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The Horned Lark has a global distribution, but in Canada it occupies a variety of treeless environments, from seaside barrens to mountain peaks, arctic tundra to prairie pastures. Data from the Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Counts suggest a large decrease in numbers since about 1970. One of the subspecies in Canada, E. a. strigata, which is resident on coastal prairies in southern British Columbia, was assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada as Endangered in 2003 (COSEWIC 2003a) and may in fact be extirpated from the country. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Horned Lark populations very likely increased dramatically in parts of Canada where forests were cleared for agriculture; these populations have been decreasing in recent years as many sites marginal for agricultural purposes are now reverting to forest (Beason 1995). Elsewhere, loss of native grassland habitat has negatively affected populations, particularly that of E. a. strigata on the south coast of British Columbia (Beason 1995, COSEWIC 2003a). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view the Recovery Strategy, see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.