The Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the United States is signed.

The **Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the United States**, formally known as the *Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds in the United States and Canada*, was signed in Washington, D.C., on August 16, 1916. At the time, Canada was still represented internationally by the British government, so the agreement was formally concluded between the United States and Great Britain on Canada’s behalf. The treaty arose from growing concern over dramatic declines in North American bird populations caused by uncontrolled hunting, commercial harvesting, and the collection of birds and their feathers. Because migratory birds regularly crossed the international border, conservationists recognized that effective protection required cooperation between both countries.

Under the convention, the two countries agreed to establish a coordinated system for protecting migratory birds. It identified several categories of protected birds, including waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and swans; shorebirds; insect-eating birds; and numerous nongame species. The treaty established closed hunting seasons during important periods such as nesting and migration, prohibited hunting of many nongame birds, and restricted the taking of nests and eggs. Exceptions could be made for scientific purposes and, under certain circumstances, for birds considered harmful to agriculture. These measures represented an important shift from largely local wildlife regulation toward international management of species that moved across national boundaries.

The agreement led both countries to introduce national legislation to fulfill their treaty obligations. Canada enacted the **Migratory Birds Convention Act in 1917**, while the United States followed with the **Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918**, signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. The American law became one of the most important federal wildlife protection laws in the country’s history. The treaty also established an influential principle in conservation: migratory wildlife could not be effectively protected by individual states, provinces, or even countries acting alone. Birds needed protection throughout their breeding grounds, migration routes, and wintering areas.

The convention has remained an important foundation of bird conservation in North America for more than a century. A major **amending protocol was signed in 1995** and eventually came into force in 1999, modernizing the agreement and recognizing the traditional and subsistence harvesting practices of Indigenous peoples while strengthening the commitment to long-term conservation. The updated framework also emphasized habitat protection, scientific research, population monitoring, sustainable use, and cooperation between Canada and the United States. Today, the Migratory Bird Convention remains a landmark example of international environmental cooperation and has helped provide lasting protection for hundreds of species that regularly travel between the two countries.