IBA Caretakers: A Social Network

Anne Murray, Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA

Last week we heard from Gaston Déry, an IBA Caretaker for Iles-aux-pommes IBA, Quebec. In this post, we return to British Columbia to speak with Anne Murray, IBA Caretaker for the Fraser River Estuary: Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA.

After speaking with Anne, I was struck by the similarities between the IBA Caretaker Network and the online social networks that are increasingly a part of our everyday lives. The concept of spreading a message through a social network is quite simple. Engage one person with influence and you inform and engage their entire network of friends.

The Important Bird Area Caretakers Network works in much the same way. An IBA Caretaker is someone with ties to the people in their community who care about nature and have an interest in protecting it. Through the Caretaker Network, they connect their community with communities across Canada that care for and protect birds and their habitat.

“It’s like any social network in an organization. We can reach more people that way.” said Anne Murray, past president of BC Nature, “Caretakers are the local people at an IBA who can regularly be in contact with regional and national coordinators of the Important Bird Area program. They’re also the people who spread awareness about the IBA in their community.”

Canada’s IBA Program is a cornerstone in science-based, site-specific conservation for birds and biodiversity. Co-delivered by Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada, the program has been in place since 1996. Acting with regional conservation partners, Nature Canada has built an exhaustive IBA database, finalized almost 100 site conservation plans and helped communities implement more than 150 local projects.

In 2006, after successfully launching the IBA program in British Columbia with financial assistance from Nature Canada's Communities in Action Fund, BC Nature took the lead in pushing the program even further. Anne Murray, who was on the Board of BC Nature at the time, helped launch the IBA Caretaker Network in British Columbia.

“We wanted to ensure that the Important Bird Areas program was sustainable in the long term and one of the ways I could see of doing that was to set up a network of volunteers who knew the sites and were close to the sites,” said Anne, “The idea was that BC Nature and the other partners would provide Caretakers with information, advice and guidelines on how to monitor, promote and protect an IBA – then we’d let them run with it.”

Nearly six years later, there are close to 200 IBA Caretakers across Canada. This year, with the addition of Caretakers in Ontario and Quebec, there are now Caretakers in every province in Canada. The network’s expansion has been possible with the support of the IBA Caretaker Network’s national sponsor, TransCanada Corporation, who in 2009 committed $1 million over five years.

Anne (third from right) goes birding with the Casual Birding group of the Delta Naturalists Society. Photo: Delta Naturalists Society

Over the years, the network’s success in effectively protecting birds and their habitat comes from the collective efforts of Caretakers across the country.

“People already involved in their site are given help and capacity to do more. That’s what’s been really good about the program,” said Anne, “The regional and national partners of the IBA program provide support, organize meetings with government and get other people involved – that really helps to build the capacity of the program. Being a part of that is very valuable. You’re much more effective when you are part of something bigger than if you’re on your own.”

For Anne, joining the Caretaker Network was a natural next step in her conservation work – she was already actively advocating for the protection of the Fraser River Estuary when the network launched.  As one of the Caretakers for Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank Important Bird Area, Anne is involved in everything from conducting bird surveys to giving public presentations on IBAs. Her public outreach includes publishing books on the ecology of the Lower Mainland and writing columns on timely conservation issues affecting the Fraser River Estuary in the Georgia Straight, a widely circulated local paper.

Not surprisingly, the proximity of the Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA to the city of Vancouver presents a unique set of conservation issues. Urban and industrial expansion and recreational pressures threaten to degrade the ecosystems that are arguably one of the most important habitats for migrating and wintering waterbirds in Canada. Western Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, Northern Pintail, and many other species of bird and fish need the mudflats and intertidal marshes of the IBA to survive. IBA Caretakers like Anne have brought greater awareness of the challenges facing urban Important Bird Areas and the unique value they hold for wildlife.

Dunlin in flight at Reifel, part of the Boundary Bay IBA. Photo: Delta Naturalists Society

“In the past 20 years, public awareness of the environmental value of Important Bird Areas like Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA, has slowly increased,” said Anne, “That’s due to the many caring people who advocate for their protection. I hope that my work as an IBA Caretaker helps to contribute to that awareness.”

