Bank Swallow

Species information

The following is a report on progress made towards the protection and recovery of Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) in Ontario from 2007 to 2021, based on Ontario’s species-specific recovery policy. This report meets the legislative requirement for a review of progress under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”). Bank Swallow is listed as threatened on the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List under the ESA.

Bank Swallow was listed as a threatened species under the ESA on June 27, 2014.

Habitat protection for this species is based on the general habitat definition in the Act. A general habitat description for Bank Swallow was developed in 2015 and provides greater clarity on the area of habitat protected based on the general habitat definition in the Act.

The species-specific recovery policy for Bank Swallow, known as the Government Response Statement (GRS) was published in 2017 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.

Further information about Bank Swallow, including the threats that it faces, and actions being taken to help protect and recover this species is available on the Government of Ontario webpage for Bank Swallow. A summary on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Bank Swallow and an annual update on the broader species at risk program (i.e. the Introduction to the 2022 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 towards the protection and recovery of Bank Swallow

Progress towards meeting the recovery goal

• The recovery goal in the Government Response Statement (GRS) for Bank Swallow in Ontario is to “reduce the rate of population decline by minimizing threats and improving habitat conditions. In the long-term, the government’s goal is to maintain a stable and self-sustaining population of Bank Swallow, throughout the species' range in Ontario by 2037 (within 20 years)”.
• Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government-led actions. Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government-supported recovery objectives and all of the associated actions. Examples of progress include:
  • development of the Best Management Practices for the Protection, Creation and Maintenance of Bank Swallow Habitat in Ontario (PDF), which provides guidance on avoiding and mitigating impacts to Bank Swallow habitat
  • efforts undertaken to survey for this species in both known and potential habitat areas, expanding understanding of the distribution of this species
• In alignment with the GRS, it is recommended that additional efforts be made to encourage coordinated research into causes of Bank Swallow decline in Ontario, to investigate the characteristics of foraging and roosting habitat, and to conduct standardized surveys in areas with suitable habitat for Bank Swallow.

Occurrences and distribution

• Bank Swallow is widely distributed across Ontario, with an estimated range of approximately 15,250 square kilometres based on recent observations.
• The Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received over 37,000 records of the species based on observations made between 1892 and 2021, 4,271 of which contain evidence that the birds observed may have been nesting.
• Since 2008, the species has been observed in locations where they were not previously known to occur and at locations previously thought to be historical.

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct 16 projects (by providing $974,583 in funding) that have supported the protection and recovery of Bank Swallow.
• The government’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 1,273 individuals who volunteered 15,629 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for species at risk, including Bank Swallow. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is $326,143.
• Stewardship partners reported that through their actions 81 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Bank Swallow and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.
• Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Bank Swallow, to 304,607 individuals.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The Government of Ontario has issued 19 permits for this species: one ‘human health and safety’ permit was issued under clause 17(2)(a), five ‘social and economic benefit’ permits were issued under clause 17(2)(d), and 13 ‘protection or recovery’ permits under clause 17(2)(b) of the ESA.
• Two-hundred and seventy-seven activities have been registered for the species. The activities were registered under ‘Drainage works’ (section 23.9), ‘Early exploration and mining’ (section 23.10), ‘Pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), ‘Possession for education purposes, etc.’ (section 23.15), ‘Species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17), ‘Threats to human health and safety, not imminent’ (section 23.18), ‘Transition – development ongoing when species first listed, etc.’ (section 23.13), and ‘Wind facilities’ (section 23.20) under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA, and under Ontario Regulation 830/21 of the ESA.

Reporting on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Bank Swallow

The implementation of government-led and government-supported actions demonstrates progress towards 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 all of the government-led actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards 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 Bank Swallow data to the Government of Ontario’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
• Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
• Protect the Bank Swallow and its habitat through the ESA. Continue to implement, promote compliance with, and enforce habitat protections using the species-specific habitat description for Bank Swallow.
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover the Bank Swallow. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
• Encourage collaboration, and establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to reduce duplication of efforts.

