harvest would support Bobolink reproduction without compromising hay quality for a variety of livestock enterprises. The impact of the timing of hay harvest to the north and south of the province may differ depending on local geologic and climatic conditions and breeding bird behaviour. The study suggests that farmers can manage hayfields to support grassland birds with less severe trade-offs to hay quality than once thought. The information from this study can be applied to wider geographical ranges by applying local breeding bird activity and forage quality over time.

Continuing to provide habitat for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark that is associated with farming operations

Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark are grassland birds that nest in high densities in certain types of agricultural fields, coinciding with the time of year that hay is harvested and when livestock are pastured. Recognizing that agricultural lands currently provide the greatest percentage of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark habitat in Ontario and that the successful recovery of the species depends on the agricultural community, the government passed regulations in 2011, 2012 and 2014 that collectively provided an exemption from the ESA’s species and habitat protection requirements for specific agricultural activities with respect to Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark until December 31, 2015.

The government formed the Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark Round Table, a group of interested and impacted stakeholders to develop and recommend solutions that balance the needs of the species with those of the farming community. The government conducted extensive analyses, considered and consulted on the Round Table’s recommended solutions which addressed both the needs of the species and the need for continued agricultural activities in Ontario. A decision was made on December 9, 2015 to extend the exemption for agricultural operations affecting Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark from the protection provisions of the ESA until December 31, 2025 to allow for the continued provision of habitat for the species that is associated with farming operations.

Safe harbour habitat under the Endangered Species Act

Under the ESA, the creation of safe harbour habitat is one in a suite of complementary tools developed to provide conservation outcomes for species at risk. It is intended to promote stewardship-driven and beneficial activities focused on increasing the amount of habitat that is available to species at risk within the province. The safe harbour habitat provision enables landowners to undertake conservation measures, while providing legal assurances that attracting and increasing species at risk to their properties will not result in future land use restrictions under the ESA. In 2017, the government provided policy direction to support the design, implementation and evaluation of effectiveness of safe harbour instruments for species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, to encourage proponent and private landowner protection, creation and enhancement of species at risk habitat in Ontario.

Protecting and recovering Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark in Ontario Parks

Many provincial parks in southern Ontario support and have historically supported Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. Ontario Parks undertakes several activities to improve nest productivity and habitat quality and maintains existing habitat in provincial parks, supporting multiple government recovery objectives outlined in the GRS.

Ontario Parks specifically has undertaken, and in some cases continues to undertake, the following actions:

• Rehabilitates tallgrass prairie habitats annually across southern Ontario through invasive woody vegetation removal and through prescribed burning.
• Conducted desktop habitat analyses and targeted surveys in 2012 across 25 parks in southeastern Ontario to confirm what provincial parks still supported breeding Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark populations.
• Continues to support grassland bird monitoring and research in Carden Alvar Provincial Park (habitat for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark).
• Maintains grassland habitat for Eastern Meadowlark by removing invasive species (European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)) in Burnt Lands Provincial Park in 2014 and 2017.
• Monitors grassland bird species at risk (including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark) in recent years at Bronte Creek Provincial Park and Komoka Provincial Park to assess current habitat use and inform park management activities.

Occurrences and distribution

Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark are widely distributed across southern and eastern Ontario. Given the species' broad distribution and the high volume of records submitted, the species’ occurrence information has been assessed at a landscape scale using 10 by 10-kilometre grid “squares” to approximate the species’ distribution. The squares were used to estimate where the species has been observed within the past 20 years (e.g., recently observed), and where the species is considered historical ^{footnote 1[1]} .

Using this approach, Bobolink has been recently observed in 2,004 squares, and there remain 448 additional squares that contain historical observations of the species. This equates to a potential range ^{footnote 2[2]} of approximately 200,400 square kilometres in Ontario based on recent observations of the species, and an additional 44,800 square kilometres based on historical observations.

