89 bird species spotted at annual count in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, and Tri-Cities
The 124th annual Christmas Bird Count saw dozens of different species and thousands of individual birds across Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, and the Tri-Cities.
Volunteers for the count went out on Saturday Dec. 30 and managed to count 21,303 individual birds and 89 different species.
An average year, said Jennifer Tayes, a volunteer with the count. The highest they ever had was 108 different species.
“That may sound like a lot but unfortunately there were whole areas that were not covered because we did not have enough experienced counters to cover them,” explained Tayes, noting that each area needs an experienced birder or two and then others with less or no experience can join them to help the count.
This year the greatest number of birds spotted were American crows, about 2,100, 2,502 Canada geese, 2,046 American wigeon, 2,863 mallards, and 1,847 European starlings.
Some of the unusual birds seen this year were sandhill crane, Hutton’s vireo, snow geese, and a sora.
“Just because we don’t see the birds doesn’t mean they are not there! If they are well hidden or not vocalizing they can easily be missed which is why more the more eyes and ears we have the better,” said Tayes.
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This year they also had 10 feeder watchers add their counts to the total.
Tayes was very excited to see that a pileated woodpecker was spotted.
“It is the largest woodpecker in Canada – 40 to 49 cm long – and always reminds me of the cartoon Woody Woodpecker,” exclaimed Tayes.
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Weather was reasonable this year with only a few light showers and a balmy high of 7 degrees, added Tayes.
The count will be entered on the Audubon website and will be available later in the year for anyone to view.
Started in 1900, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count is North America’s longest-running citizen Science project with counts in more than 2,000 localities throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The information collected by thousands of volunteer participants forms one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data, the results of which are used daily by conservation biologists and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds.