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

• Develop, promote implementation of and adapt, as appropriate, best management practices on techniques to mitigate effects of activities on Bank Swallow, such as information on the creation and maintenance of nesting habitat.
• Establish and implement a provincial grassland stewardship initiative to create, maintain, and enhance 30,000 ha of grassland habitat by 2036.
• Work with partners and stakeholders to implement the Pollinator Health Strategy and Action Plan and further reduce overall pesticide use in Ontario through actions such as integrated pest management and education.

Actions not identified as government-led in the GRS, but carried out by Ontario Parks include:

• Continued management of habitat and recreational pressures, such as by providing awareness of nesting habitat with signage near recreation areas to reduce activity and disturbance in the vicinity, for example, at Pinery and Wasaga Beach.
• Ongoing monitoring of a Bank Swallow colony in Arrowhead Provincial Park and searches for additional colonies in the Big East River Provincial Park.

Additionally, work was completed by the Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to collect and analyze data over a three-year period looking at breeding colonies of Bank Swallow in vertical faces at aggregate sites and along inland river systems across Ontario. A research paper is in development, and key questions include what proportion of the Bank Swallow population use pits versus river systems for nesting, which face level and landscape level factors are important for site selection and colony size, and whether the amount of suitable breeding habitat limits reproduction. Early findings include the identification of key characteristics influencing the suitability of vertical faces for breeding Bank Swallows. These include vertical face area and length, gravel and clay content, distance to water and grass cover above the vertical face.

Key progress made towards implementing these actions is described in the following sections.

Develop and implement the Grassland Stewardship Initiative

To improve the resilience of natural ecosystems, the Government of Ontario 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 Bank Swallow government response statement in 2017, 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 Grasslands Ontario, which is the division of Forests Ontario that is leading implementation of the GSI
• identified and worked with partners and delivery agents to administer the GSI
• coordinated and established agreements with landowners to create, maintain and enhance grassland habitat across the province
• collaborated with the Government of Ontario to establish strategic targets and monitoring outcomes to assess grassland species at risk 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. A three-year agreement was signed in 2020 to allow for the continuation and expansion of the project with funding through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. Since 2020 an additional 507 hectares of grasslands have been enrolled in the program. The GSI funding supports 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.

Pollinator Health in Ontario

The Government of Ontario has moved to strengthen managed honey bee and wild pollinator populations by working with farmers on ways to promote environmental stewardship, providing education programs and supports for farmers to promote integrated pest management, and addressing pollinators’ exposure to pesticides by reducing the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed. Ontario was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate neonicotinoid-treated seeds.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has supported these efforts by publishing the 2017 Agronomy Guide for Field Crops (Publication 811) and updating technical content and publishing the 2021 Field Crop Protection Guide (Publication 812).

Other ways OMAFRA continues to support pollinators and their crucial role in Ontario’s agricultural sector include:

• supporting beekeepers and farmers through financial programs, including a range of Business Risk Management programs to help cover loss and damage due to risks that are beyond their control, including AgriInsurance, AgriStability and the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program
• annual priorities for funding programs support projects that enhance animal health and welfare and sustainable production systems through development of best management practices, prevention and control of pathogens, management of emerging issues and more to assist evidence informed decision making to assist pollinator health and habitats
• supporting projects to improve soil health and water quality that also provide benefits for pollinator habitat (e.g. cover crops, windbreaks and shelter belts, riparian buffers and retiring fragile land) through CAP-funded environmental stewardship cost-share funding programs for farmers

Guides and resources

The Species at Risk Guides and Resources Toolbox is an electronic library of best management practices and technical resources to assist proponents and practitioners in meeting the requirements of the ESA and its regulations. 

In 2017, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) led the development of ‘Best Management Practices for the Protection, Creation and Maintenance of Bank Swallow Habitat in Ontario’ (BMP). This document provides information to support the effective management of Bank Swallows and to facilitate compliance with relevant provincial and federal regulations. The BMP delivers on the government-led commitment for Bank Swallow to develop, promote implementation of and adapt, as appropriate, best management practices on techniques to mitigate effects of activities on Bank Swallow, such as information on the creation and maintenance of nesting habitat.