The NHIC has received approximately 33,000 records of Bobolink. The records are based on observations between 1905 and 2019. Based on the records since 2010, the species has been observed in locations in 113 squares in which it was not previously known to occur, and the species’ presence has been re-confirmed in 1,249 additional squares, 179 of which were previously thought to be historical. Conversely, the occurrences in 448 squares are now considered historical as a result of the date that the species was last observed. Based on up-to-date information, the species’ extant distribution is estimated to encompass a greater area (by 11,300 square kilometres) than was known in 2010.

Eastern Meadowlark has been recently observed in 2,012 squares, and there remain 102 additional squares that contain historical observations of the species. This equates to a potential range of approximately 201,200 square kilometres in Ontario based on recent observations of the species, and an additional 10,200 square kilometres based on historical observations.

The NHIC has received approximately 38,000 records of Eastern Meadowlark. The records are based on observations between 1898 and 2019. Based on records since 2012, the species has been observed in locations associated with 238 squares in which it was not previously known to occur, and the species’ presence has been re-confirmed in 2,315 additional squares, 541 of which were previously thought to be historical. Conversely, the occurrences in 102 squares are now considered historical as a result of the date that the species was last observed. Based on up-to-date information, the species’ extant distribution is estimated to encompass a greater area (by 23,800 square kilometres) than was known in 2012.

The enlargement of the species’ estimated distributions is most likely the result of increased search effort and education about Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark and represent increased knowledge on the distributions of the species rather than an increase in the total populations. Efforts to engage citizen scientists in collecting data for these species have increased since 2012, with an assortment of programs and tools available for observations to be submitted and confirmed. This includes eBird, a citizen science program that collects an assortment of data on birds submitted by users, and shares this data with other agencies, such as the NHIC.

The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the primary source for long-term, large-scale population data for breeding bird species. It is a standardized roadside survey that started in 1966 and relies on volunteer participation and coordinated in Canada by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service. Data from the BBS indicates that the annual index (the estimated average abundance on breeding bird survey routes) has been decreasing for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark (Smith et al. 2019).

Encouraging the submission of observations of this species is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and can play an important role in assessing the viability of species populations.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval, to submit observations of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, and any other species at risk, to the NHIC for incorporation into the provincial record of observations. Observations may now be submitted to NHIC via the Rare Species of Ontario project in iNaturalist or through eBird.

• 35,000+
  observations of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark were submitted to the NHIC since 2010

Government-supported stewardship projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported 48 stewardship projects ($2,177,058) since the species were listed under the ESA designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark ^{footnote 3[3]} . Thirteen of these projects ($537,847) focused exclusively on Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, while the other 35 projects ($1,639,211) focused on multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. In addition to the government funding, partners focusing exclusively on Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark reported they were successful in securing additional funding ($458,310) from other sources, as did partners with projects designed to benefit multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark ($9,549,770). These amounts include in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.

Partners who received stewardship support from the provincial government for species at risk projects reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 92 individuals who volunteered 710 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities that focused exclusively on Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark; this has an estimated value of $28,071. As well, 2,596 individuals volunteered 53,965 hours of their time toward protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, which has an estimated value of $1,183,567. Partners that received provincial species at risk stewardship funding also reported that through both their efforts and the efforts of their volunteers to implement GRS actions, they were successful in enhancing 3,899 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. In addition, funding recipients reported providing focused outreach on Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark to 197,964 individuals, as well as ecosystem-based outreach on multiple species, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark to 1,585,278 individuals.

The government also supports recipients in conducting research that addresses important knowledge gaps for species at risk. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the government provided funding to six research partners ($151,000) to fill knowledge gaps about the Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark habitat needs across several spatial scales and about breeding success in agricultural fields.

The remainder of this section highlights two projects supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program as well as the corresponding government-supported recovery actions for the species.

Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program

The Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program (SARFIP) is a cost-share support program available to farmers throughout Ontario to implement Best Management Practices (BMP) that have direct and indirect benefits to species at risk and their habitats. Farmers voluntarily participate in the program and submit applications outlining their proposed projects to the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) who administers the program.