Are you a member of a naturalist club in your community? If you are actively involved in conserving and protecting natural spaces in your area, joining the IBA Caretaker Network could give you the support and guidance to do more! You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca

Next week, we’ll hear from Josie Osborne, Caretaker for Tofino Mudflats IBA on Vancouver Island. Stay tuned!

IBA Caretakers: Protecting Birds Across Canada – Quebec

Gaston Déry at Ile-aux-Pommes IBA

As an Important Bird Area Caretaker for Île-aux-Pommes IBA, Gaston Déry has been an integral part of transforming what was once a haven for seagulls into an island that supports thriving populations of migratory birds, ducks and other wildlife.

Over the past thirty years, Gaston has worked to restore the island’s bird habitat, turning it into a “paradise for birds”. Over 30 bird species use the island to breed and to refuel on their bi-annual migrations. The island has become such a dependable source of food for migrating birds that Gaston likens it to a tried-and-tested roadside diner along a bird superhighway.

“Imagine you’re on a road trip with your family and you know there’s a restaurant where you can stop and eat. That restaurant is safe, it’s not that expensive and you know that you can always depend on it being there. That’s what Île-aux-Pommes IBA is to migrating birds,” said Gaston, as he described how the island serves the needs of thousands of migrating birds every year.   


Île-aux-Pommes lies 6 kilometres off the south shore of the St. Lawrence estuary, near the town of L’Isle-Verte Québec and 25 km east of Rivière-du-Loup. Surrounded by five islets, the island is just under two kilometers long and 200 metres wide. But for such as small island it does more than its fair share to support nesting and migrating birds.

The second largest breeding population of Common Eider ducks nests on the island every year, with nearly 2,300 breeding pairs recorded last year. Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull populations also nest in large numbers on the island. Other birds found on the island include American Black Duck, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Brant, Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Plovers, Sandpipers, many species of sparrow such as Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Slate-coloured Junco , American Crow and many species of Hawks and Owls.

Eider duck in flight at Île-aux-Pommes IBA

For Gaston, becoming a Caretaker of Île-aux-Pommes IBA was a natural next step in his commitment to protecting the birds that depend on the island. He’s been an IBA Caretaker for nearly four years, but in many ways, he has been a guardian of the island for most of his adult life.

Île-aux-Pommes has been in the Déry family since 1927. Ownership was passed down from one generation to the next, and in 1980, the land came into Gaston’s possession. In the intervening years, the island had become a hotbed for research, drawing government scientists and university students to the island to study birds. But the number of ducks coming to island had declined, and a colony of 20,000 seagulls had taken up residence. A lot needed to be done to restore the island so that ducks and other wildlife that had historically nested on Île-aux-Pommes would return in greater numbers.

So when Gaston took ownership of Île-aux-Pommes, he was determined to turn things around. Carrying on the tradition of conserving nature instilled in him by his grandfather from a young age, he decided to lay the ground work for a management plan that would ensure the island would be a haven for birds forever. With the help of Ducks Unlimited, Gaston slowly rehabilitated the island by planting conifers and shrubs that are essential nesting habitat for Eider ducks. What was once a barren island and home of a seagull colony, was transformed to the point where thousands of ducks returned to the island, ushering in a new era of vibrant bird life.

A flock of Eider ducks at Ile-aux-Pommes

“IBA Caretakers are part of an important network of people who are not only protecting birds, but protecting the planet. It’s important for our society to give back to nature,” said Gaston.

As an IBA Caretaker, Gaston is the ears, eyes and hands on the ground at Île-aux-Pommes IBA. He visits the island most weekends and holidays, monitoring birds, assessing habitats, and conducting other conservation activities. He’s part of a network of over 200 volunteers who watch over and protect Important Bird Areas across Canada. First launched by BC Nature with the assistance of a Nature Canada Communities in Action Fund, the Caretaker network now spans nine provinces.  Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada are the national co-partners in delivering the Important Bird Areas program and coordinating the IBA Caretakers Network in Canada.

When Gaston’s not at the IBA, he’s bringing his passion for birds and nature conservation to elementary schools in Quebec. By speaking to children about IBAs and the value of protecting nature, he hopes to inspire young minds to embrace a nature ethic in their everyday lives.