This BMP provides information on measures to reduce effects on Bank Swallow through protection of colonies and measures to discourage nesting in areas where project activities will occur. It also provides information on the creation and maintenance of nesting habitat for Bank Swallows. Key considerations for employing these measures or techniques are defined, with information on the likelihood of success for each method and how to monitor their effectiveness once implemented. The BMP was developed based on best practices and findings from peer-reviewed papers, unpublished reports, and consultation with relevant stakeholders (including academics, other researchers and aggregate operators).

The BMP document also supports a high priority action in the GRS to develop, promote, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of BMPs to mitigate effects of activities on nesting habitat, as well as supporting the GRS action to encourage collaborative stewardship for the species by assessing options and promoting Bank Swallow designs for nesting structures.

Occurrences and distribution

In Ontario, the species breeds throughout the entire province; however, it is most common in southern Ontario and sparsely distributed throughout the Canadian Shield and Hudson Bay Lowland regions in northern Ontario. Large colonies of Bank Swallows occur along the shores of the Saugeen River, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and in some aggregate extraction pits. Given the species’ broad distribution, 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 recently observed (i.e., has been observed within the past 20 years) as well as squares where the species is considered historical ^{footnote 1[1]}.

Using this approach, the species has been recently observed in 1,525 squares, which equates to a potential range^{footnote 2[2]} of approximately 15,250 square kilometres. Historical records from 20 – 50 years ago documented Bank Swallow in only 738 squares, 616 of which have more recent observations. This suggests there are 122 squares (or 1,220 square kilometres) of identified historical habitat, and 909 squares (or 9,090 square kilometres) of occupied habitat newly identified in the past 20 years. Additionally, 25 squares were identified that contain records from more than 50 years ago that have no more-recent observations, and therefore the species could be considered extirpated from these squares.

The government’s central repository at the NHIC, has received over 37,000 records of Bank Swallow. The records are based on observations between 1892 and 2021, and 4,271 of these records contain evidence that the birds observed may have been nesting near where the observations were recorded. Based on records since 2008, the species has been observed in locations associated with 610 squares in which it was not previously known to occur, and the species’ presence has been re-confirmed in 811 additional squares. Bank Swallows show high nest site fidelity rates where they have successfully bred in previous years (Stoner 1941; Freer 1979; Falconer et al. 2016a; Garrison and Turner 2020). However, adults experiencing major nest mortality events, such as predation or bank collapse, do not appear to recolonize the same nesting location, although new birds may recolonize these sites in successive years (Freer 1979; Falconer et al. 2016a). Between 55% and 92% of surviving adults return to breeding sites used in previous years (Falconer et al. 2016a). Data received since 2008 has allowed NHIC to document 149 historical observations of nesting, and 4,130 recent observations of nesting.

New records of the species’ estimated distribution are most likely the result of increased search effort and education about Bank Swallow and represent increased knowledge on the distribution of the species rather than actual range expansion. Efforts to engage citizen scientists in collecting data for this species have increased, with an assortment of programs and tools available for observations to be submitted and confirmed. This includes eBird, a program that collects an assortment of data on birds submitted by users, and shares this data with other agencies, such as the NHIC.

It is possible that there are observations of Bank Swallow that have not been submitted to the government. 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 Bank Swallow, 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.

• 37,000+
  observations of this species were submitted to the NHIC since 2008

Government-supported stewardship projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Bank Swallow is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported 16 projects ($974,583) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Bank Swallow. In addition to the government funding, partners focusing exclusively on Bank Swallow reported they were successful in securing additional funding ($214,645) from other sources, as did partners with projects designed to benefit multiple species at risk, including Bank Swallow ($1,352,033). These amounts include in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.