To participate in the program, a farmer must have an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) action plan - a self-assessment voluntarily prepared by farmers to increase their environmental awareness on their farm. Once EFPs are verified complete, applicants may be eligible for financial assistance to help implement their action plan. In Ontario, the EFP program is delivered by the OSCIA through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative and has been supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program since 2009 in Ontario.

The incentive program has supported environmental enhancements to farm properties to assist in the protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, by supporting activities such as:

• fencing projects to encourage rotational grazing to support Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark populations
• native grassland plantings to improve Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark habitat
• site visits, site assessments, and environmental monitoring work of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark
• development of outreach and education materials such as grassland field guides

Through the collaborative efforts and support of provincial and federal governments, SARFIP has established a strong level of trust and acceptance within the agricultural community and continues to attract stewardship-conscious producers across the province for on-farm BMP implementation, addressing multiple high priority GRS actions to support the recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.

Featured government-supported research

Nicole MacDonald and Dr. Erica Nol at Trent University were provided support through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program to study the breeding ecology of Bobolink on hayfields and rotationally grazed pastures. The researchers investigated the impact of beef cattle farm management (including rotationally grazed pastures and managed hayfields) on the reproductive success of Bobolink in eastern Ontario. Bobolinks nesting in fields grazed by cattle or cut for hay before July 1 had significantly lower reproductive success than those nesting in untouched fields. Bobolinks did not recolonize or re-nest in fields that were grazed early (before June 2). Bobolink abundance and productivity were lower in managed fields and pastures than in untouched fields and hayfields. As the number of fields grazed by a single herd during the nesting season increased, the proportion of fields containing Bobolinks that reproduced successfully, decreased.

The research concluded that the best method for improving the reproductive success of Bobolinks on beef cattle farms is to provide some untouched hayfields and pasture fields until nesting is complete. It also showed that Bobolinks reproduced successfully on most farm operations that were managed for beef cattle because most farm operations included some fields that were not used by cattle (MacDonald and Nol, 2017).

The research addresses the high priority action to assess and identify best management practices that can benefit nest productivity with minimal disruption to farming activities (e.g. delayed or modified haying, shifted grazing) and informs the development of grassland knowledge resources such as site-specific management plans to support healthy lands and grassland habitat, contributing knowledge towards another high priority action identified in the GRS.

Species at Risk Stewardship Program

• 
  48

  projects included Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark

• 
  13

  for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark exclusively

• 
  $1,639,211

  for multi-species projects that included Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark

• 
  $537,847

  for these species exclusively

• 
  $10,008,080

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  2,688

  volunteers

• 
  56,675

  volunteer hours

• 
  1,783,242

  people received outreach

• 
  3,899

  hectares of habitat enhanced

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

Supporting partners through authorizations under the ESA, and their associated conditions, is an important government-led action.

Fifty permits have been issued for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark since the species have been protected under the ESA: one ‘human health or safety’ (17(2)(a)) permit, 14 ‘protection or recovery’ (17(2)(b)) permits and 35 ‘overall benefit’ (17(2)(c)) permits.

'Health and safety' permits are issued when an activity that may harm species at risk is considered necessary for the protection of human health and safety. One 'health and safety' permit was issued for Bobolink, to allow for the realignment of a highway to improve public safety. Activities undertaken to minimize the adverse effects on Bobolink included working outside of the breeding season.

'Protection or recovery' permits are issued if the purpose of the activity is to assist in the protection or recovery of a species at risk. Of the 14 ‘protection or recovery’ permits, 2 were issued exclusively for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, and 12 were issued for multiple species, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. These permits enabled a variety of organizations to undertake activities such as assessing the effects of agricultural activities on the breeding ecology of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark and assessing population status through surveys.