“I love inspiring the next generation to become advocates for nature. It’s a powerful experience for me, and I hope, for them too,” said Gaston. “Just a few months ago, the mother of one of the children who saw my presentation called me to say how her daughter came home talking about the importance of loving and protecting nature. It’s moments like these that keep me going!” said Gaston.

As the national sponsor of the Important Bird Area Caretaker Network, TransCanada Corporation committed $1 million in 2009 to support bird conservation efforts in Canada over the following five years.

IBA Caretakers: People Protecting Birds Across Canada - Saskatchewan

Last week, we heard from two Important Bird Area Caretakers in Alberta, where young naturalists and city dwellers are getting involved in bird conservation.

This week we follow Ted, Nature Canada’s manager of bird conservation, as he heads to Saskatchewan to speak with Lori Wilson, IBA Caretaker for Reed Lake IBA.

Like many Caretakers, Lori has been an avid birder from a young age. She’s also part of a group of local naturalists who regularly monitor birds in the area. Hear Lori talk about her reasons for joining the IBA Caretaker Network and about an innovative project that links communities in Canada, the United States and Mexico through a shared interest in protecting migratory shorebirds.

Lori, already an active birder in her community, brings her interest in bird monitoring and her network of local birders and naturalists, into the IBA program by becoming a Caretaker. They are part of a larger network of volunteers that participate in the IBA Caretakers program. Their work promotes effective bird conservation in Canada.

Do you want to protect your local birds and habitat? Consider becoming an Important Bird Area Caretaker!

You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca.

Stay tuned for our next post where you will hear from a Caretaker in Quebec who owns a very special island in the St. Lawrence.

IBA Caretakers: People Protecting Birds Across Canada - Alberta

In our last post, we heard from Important Bird Area Caretakers in British Columbia. In this post we follow Ted, Nature Canada's manager of bird conservation, to Alberta where he speaks with two Caretakers about the value of the IBA Caretaker Network.

For Judy Boyd, caring for Bearhills Important Bird Area was a good fit with her volunteer work with a young naturalist club in Red Deer, Alberta. Part of what she does as a Caretaker is monitor birds at the IBA – and counting birds is something young naturalists are more than ready to help out with!

In this video Greg Wagner, IBA Caretaker for Frank Lake Important Bird Area, talks about the special features of this IBA, which lies just 50km south of Calgary, Alberta. Greg also explains why he thinks IBA Caretakers can effectively promote bird conservation by talking to local stakeholders.

As IBA Caretakers, Greg and Judy channel their passion for nature and protecting birds by monitoring  birds, assessing habitats, and conducting conservation activities at Important Bird Areas. They are part of a larger network of volunteers that participate in the IBA Caretakers program. Their work promotes effective bird conservation in Canada.

Do you want to protect your local birds and habitat? Consider becoming an Important Bird Area Caretaker!

You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca

Next week, we’ll hear from a Caretaker in Manitoba who has been a passionate birder from a young age. Stay tuned!

IBA Caretakers: People Protecting Birds Across Canada – British Columbia

Across Canada, Canadians are engaging their communities to protect birds and their habitats by becoming Important Bird Area Caretakers.

As a Caretaker, they are part of the Important Bird Areas Caretaker Network, a nationwide initiative involving volunteers who watch over and protect natural spaces that are vitally important for breeding, migrating, staging and wintering birds.

Ted Cheskey, Nature Canada’s manager of bird conservation, recently met with Caretakers from British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

In this blog series, we follow Ted as he makes his way back east and discovers the many ways Important Bird Area Caretakers are making a difference on the ground to protect our birds.

Picking up where the last post left off, Ted pays a visit to the southern Okanagan Valley of British Columbia where he speaks with Doreen Olsen, an Important Bird Area Caretaker for White Lake IBA.

People join the IBA Caretaker Network for a wide range of reasons. For many, a love of birds and wild spaces in their communities drew them to the network and inspired them to become Caretakers. In this video, Doug Brown, a bird bander at Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory in south Okanagan Valley, briefly explains why he was motivated to become a Caretaker for Osoyoos Oxbows IBA.