Stewardship partners reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 72 individuals who volunteered 165 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities that focused exclusively on Bank Swallow, which has an estimated value of $5,500. As well, 1,266 individuals volunteered 15,464 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Bank Swallow, which has an estimated value of $320,643. Partners also reported that through both their efforts and the efforts of their volunteers to implement the GRS, they were successful in enhancing 81 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Bank Swallow. In addition, stewardship partners reported providing focused outreach on Bank Swallow to 200 individuals, as well as ecosystem-based outreach on multiple species, including Bank Swallow, to 304,407 individuals.

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

In 2015 Bird Studies Canada (now Birds Canada) carried out the “Bringing Stewardship Actions to Bank Swallows across Ontario” project, which sought to improve the Bank Swallow population in Ontario and strengthen the conservation status of the species by minimizing threats to breeding habitat. Key components of this project included working with aggregate producers to study the influence of various disturbances on the species, soliciting species observations to help target areas for conservation actions, and improving available information used in the development of Best Management Practices for nesting habitat. This project demonstrates progress towards multiple high priority actions for the species, including developing and evaluating Best Management Practices, and monitoring Bank Swallow populations.

A project carried out by Nature Canada made progress on a number of GRS actions, including both those aiming to increase understanding of Bank Swallow distribution, and those promoting stewardship and awareness. Surveys were completed to collect data on observations of Bank Swallow and known and potential colony nesting sites. These surveys provided valuable information on the locations of foraging and nesting Bank Swallow. Additionally, the development of a standard protocol to use Doppler radar imaging to detect previously occurring or new post-breeding nocturnal roosts was created (Badcock-Parks & Bencke, 2019) and citizen science initiatives organized by Nature Canada to test these radar indicators have been instrumental in the discovery of new roost locations. Workshops were also held with a focus on participation by rural and agricultural landowners to both educate participants on the value of practices like minimizing pesticide application, and to collect information on perceptions surrounding these approaches. This allowed for the development of strategic communications catered to rural landowners to encourage habitat enhancement and protection actions on their property.

In 2015, researchers from Trent University carried out a research project focused on comparing the use of aggregate (sand and gravel) sites to natural nesting sites by Bank Swallow. They determined that birds nesting in aggregate sites were able to successfully rear young, and young swallows had fewer parasites then those in natural nesting sites. Natural Bank Swallow colonies were very stable from year to year but large colonies in aggregate sties were also quite stable, indicating that aggregate pit operators could enhance the productivity of Bank Swallows by maintaining large, tall vertical faces for this endangered species.  This research project demonstrated progress towards research actions identified for this species in the Government Response Statement, such as investigating key characteristics of foraging and roosting habitat used by Bank Swallows in Ontario to inform habitat, management and future recovery actions (Action No. 3).

Species at Risk Stewardship Program

• 
  16

  projects included Bank Swallow

• 
  $974,583

  for projects that included Bank Swallow

• 
  $326,143

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  1,273

  volunteers

• 
  15,629

  volunteer hours

• 
  304,607

  people received outreach

• 
  81

  hectares of habitat enhanced

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

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

Nineteen permits have been issued for Bank Swallow since the species has been protected under the ESA: one ‘human health and safety’ (17(2)(a) permit, 13 ‘protection or recovery’ 17(2)(b) permits and five ‘social and economic benefit’ (17(2)(d) 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. In 2018, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry issued one ‘human health and safety permit; (i.e., section 17(2)(a) permit) under the ESA for an infrastructure project associated with trench filling for a sanitary sewer extension. Conditions of the permit included timing restrictions and staff awareness training related to identification and avoidance of harm to Bank Swallow and its habitat.

‘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. All 13 of the ‘protection or recovery’ permits were issued for multiple species including Bank Swallow to enable the post-construction mortality monitoring of wind power projects including the collection of deceased specimens and medical treatment of injured birds.

