Wendy Thienes
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Shaunavon Standard
Swans a-swimming, geese a-laying, calling birds, french hens, turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree; these birds have all gained notoriety during the Christmas season with the perennial carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
However, for over a century, Christmas has also meant counting ALL kinds of birds in North America in the Annual Christmas Bird Count. For the 126th year, Birds Canada and US partner, National Audubon Society are inviting you to the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC). On December 16, birders and nature enthusiasts in Eastend will once again join this tradition.
Birders of all ages and abilities are welcome to contribute to this fun, Citizen Science project, which provides biologists with a crucial snapshot of our native bird populations during the winter months. Each individual count is performed in a count circle with a diameter of 24 kilometers.
The Eastend group will count birds in zones both within town limits and in the area running from Ravenscrag to Pine Cree Park and Chimney Coulee. Interested volunteers must sign up for the local count by contacting local volunteer organizer Robert Gebhardt at (306) 295-7452.
Gebhardt says, “Many of us have done this for years, so we try to pair people so that new volunteers will have a mentor. We assign zones and I will provide instruction. We’ll meet at 9:00 am by the library in Eastend. You can spend as much time as you are able. Bring water, snacks, a notebook and pencil (pens don’t work well if the weather is too cold). You simply jot down the types and numbers of birds you see as you go through your assigned zone and then we send totals into the Bird Count.”
A variety of environments are found within this particular region including open prairie, grasslands, harvested fields, shrub areas and forested areas like Pine Cree and Chimney Coulee.
Some of the more unusual sightings during the winter months have included a Mourning Dove at Ravenscrag, Gray-crowned Rosy Finches, a Brown Creeper, Robins and Goldfinches. Several years ago there was a hummingbird spotted on November 11 when temperatures reached -12 degrees. More common sightings in larger numbers include Horned Larks and Snow Buntings. Gebhardt shared that there may also be an influx of Snowy Owls this year.
“The Christmas Bird Count is an opportunity for everyone to come together and contribute to a 125 year old tradition that helps birds” said Yousif Attia, Canadian Leader for the Christmas Bird Count at Birds Canada. “Look no further than the recently released State of Canada’s Birds Report to see how Christmas Bird Count data are used to answer the question: how are the birds doing?”
The information helps determine what conservation action is required to protect birds and the places they need. Gebhardt explains, “Science and nature rely on data collection in order to draw conclusions. Over time (several decades) the Bird Count gives us a picture of what species are here during the winter. We can then start comparing it to other places and make predictions on bird population stability; is it increasing or decreasing? Many are decreasing.”
Gebhardt encourages people to participate in the count for the benefit of science, but also for themselves. “It’s good for people to get out of the house and do some bird-watching and to look, listen and enjoy nature as opposed to always being on your phone. Birding is a very inexpensive hobby to get involved in.”
If you are unable to participate in the December 16 count, individuals can still take their own counts between December 14 and January 5 and send bird observations to Gebhardt or e-mail alanrandi@sasktel.net.
Birds Canada is the country’s only national charitable organization dedicated to bird conservation. Our mission is to drive action to increase the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of birds in Canada.
Every day, our thousands of caring donors, 75+ passionate staff, and 74,000+ outstanding volunteers are taking action to help us better understand, appreciate, and conserve birds and their habitats. You can support the CBC in Canada by signing up for our communications and finding us on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
For more information and to find a count near you visit www.birdscanada.org/cbc.