Conservation of Important Bird Areas is a cornerstone of effective bird conservation in Canada and around the world. Caretakers – the eyes, ears and feet on the ground – make this important work possible. As a Caretaker, they channel their passion for nature and protecting birds by monitoring  birds, assessing habitats, and conducting conservation activities at Important Bird Areas. To date, there are Caretakers in every province in Canada.

Do you want to protect your local birds and habitat? Consider becoming an Important Bird Area Caretaker!

You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca

Next week, we’ll hear two Caretakers in Alberta talk about what makes the Important Bird Areas that they care for so special. Stay tuned!

Are you new to this blog series? Read the latest news on IBA Caretakers and watch more one-on-one interviews with Caretakers.

Connect with Nature: Set up a backyard bird feeder

As the weather gets colder and some birds prepare for a long winter at home, this is a perfect time to set up a backyard bird feeder. Backyard feeders provide birds with a good source of energy for the cold winter months and create excellent bird watching opportunities. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your backyard birding experience.

Choose the right feeder: There are lots of feeder types to choose from. Depending on your region, you could be visited by dozens of different bird species. The ideal feeder is sturdy enough to withstand winter weather, easy to clean and tight enough to keep bird feed dry. Suet bird feeders can be particularly good for birds this time of year because of the high energy content in suet mix, made from hard fats and other ingredients like peanuts or cornmeal. Hopper, or “house” feeders, offer good protection from the winter weather and are attractive to a wide range of feeder birds. Want to attract as many bird species as possible? Provide several different feeder styles and types of feed to maximize the species you see in your yard.

Pick a good location: Place your feeders in a quiet area where they are easy to see and convenient to refill. If you can, offer birds a refuge by placing feeders close to trees or shrubs where they can wait their turn to feed. Another factor to consider when choosing a location is the risk of window collisions. Birds can perceive a reflection in your window as a pathway through your house, so make sure to choose a location that will reduce this risk. Monitor your feeder to assess its location and if collisions become a issue, consider consulting Cornell's Lab of Ornithology for tips on how to mitigate the problem.

Keep it clean: Birds can become ill from leftover bits of seed and bird droppings that accumulate on feeder trays. Give your feeder a thorough wash with soap and water every few weeks or more often if necessary during heavy feeding periods. If you are setting up a suet feeder, make sure to be extra vigilant about keeping it clean. Suet mix can spoil easily in warmer weather.

Get to know your visitors: Bird watching continues to be one of the most popular pastimes around. Keep an eye on the birds that frequent your feeder and spend some time observing their size, shape, colour and behavior. If you’re having trouble identifying the species, snap a quick photo and use a field guide or allaboutbirds.org to narrow the possibilities. Don’t forget that you can always share your photos with fellow nature lovers through our Flickr pool or Nature Explorers community!

Make your observations count: Once you’ve got your bird feeder up and running, consider joining Project Feederwatch. Participants in this project periodically count the birds that appear at their feeders and submit their data to Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada's co-partner in delivering the Important Bird Areas Program. By submitting your data, you’ll be helping scientists determine how bird populations are changing across North America. It’s open to all skill levels and is a great way to contribute to an international bird conservation effort.

Photo by Dbarronoss

The Big Year: Birders and Non-Birders Give Their Two Cents

It’s the movie the birding community had hotly anticipated all year.

Now, a few weeks after opening night, The Big Year is garnering praise from some groups and light disapproval from others. 

Starring Hollywood’s three funny men, Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black, it’s about three guys vying to spot the most birds in one 12-month period.

Their quest takes them across North America, testing their bird spotting prowess while rocking the boat with their loved ones.

Based on the novel by Mark Obmascik, The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession, the movie is filmed in British Columbia and directed by David Frankel, with many Canadian bird experts serving as advisors on the film. We have collected an assortment of reviews from bird blogs, to the mainstream media, to bird enthusiasts at Nature Canada to give you a snap shot of what is being said about this comedy of birds and men.

Starting with those who gave the movie two thumbs up:

“I went to opening night in Penticton, a town in the south Okanagan of British Columbia, with about 45 other birders.  Many of us wore our binoculars and used them in the movie.  This added much to the ambiance.  I enjoyed the movie.  It was fun, the acting was pretty good, and birders were portrayed as real people.  Many of the scenes were filmed in the Okanagan and Vancouver area – knowing this added to my enjoyment.  Though not a great movie, I doubt anyone was expecting that, it was a good movie that is definitely worth a night out at the local theatre.”