Social and economic benefit permits authorize a proponent to carry out an activity that would otherwise contravene the ESA, as long as all conditions of the permit are satisfied. Before issuing this type of permit, the Minister must seek advice from a person who is an expert on the effects the activity may have on the species. This person must submit a written report to the Minister on the possible effects of the activity, including the person’s opinion on whether the activity would jeopardize the survival or recovery of the species in Ontario. To issue the permit the Minister must be of the opinion that the activity will not jeopardize the survival or recovery of the species in Ontario, that reasonable alternatives have been considered, and that reasonable steps to minimize adverse effects on the individual members of the species are required by the conditions of the permit.

In 2020, MECP issued three ‘social and economic benefit permits; (i.e., section 17(2)(d) permit) under the ESA to Metrolinx for multiple species at risk, including Bank Swallow. The permits were issued for the construction of the Ontario line subway which is expected to result in significant social and economic benefits to Ontarians by improving access to public transit and reducing congestion from vehicular traffic.

Two ‘social and economic benefit permits’ were also issued to Metrolinx to improve public transit, one along the Barrie, Kitchener, Lakeshore East, Lakeshore West, Richmond Hill, Stouffville, Union Station and Union Pearson GO Transit Corridors, and the second for improvements to GO Transit Corridors from Toronto to Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill.

Conditions of the permits include, but are not limited to:

• conducting studies to confirm or refute the presence of the species before starting construction
• undertaking work at the time of year when the species are less sensitive to disturbance
• if habitat will be removed:
  • removing it at the time of year when the species are less likely to be present
  • compensating for this impact by creating or enhancing habitat for the species
• educating contractors on how to identify the species at risk and what steps to take should the species at risk be encountered within the work areas
• monitoring the effectiveness of any steps taken to minimize adverse effects on the species and taking additional steps to increase their effectiveness if they found to be ineffective

More detailed information regarding ‘human health and safety’ and ‘social and economic benefit’ permits for this species is available through the Environment Registry of Ontario.

Two hundred and sixty-nine activities that may affect Bank Swallow or its habitat have been registered for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08: ‘General’ under the ESA. Under Ontario Regulation 242/08, eight activities were registered under ‘Drainage works’ (section 23.9), one was registered under ‘Early exploration and mining’ (section 23.10), 81 activities were registered under ‘Pits and quarries’ (section 23.14), one activity was registered under ‘Possession for education purposes, etc.’ (section 23.15), four activities were registered under ‘Species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17), 145 activities were registered under ‘Threats to human health and safety, not imminent’ (section 23.18), five activities were registered under ‘Transition – development ongoing when species first listed, etc.’ (section 23.13), and 24 activities were registered under ‘Wind facilities’ (section 23.20). These registrations require the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation, such as:

• preparing a mitigation plan using the best available information on steps that may help minimize or avoid adverse effects on the species
• monitoring the effectiveness of the steps taken to minimize adverse effects on the species
• refraining from carrying out work during sensitive periods for the species (e.g., breeding season) if possible

• 1
  human health and safety permit
• 5
  social or economic benefit permits
• 13
  protection or recovery permits
• 269
  registrations

Progress towards implementing government-supported actions

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

Under this objective, progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 2, and initial progress has been made towards implementing Actions No. 1, 3 and 4.

Progress towards each of these actions has been supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. Multiple projects completed by Birds Canada and other stewardship partners have focused on collecting data surrounding foraging behaviours and roosting habitat for this species, as well as identifying and evaluating threats. Work completed by Trent University, Nature Canada and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has contributed further information on colony habitat use, nesting success, and environmental variables related to colony size and location. Government of Ontario partners, along with MNRF, have also demonstrated progress towards ensuring the data collected is shared amongst organizations and jurisdictions through forums and meetings such as the Bank Swallow Working Group.

Under this objective, progress has been made towards implementing Actions No. 5 and 6 and through the Birds Canada stewardship progress highlighted earlier. Additional work completed through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program included the promotion of best management practices to an assortment of landowners that may have Bank Swallow habitat on or near their property.  

