You can use it for research or reference. To access the current information, please visit NatureCounts - The State of Canada’s Birds (external link).
In North America, the Common Goldeneye breeds in tree cavities across the boreal forest regions of Canada and Alaska. The Western population has shown a stable or decreasing trend in the last two decades following a long-term increase between the 1960s and the 1990s. The Eastern population trend has remained stable over this period. The harvest of Common Goldeneyes has been decreasing since the 1980s, with most of the harvest taking place in eastern Canada. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Common Goldeneyes are obligate cavity nesters, and often dominate interactions with competitor species for food and nest sites (Eadie et al. 1995). In regions that were or are being logged, forestry practices may have reduced the availability of suitable cavities, although the species will readily make use of nest boxes (Pöysä and Pöysä 2002, Corrigan et al. 2011). The species prefers fishless lakes, and in some areas the Common Goldeneye may have benefited from acidification (i.e., acid rain) through the decline of fish competitors and subsequent increases in invertebrate prey populations (Blancher et al. 1992, Mallory et al. 1994)
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.