Thirty-five ‘overall benefit’ permits were issued for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. Of the 35 permits, 28 were issued exclusively for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, and 7 were issued for multiple species, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. Several of the conditions included in the permits were designed to implement government-supported actions identified in the GRS, including:

• enhancing and maintaining habitat for the long term to ensure habitat lasts through several breeding cycles
• using a hay seed mix that provides better quality Bobolink habitat than what is provided in the current habitat
• removing the small wooded features located near the replacement habitat, thus reducing the risk of nest parasitism from Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater)

Other conditions designed to minimize adverse effects included:

• creating the replacement habitat three years prior to the removal of the current habitat in order to provide a hayfield of the same maturity as the current habitat
• conducting development activities outside of the breeding season when the species would not be present on the site

More detailed information regarding ‘overall benefit’ permits for this species is available through the Environment Registry of Ontario.

A total of 1,529 activities that may affect Bobolink or its habitat have been authorized under the conditional exemptions requiring registration under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA.

• ‘Bobolink and eastern meadowlark’ (section 23.6) – 75 activities were registered under this section, which requires the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation such as take steps to minimize adverse effects of the activity (e.g., routing roads along existing fencerows or hedgerows), create or enhance the species habitat, prepare a habitat management plan, and monitor the area where the habitat was created or enhanced.
• ‘Threats to human health or safety – non imminent’ (section 23.18) – 1,341 activities were registered under this section, which requires the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation, such as taking steps to minimize adverse effects on the species and its habitat (e.g., avoiding the activity during a time of year when the species is carrying out a life process such as reproduction and rearing).
• ‘Early exploration mining’ (section 23.10), ‘Ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), ‘Hydro-electric generating stations – operations’ (23.12), ‘Notice of drainage works’ (section 23.9), ‘Pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), ‘Species protection or recovery activities’ (section 23.17), ‘Wind facilities – operations’ (section 23.20) – 113 activities were registered under these sections which require the registrant to comply with all conditions of the Regulation, such as the requirement to prepare a mitigation plan, and to take reasonable steps to minimize the adverse effects of the activity on the species.

Additionally, 1,417 activities that may affect Eastern Meadowlark or its habitat have been authorized under the conditional exemptions requiring registration for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA.

• ‘Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark’ (section 23.6) – 73 activities were registered under this section, which requires the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation such as take steps to minimize adverse effects of the activity (e.g., routing roads along existing fencerows or hedgerows), create or enhance the species habitat, prepare a habitat management plan, and monitor the area where the habitat was created or enhanced.
• ‘Threats to human health or safety – non imminent’ (section 23.18) – 1,257 activities were registered under this section, which requires the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation, including taking reasonable steps to minimize adverse effects of the activity such as taking steps to minimize adverse effects on the species and its habitat (e.g., avoiding the activity during a time of year when the species is carrying out a life process such as reproduction and rearing).
• ‘Notice of drainage works’ (section 23.9), ‘Ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), ‘Pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), ‘Species protection or recovery activities’ (section 23.17), ‘Wind facilities – operations’ (section 23.20) – 87 activities were registered under these sections which require the registrant to comply with all conditions of the Regulation, such as the requirement to prepare a mitigation plan, and to take reasonable steps to minimize the adverse effects of the activity on the species.

• 1
  health or safety permit
• 14
  protection or recovery permits
• 35
  overall benefit permits
• 2,944
  registrations

Progress towards implementing government-led and supported actions

Government-supported and government-led actions are organized under overarching recovery objectives. Progress has been made towards achieving all of the recovery objectives and implementing the majority of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.

Under this objective, progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 1 by establishing the policy framework, mandate, and priorities for the Grassland Stewardship Initiative and by providing funding to support implementation to Forests Ontario as the delivery agent. With support from the government, Forests Ontario has initiated the program, coordinated and established agreements, supported restoration of high-quality grassland habitats, developed and supported incentive programs and established strategic targets and monitoring outcomes. These substantial initial investments in establishing this new collaborative initiative will enable efficient and effective implementation of on-the-ground habitat creation, maintenance, and enhancement going forward. Progress towards this habitat objective has also been achieved through other initiatives, including through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, which to date has supported dozens of grassland-related projects, including the enhancement of nearly 4,000 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.

Progress has been made to Action No. 2 through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program to support collaboration to develop grassland knowledge and resources and promote adoption of grassland habitat management practices, conduct education and outreach events for landowners and support the development of site-specific management plans.