-    Ted Cheskey, Nature Canada bird conservation manager

"This film offered up life lessons learned through birding, using characters that were authentic and diverse, not the stereotypes I feared I’d see on screen: Young, old, rich, not-so-rich, men and women brought together by a shared interest. As much about male bonding as it is about birding, the film left me smiling."

-    Chris Sutton, Nature Canada director of communications

“…bird watching isn’t often treated kindly (or accurately) in movies, and mistakes are so common that sometimes it seems like Hollywood actually tries to get the facts wrong. So it was with pleasure, surprise, and great admiration for the director and stars that I came away from the movie satisfied, intrigued, amused, and even touched by what I’d seen.”
-    Round Robin, The Cornell Blog of Ornithology

In this Youtube clip, BC birding authority Dick Cannings of Bird Studies Canada shares his first impressions of the movie after seeing it with 35 members of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network in a small theatre in Penticton BC. Cannings was an advisor to some of the scenes in the Okanagan, and one of his books appeared in the film.

“We were all in agreement—it gets two thumbs up! The movie is pretty upfront with their intentions from the very first screen: The Big Year is based on a true story…just the facts have been changed… in its simplest form, it was also a great story that made us admire birds, embrace nature and appreciate the little things in life. It also made all of us proud to be associated with such a great group of people—birders.”

-    By the Editors of Birds &Blooms

For many of us, Nature works like a bank;  it's where we go to get 'that special feeling' when we have the time.  For birders, however, Nature works a little differently. Yes, The Big Year is a bird movie about birders birding - but it's also a thoroughly entertaining portrayal of our manic, tragic, funny and obsessive relationship with the Nature.  Go see it!

- Peter Cummings, Clearance & Production Resources for The Big Year & Director of BC Ecological Agricultural Trust Society


And from Twitter, these tweets caught my attention

@AKbirder Got2 see #TheBigYear :) What a sweet movie. I giggled 2think of past group-birdathons & feverish excitement 2sight the most birds

- deephil11 12:21am via Twitter for iPhone 

The Big Year was a great little movie, really fun to watch and terrific scenery and music. #TheBigYear

- coopiemom Oct 24, 7:39pm via Twitter for iPad

And from the Nature Canada Facebook page:

“I really liked it and think it will be great publicity for birding...especially to see the passion people can have for it. I imagine people were expecting mayhem with the 3 stars and they were funny without being over the top.”

-    Helene Van Doninck

Lastly, there were a few who thought the movie was neither funny, nor accurate:

“The Big Year was alright.  It was neither horrible nor outstanding, neither fully factual nor completely made-up, neither completely engaging nor totally alienating.  I would give it a solid “B-” as a birder…What didn’t I like?  I didn’t like all the things the movie got wrong. Who can focus entirely on a movie and suspend their disbelief when what they are watching is riddled with errors?  Sure, some are done in an attempt to get laughs or for plot purposes but the movie would have been much better if it were more accurate.”

-    By Corey on 10,000 Birds

"As a non-birder, my initial interest in this film came from the promise of comedic relief from some of the greats. I also thought that I maybe able to educate myself in the world of bird watching, at least understand a little better the allure for so many.  While I did learn (about a bird size amount) about the wild world of birding and a few new bird names, I left feeling cheated on both the comedic humor side and the informative side of the film. However, if I were to take one message away from this film, it would be that the world of competitive birding is not for the weak hearted nor is it a laughing matter. This is serious business and I would not want to get in their way. In all I would have to say that if you are a real life birder – you may spend most of your time pointing out the inaccuracies of this film, if you are a fan of the many talented actors in the film, this night not be one to add to your own ‘Big Year’ of funny films.

- Cheri Dawn, development officer, corporate and foundation gifts

“[the Big Year] is more interested in warm and fuzzy life lessons than exploiting the slapstick opportunities inherent in chasing small creatures through inhospitable terrains. The result is an offence-free, mild entertainment in which everyone from cast to scriptwriter seems to be winging it.”

