‘Feeder watchers’ in high demand for Brandon Christmas bird count
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
The annual Christmas bird count is returning to Brandon on Sunday and organizers are encouraging residents to join in on the holiday tradition.
Westman Naturalists Inc. is especially asking people to sign up as “feeder watchers.”
Bird species and numbers are set to be tracked as part of the recreational activity that also serves to document trends, organizer Gillian Richards told the Sun on Thursday.
A pine grosbeak perches in a tree in Onanole during a past bird count at Riding Mountain. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)
“We’re part of a big effort,” Richards said. “Our data goes (to Birds Canada) and we can see trends over the years. Believe it or not, it’s fun going out in minus-20 weather and seeing what birds you can see.”
The recorded number of bald eagles has increased in recent years, she said, and a species called the house finch is now being observed after its absence 20 years ago.
The activity means a lot of people will be around the city with binoculars this weekend, Richards said.
As of Thursday, roughly 40 people were expected to participate in the Sunday count.
The feeder-watcher role that Richards is seeking participants for entails setting out food for birds and recording the number and species of birds that visit. It can be done in anyone’s backyard, Richards said. She encourages anyone interested to reach out to Westman Naturalists Inc.
Coverage for Brandon spans an area 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) in all directions from the corner of 18th Street and Victoria Avenue. Groups of participants are assigned to different areas to spot and record all bird sightings, and then the totals are added up and reported to Birds Canada.
The event has become a holiday tradition for communities in Westman. The Rivers-area bird count will return on Dec. 28 and Minnedosa’s area count will take place on Dec. 27.
The national Birds Canada count is set to take place between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. The organization posts data that is collected each year, helping to monitor trends in birds across the country.
Last year, 481 different bird count circles submitted data across Canada. A total of 284 species were recorded, with the most-common being the Canada goose, American crow and European starling.
“The results are used by conservation biologists, environmental planners and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds,” the Birds Canada webpage says about the event. “The information collected by thousands of Citizen Scientists forms one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data.”
The program has been running since 1900 and is referred to as citizen science.
A potluck in Brandon is planned to be held after the count at 5 p.m. at Riverbank Discovery Centre, according to the Westman Naturalists website.
Richards encourages anyone interested to contact the organization by email ahead of time at contact@westmannaturalists.ca.
» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com