Initial progress has been made towards Action No. 3 by providing Species at Risk Stewardship Program support for a project to showcase a grassland management/enhancement site to demonstrate a balanced approach to grassland habitat recovery and educate landowners.

Progress has been made to Action No. 4 through government collaboration across provincial ministries and with the federal government throughout the development of the Grassland Stewardship Initiative and the related federal program, Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands. Through participation in beef, sheep, and agricultural grassland advisory groups, the government also encourages collaboration and provides advisory services on provincial species at risk stewardship and provides outreach to farmers.

Through support from the Grassland Stewardship Initiative and projects supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program to maintain and enhance grassland habitat for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, and commitments in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, the government has made progress towards Action No. 5. These efforts have contributed to Ontario’s climate change targets of longer-term reductions by incenting behaviours to increase carbon sinks through the protection, maintenance and enhancement of grassland habitats for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.

Under this objective, implementation of government-led Actions No. 6, 7, and 8 are ongoing through the continued protection of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark and their habitat under the ESA, by extending the exemption for agricultural operations from the protection provisions of the ESA for 10 years until 2025 to allow for the continued provision of habitat for the species that is associated with farming operations, and by providing policy direction to support the design, implementation and evaluation of effectiveness of safe harbour instruments for species at risk, including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.

Progress has been made towards government-led Actions No. 9, 10, 11, and 12 through supporting the publication of technical guidance to encourage and promote haying and pasture land management practices that encourage successful grassland bird breeding and working with landowners to encourage adoption of BMPs.

Initial progress has been made towards the government-supported Action No. 13 by supporting projects through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program that identify areas where stewardship efforts can be targeted and through incentive programs that encourage voluntary landowner participation in grassland habitat creation, enhancement, and management practices on private land.

Considerable progress has been made towards Action No. 14 by supporting multiple projects through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program to enhance, restore, and create grassland habitat for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. For example, the Species at Risk Stewardship Program has supported projects to adjust the ratios of native grasses to other plants in favour of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark as part of a tallgrass prairie restoration project, enhance 150 acres of habitat on a cattle ranch, plant native seeds and plugs to enhance and expand grassland habitats on Nature Conservancy Canada properties, install fencing to implement rotational grazing to improve Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark habitat, and remove invasive species to enhance the species’ habitat.

Initial progress has been made to Action No. 15 through the establishment of the GSI and through the reporting of the enrolment, targets, as well as population and habitat parameters that are required by partners participating in this initiative.

Considerable progress has been made towards Action No. 16 through regular communication and encouragement of submitting Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark observations to the NHIC. The government encourages the submission of observations by partners, other agencies, researchers, and the public to citizen science programs such as iNaturalist and eBird and directly to the NHIC so that the information can be incorporated into the official provincial record.

Considerable progress has been made towards Actions No. 17 and 18 by providing Species at Risk Stewardship Program support to several research projects to understand habitat selection of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark and nest productivity and by supporting research projects to assess the best management practices (delayed or modified haying or rotational grazing) that benefit nest productivity.

Progress has been made towards government-led Action No. 19 through several research projects supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and through the collaborative research project with OMAFRA, University of Guelph and OSCIA investigating the nutritional quality of forages and the impacts to livestock productivity (on a regional scale), informing feasibility assessments of targeted regional or site-specific hay harvest timing (Smith et al., 2018).

Considerable progress has been made towards Action No. 22 by annual surveys implemented through the Breeding Bird Survey program to track changes in species’ distribution and abundance.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal

The recovery goal for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark is to slow the population decline by maintaining and enhancing grassland habitat. In the long-term, the government’s goal is to maintain a stable and self-sustaining population for Bobolink at 65% of its current population size, and for Eastern Meadowlark at 72% of its current population size, throughout the species’ current range in Ontario by 2036 (within 20 years). Through the collaborative efforts of farmers, landowners, provincial and federal government, and efforts made toward the government-led and government-supported actions, substantial progress has been made toward this goal.