-    Liam Lacey, the Globe and Mail

What did you think of the Big Year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

7 Tips to Help Migrating Birds

Migrating shorebirds. Photo: Kate Messer

Helene Van Doninck, wildlife veterinarian at the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, shares her tips on how you can help migrating birds reach their destination this fall. For more wildlife advice, stories, pictures and videos, check out Helene's past guest blog posts for Nature Canada.

Once again autumn has arrived in Canada and for billions of birds this signals the ancient event of migration. No matter where you reside, you will see the populations of birds in your local area fluctuate as some birds leave for more southern climates, and some birds arrive from northern latitudes. There are of course many year-round residents that will hold tight to their territories, but they will soon be hosting some new visitors.

Migration itself is a fascinating biannual movement that has ignited countless theories and driven many people, scientists and non-scientists alike, to wonder about the exact mechanisms and routes taken by individual species. The intricacies of migration will be fodder for a future blog post, so stay tuned! For now, we’ll concentrate on  tips that may help migrating birds get to their destination, or at least provide them with some fuel and energy for the voyage.

Photo: Murdo Messer

1. Leave Out Your Hummingbird Feeders
Contrary to popular belief, leaving your hummingbird feeders out will not cause delayed migration in hummingbirds. Migration is a powerful instinct and leaving the feeders out until all birds have left may well provide some extra nutrition for young birds that may need an extra boost, or for some that are merely passing through. As always, clean and change all feeders regularly to prevent the spread of disease.

2. Re-Stock Your Regular Bird Feeders
As with the hummingbird feeders, the availability of extra food in regular bird feeders may help passing migrants fuel up on the way to their destination. Every little bit helps!

3. Do Not Disturb Shorebird Fueling Stations

Photo: Kate Messer

Each autumn billions of shorebirds gather in huge flocks to eat as much as they can over a short period of time. At the CWRC we live near one of these very important areas: the Bay of Fundy. Getting enough food during these stopovers is absolutely critical to allow these birds to fly for long distances to reach their southern destinations.

Please respect these areas and keep disturbance to a minimum. Limit walking on the beach when this is happening and do not let dogs off leash to flush or scare these birds off. They are often only in the area for brief periods. Tide intervals already limit foraging times so unnecessary interruptions are costly. Please refrain from leaving garbage on beaches too, as the scent will attract predators which will further disturb the birds.

Cuckoos. Photo: Murdo Messer

4. Look for Hurricane and Weather Refugees
Extreme weather can interrupt migration, send birds on errant paths, and damage food supplies and habitat. Watch for unusual birds in your area after weather events and if it seems that a bird is in the wrong place, let wildlife officials know or contact a rehabilitation centre. Often birds in the wrong place can re-direct themselves, but sometimes they need a helping hand.

Post Hurricane Katrina, we had 6 calls in 30 min about yellow billed cuckoos seemingly dropping from the sky. Oddly enough these calls all came from the same neighbourhood. They were certainly in the wrong place at the wrong time and were in poor condition.

5. Turn off the Lights

Photo: Murdo Messer

Millions of migrating birds are killed every year by something we never even think about: office towers that leave lights on overnight. This is particularly an issue when downtown cores are in the middle of migration corridors. One of the most problematic areas in Canada is downtown Toronto. Become educated about this problem in your local area and if it’s an issue, try to convince building managers to shut lights off at night. It’s good for the environment too. For more information on this issue, please visit www.flap.org , a group dedicated to addressing this issue in Toronto and other areas. Other migration hazards include power lines, windows, wind turbines and other sources of light at night (including industrial flares). Become educated on these issues and let your government officials know you want policies that reflect your concerns.

6. Provide Natural Food Supplies
Items like apples, rosehips, berries, snags and fruit trees provide important nutrition for birds. Plant native species that provide food sources for migrating birds and don’t be too quick to pick up things like fallen apples.

7. Cut Out Pesticides
It is encouraging to see more and more municipalities banning the use of pesticides. Insect eating birds are on the decline throughout North America with habitat loss, climate change and loss of food supplies being among the cited reasons for the declines. Please avoid the use of pesticides. Insect eating birds rely on an abundance of different species of insects, and do a great job of keeping their numbers under control in an environmentally friendly way.

Most importantly this migration season, enjoy being a spectator for what is arguably the most remarkable natural phenomenon. Consider recording first and last seen dates for different species and make it an annual tradition. Spend time outside and enjoy the spectacle in your own backyard, you never know what you might see!

