Every Bird Counts
- Bird Friendly Lions Bay
- 41 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Village bird-watchers wanted
"Every Bird Counts: Your Observations Matter"
This is the just-announced conservation theme for World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2026 and it’s a great reason to take part in the Lower Howe Sound Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, January 4.
In their official announcement, the global WMBD partners said, “Community science connects people to nature, strengthens stewardship, and fuels the evidence-based decisions that protect birds and habitats worldwide.”
The importance of citizen science in informing conservation programs cannot be overemphasized. Nature enthusiasts using free apps such as Merlin, eBird, iNaturalist and others provide data that enable scientists to formulate strategies to protect birds and their habitat and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people and other wildlife as well.
Annual and monthly bird counts also play a vital role in monitoring bird populations over time. The annual Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 and this is the twenty-third year the Lower Howe Sound Circle, which includes Lions Bay, is participating, although only the third year that areas in the Village above the highway have been included. More volunteers are needed to cover more areas.
In the face of dwindling bird populations and the biodiversity crisis, being able to support researchers as they study the long-term health and status of bird populations is something we each can do to make a meaningful difference: what’s good for birds, is good for nature.
Still learning to identify some of our local birds? The Merlin app is great for less- experienced bird watchers. It will help you visually identify the bird you’re seeing by size and colour, and the very popular sound ID feature will identify a bird by its call (this is quite addictive!).
For Sunday’s count, you may count for as long as you choose (all or part of the day). If you, like many of us, are not experienced in counting birds, you may choose to do a feeder count. In this case, sit in one spot (it could be indoors) counting birds visiting your bird feeder and yard, or you can choose to count in a neighbourhood.
To sign up, please contact Marja de Jong Westman at mdjw@telus.net directly so she can add you to the list of bird counters and provide you with the guidelines you need. It is important to follow a few rules/conventions for the data collected to be accepted by Cornell University’s Ornithological Data Base.
To this end, you are also invited to attend a free Zoom session on Friday, January 2, at 5 p.m. to learn how to count, record and submit what you see. Please log in here.
The Brackendale Winter Eagle Count also takes place on Sunday. Details and more information here. This count, which provides valuable insights into Bald Eagle populations and salmon runs, began in 1986.
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