Government-led efforts and collaborative work with Forests Ontario to establish the Grassland Stewardship Initiative in Ontario are important initial activities which are part of a multi-faceted approach aiming towards slowing population declines in these two species. The substantial initial investments in establishing the Grassland Stewardship Initiative supports the continued maintenance and creation of grassland ecosystems in Ontario, supporting the protection and recovery of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. The government has additionally supported multiple projects to create, maintain, and enhance grassland habitat, to develop grassland knowledge resources, and has led and supported research on best management practices that benefit nest productivity which has contributed valuable knowledge to support the recovery of the species. The province has also extended the exemption for agricultural operations under the ESA to allow for the continued provision of habitat associated with farming operations and has provided policy direction to encourage landowner protection, creation and enhancement of grassland habitat in Ontario.

The provincial record of observations indicates efforts to increase awareness and reporting of the species have been effective as the NHIC has received over 33,000 and 38,000 reports of sightings of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, respectively, and the understanding of the species’ distributions in the province have considerably increased.

While our knowledge of the species has improved due to increased survey efforts and citizen science stewardship efforts since the species were first listed under the ESA, population data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Status of Birds in Canada (2019) report indicates that the annual index (the estimated average abundance on breeding bird survey routes) has been decreasing for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, and that these populations have not yet stabilized. Given provincial trends in urbanization, agricultural commodity prices, human population growth, and changes in the beef and dairy sectors, habitat loss for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark in Ontario is expected to continue and the species’ populations are expected to further decline. Further long-term monitoring of population data is required to assess whether a stable and self-sustaining population for Bobolink and Meadowlark are maintained in Ontario over the long-term (by 2036).

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, this review of progress can be used to help identify whether adjustments to the implementation of GRS actions are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, particularly the implementation of actions identified as high priority, should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species.

While Ontario and Forests Ontario have made important progress in establishing and initiating the Grasslands Stewardship Initiative to create, maintain, and enhance grassland habitat, further work is needed to achieve targeted levels of implementation identified in the GRS.

Relative to actions that have received a stronger level of support, the following actions have received less, and may be considered in future work towards the protection and recovery of the species:

• Action No. 21 – Analyze land use in Ontario in relation to Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark occurrences and habitat, and evaluate the socioeconomic, ecological and resource implications of different grassland stewardship implementation options (e.g. scale, focus areas) over time.
• Action No. 23 - Track the supply of different types of agricultural grassland habitat through the agricultural census and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s remote sensing crop mapping. Link these results to population trends of Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.
• Action No. 24 - Assess the relative degree to which the species’ populations are affected by threats that occur within Ontario versus threats that occur outside the breeding season and on wintering grounds by working in partnership and sharing information with federal and other jurisdictions.

Protecting and recovering Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark will continue to be a shared responsibility that will require the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The government will continue to advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake a project. By working together, progress can continue to be made toward protecting and recovering Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark in Ontario.

References

• Brown, L. J. and Nocera J. J. 2017. Conservation of breeding grassland birds requires local management strategies when hay maturation and nutritional quality differ among regions. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 237: 242-249.
• Diemer, K. M. and Nocera, J. J. 2016. Bobolink reproductive response to three hayfield management regimens in southern Ontario. Journal for Nature Conservation 29:123-131.
• Diemer, K. M. and Nocera, J. J. 2014. Associations of bobolink territory size with habitat quality. Annales Zoologici Fennici 51: 515-525.
• MacDonald, N. M. and Nol, E. 2017. Impacts of rotational grazing and hay management on the reproductive success of Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management 6(2):53-65.
• Smith, A. C., Hudson, M-A. R. Aponte, V., and Francis, C. M. 2019. North American Breeding Bird Survey - Canadian Trends Website, Data-version 2017. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0H3.
• Smith, P., Wells, M, Cant, J., Kyle, J., Bagg, J., Wright, T., Roberts, P., O’Reilly, C., Vliet, L., Giraldo, Maria. 2018. Nutritional Quality of Perennial Forages from May to August: Impact of Delaying First Cut on Dairy and Beef Production.