Progress has also been made towards Action No. 7 through government-supported stewardship projects aimed at implementing and expanding on collaborative Bank Swallow habitat improvement projects involving a variety of partners. Work has been undertaken to enhance habitat in proximity to identified nesting colonies, and to ensure communication and outreach is carried out to inform local individuals about the nature and benefits of this work. Nature Canada has also supported stewardship aimed at identifying and verifying old and new post-breeding nocturnal roosts, as described above.

Under this objective, considerable progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 8 through multiple projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. These projects focused on engaging rural and urban community members in identifying and conserving Bank Swallow habitat, and on using a combination of telemetry and citizen science data to identify and describe roosting habitat. This data can be used to examine any potential trends in the species’ population over time.

Initial progress has been made towards Action No. 9 through surveys completed by stewardship partners in suitable habitat areas near Ottawa, and in Central Algoma. These surveys managed to identify new colonies in some key areas.

Further to these efforts, the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (2021-2025) is currently underway to survey for all breeding birds in the province. This program is led by Birds Canada and supported by Ontario Parks, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Environment and Climate Change Canada and various non-government organizations. Species at risk sightings from these programs have been, and continue to be, submitted to the NHIC Significant Species database, and will likely support both actions under this objective.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal

The recovery goal for Bank Swallow is reduce the rate of population decline by minimizing threats and improving habitat conditions. In the long-term, the government’s goal is to maintain a stable and self-sustaining population of Bank Swallow, throughout the species' range in Ontario by 2037 (within 20 years). Effort made towards the government-led and government-supported actions has helped to make progress towards this goal. For example, work has been completed to improve understanding on the threats facing Bank Swallow and to identify means of addressing and minimizing these threats. Habitat enhancement projects and outreach initiatives sharing best management practices to improve conditions for the species have been implemented in many locations across the province.

In addition, the provincial record of observations indicates efforts to increase awareness and reporting of the species have been effective, as the NHIC has received over 37,000 reports of sightings including 4,271 observations with evidence of nesting activity, and the understanding of Bank Swallow distribution in the province has considerably increased since the species was added to the SARO List in 2014.

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 Bank Swallow, particularly the implementation of actions identified as high priority, should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species.

Although initial progress has been made towards the following Actions, further work is required to fully implement them:

• Action No. 1 – (High Priority) – Encourage coordinated research into the link between insect availability, foraging habitat and population declines in Bank Swallow and other aerial insectivores breeding in Ontario.
• Action No. 3 – Investigate the key characteristics of foraging and roosting habitat used by Bank Swallows in Ontario to inform habitat, management, and future recovery actions.
• Action No. 4 – Coordinate efforts to share information with other jurisdictions, including the federal government, to understand the relative degree to which Bank Swallow is affected by threats that occur within Ontario (e.g., on nesting or foraging habitat) versus threats that occur outside the breeding season (e.g., on wintering grounds).
• Action No. 9 – Conduct standardized surveys in areas that contain suitable habitat (e.g., Hudson Bay Lowlands, bluffs along northern Great Lakes) to further refine Ontario’s population estimates

Protecting and recovering Bank Swallow 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 can also 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 towards protecting and recovering Bank Swallow in Ontario.

References

Badcock-Parks, B. and A. Bencke. 2019. Visualization and identification of potential post-breeding pre-migratory swallow roosts using different applications of NEXRAD WSR-88D radar imaging. Prepared for Nature Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. 19 pp.

Falconer, C.M., K. Richardson, A. Heagy, D. Tozer, B. Stewart, J. McCracken, R. and Reid. 2016. Recovery Strategy for the Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) in Ontario. Ontario Recovery Strategy Series. Prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario. ix + 70 pp.

Freer, V.M. 1979. Factors affecting site tenacity in New York Bank Swallows. Bird-Banding 50:349-357.

Garrison, B. A. and A. Turner. 2020. Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S.M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. 2017. Best Management Practices for the Protection, Creation and Maintenance of Bank Swallow Habitat in Ontario. King’s Printer for Ontario, 2017. 37 pp.

Stoner, D. 1941. Homing instinct in the bank swallow. Bird-Banding 12(3):104-109.