Long weekend backyard bird watching will help monitor bird health

If you’ve ever stared out your window and found yourself casually observing birds, it may actually be for the greater good of our fine feathered friends.

Every year, Birds Canada encourages people to go out into their backyards for at least 15 minutes in a span of four days to take a snapshot of the birds in their own communities. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual global event that has bird watchers tally the activities they see in their backyards. Andrew Holland from Nature Conservancy of Canada says the information gathered is important as it helps keep track of bird “demographics”, travel patterns and overall health. This year the bird count runs through the long weekend until Monday.

The conservation group encourages participants to take this time to learn more about nature in their own communities while also getting much needed fresh air.

“This is an ideal event not only for bird experts, and keeners. But also novice birders, people who just want to begin and learn what birds are in their areas.”

A pair of blue birds. (Courtesy of Bill Pennell/ Nature Conservancy of Canada)

Holland says the annual bird count is done during this time of year in order to have a consistent baseline in terms of recording birds. For bird experts, this period is right before spring migration, when more number birds come in the spring that could tilt the numbers.

“If people spend more time outdoors and feel connected to nature and learn about species in their areas, the birds and different wildlife and how we have to share these areas, well then more people will feel more strongly about the need to protect these areas and conserve them. That helps advance our work,” Holland said.

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Holland says bird populations in North America and Canada have significantly declined for reasons such as food, habitat loss, development, and pesticide use in some cases. For Holland, people going out to take a snapshot of a bird isn’t so simple. There’s power in having people like families, youth, and citizen scientists in aiding conservation, he says.

“It’s part of a global effort to help get a good snapshot of the health of bird populations all around the world.”

In Canada, Holland says enthusiasts can expect to see blue jays, cardinals, black-capped chickadees, and bohemian waxwings throughout the year but there could also be chances to spot rare birds.

According to Holland about 5,800 people in B.C. joined in 2022. Participants can help identify and record the birds they spot on an app called the Merlin Bird.