Stretching from the Yukon Territory to Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada's boreal region is blanketed by vast tracts of intertwined forest and wetland ecosystems. Together, these dynamic habitats sustain one of the world's richest and most diverse assemblages of wildlife, and provide breeding grounds for billions of migratory birds. The forests of the boreal region, dominated by spruce, fir and poplar trees, represent one quarter of the world's remaining intact forest.  The boreal's wetlands—a mosaic of unique environments such as bog, muskeg, fen, outwash, lakes and rivers—are the nursery to innumerable waterfowl, shorebirds and other species.

Known as the "bird nursery" of North America, the boreal provides habitat for over 300 avian species and hosts up to 3 billion breeding birds during the summer months. Ironically, the remoteness that once protected the Boreal from interference also means that we have little detailed information about the health of its wildlife inhabitants. Today, growing pressures from industrial development and climate change, combined with disturbing evidence of species declines in the boreal, lend urgency to the BAM project's mission. We don't know how this rapid habitat change will impact boreal birds. However, more information on bird distribution, abundance, and habitat associations will help to improve land use and conservation planning, environmental assessments, monitoring programs, and will facilitate more effective conservation in general.

Fortunately, we have an unparalleled opportunity for proactive  conservation planning in Canada's boreal forest. More than ever, the availability of avian and biophysical data along with the maturity of statistical modelling techniques, enable unprecedented analyses of boreal avian communities. The results of our models will be of immediate use to decision-makers.  Regular updates of monitoring data and new research results will ensure that the information remains relevant and current. Future applications of this work include the development of scenario analyses that examine changes to land use and climate, and the identification of conservation priorities for land management.