By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After more than a year since Council passed a motion to apply for Bird Friendly City status, Nature Canada has officially certified Caledon as a Bird Friendly City.

This certification is awarded to municipalities that meet standards across three key areas: threat reduction, habitat protection and restoration, and community outreach and education.

In January of 2025, Council passed a Motion directing staff to apply for Bird Friendly City status and committed to ongoing action, including annual reporting, continued program development, and support for a community-led Bird Team. 

Since then, Caledon has implemented a range of initiatives toward achieving certification.

A Town of Caledon official stated that key initiatives include Caledon's Animal Care and Control By-law, which requires pets to be restrained and limits the number of cats per household, as well as the Town's Community Cat Program, which helps manage feral cat populations through humane trapping, spaying/neutering and vaccination.

More recently, the Town launched an internal bird-window collision reporting tool for staff to help identify and address collision risks at Town facilities.

It was stated that since 2024, the Town has also requested that eligible new development applications consider bird-friendly building design and dark-sky lighting measures to help reduce bird-window collisions and light pollution. 

Part of Council's January motion was to support a community-led Bird Team, which includes Town staff, representatives from Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), local school boards, and residents with an interest in conservation and nature.

A Town of Caledon official stated that the Caledon Bird Team “played an important role in identifying and coordinating existing bird-friendly initiatives happening across Caledon, which helped support the Town's successful certification application.”

The collaboration was said to create stronger partnerships that will help guide future bird conservation and education efforts.

“This designation reflects Caledon's commitment to protecting our natural environment and the wildlife that depend on it,” said Mayor Annette Groves. “Becoming a Bird Friendly City is the result of ongoing collaboration between Council, staff, community partners and residents who care about preserving the landscapes that make Caledon unique.”

As the Bird Friendly City certification requires continuous improvement, the Town will continue advancing bird-friendly actions through existing and emerging environmental strategies, including the Resilient Caledon Community Climate Action Plan, the Natural Heritage Strategy, and the Urban Forest Strategy.

It was shared that they will also continue working with conservation authorities and community partners to promote existing and future programs, expand education and awareness initiatives, and encourage residents to adopt bird-friendly practices. 

Residents can also expect to see more Bird-Friendly Caledon events and outreach campaigns in the future.