What Are You Doing for International Migratory Bird Day?

Tomorrow is International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) in North America. To help you make the most of the annual spring return of our feathered friends, we’ve come up with 12 tips to help beginner birders .

Don’t miss this great chance to learn more about the migratory bird species that are coming home to your area!

12 Bird Watching Tips for Beginners:

Tip #1 - Keep Your Eyes on the Bird

When you spot a bird, try to keep it in your line of sight for as long as possible. If you are using binoculars, practice bringing them up to your face while keeping your eyes on the bird. This can be harder than it sounds! Try practicing on other objects first if you’re having trouble.

Tip #2 – Know What to Look For

Once you have focused on a bird, look for:

• facial markings
• bill characteristics
• leg length and colour
• wing span
• tail shape
• flight patterns
• overall size and shape
• feeding habits

Tip #3 – Listen for Bird Calls

Listening for bird calls is one of the best ways to locate a bird. Keep your ears tuned to your surroundings and let your curiosity lead you to discover new bird sounds. Birding isn’t always just about seeing birds – it’s about enjoying them with all your senses! Visit Dendroica to listen to songs and see photos of birds in your area.

Tip #4 – Get to Know Your Local Birds and Their Habitat

There are many free resources on birds and birding – online and at your public library – which can enrich your birding experience. By learning more about bird species in your area, you can narrow the list of birds you might come across.

Tip #5 – Start in Your Yard

Watching birds in your yard is a fun, easy way to start birding. Luckily for us, many popular song birds visit backyard feeders and birdbaths. Having trees and bushes, as well as a bird feeder and bird bath, will make it more likely that birds will flock to your yard.

Tip #6 – Make Your Yard Bird-Friendly

You can take it one step further by consciously making your backyard bird-friendly. This doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Following simple “best practices”, such as planting native plants and providing a water source, can go a long way toward bringing birds to your yard. For more tips check out our 12 Ways to Make Your Backyard Bird-Friendly.


Tip #7 – Join a Bird Walk

Meet fellow birders by joining a bird walk or start your own with your birding buddies! Bird walks are a fun way for birders of all levels to get together and share their experience and knowledge. Don’t know where to look for local bird walks? A good place to start is by contacting your local bird watching organization or naturalist club. If you live in Canada, you can find a naturalist club through the Canadian Naturalist Network.

Tip #8 – Use a Field Guide

With its pictures and descriptions of birds, field guides can help you identify birds more easily. They come loaded with profiles for common birds in adult- and child-friendly formats.

Tip #9 – Know When to Look

Learning about the birds in your area will help you decide when to go birding. Some birds are only visible during certain times of the day. For example, songbirds are easier to see two to three hours after dawn, or just before sunset. Knowing when your local birds are feeding and active will make it more likely that you will spot them. As many birds migrate south during the winter, knowing what season or time of year they appear in your area is another factor to consider.

Tip #10 – Keep a Birding Diary

You might want to keep a bird checklist to record the birds you see every time you go birding, whether on vacation or just taking a walk through your local park. Contribute to bird conservation by sharing your bird checklist with eBird – as a citizen scientist, your data will help experts at the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology understand the distribution of birds in the western hemisphere and beyond.

Tip # 11 – Be a Responsible Birder

When you are out birding, it’s important to leave the area – and the birds and their young – undisturbed. Approach birds, their nests, eggs and habitat quietly and discreetly. Try not to disturb them when they are feeding. Birds can also go places where you may not be welcomed – please respect private property. But birds will often come to you, at home in your yard, or on a walk through nature. You don’t have to get in your car to go birding!

Tip #12 - Have Fun!

Join the 14th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

Tree Sparrow, Shirley's Bay, Ontario. Photo: Roy John

From February 18 to 21, novice and expert birders will be counting birds for the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Join thousands of Canadians and Americans this year in counting birds in your backyard, local park or along a nature trail.

For the second year in a row, Bird Studies Canada, our Birdlife International partner, will be leading the Canadian GBBC, encouraging birders of all ages and levels of experience to enjoy the outdoors while contributing to science. By filling out a checklist and submitting it on the new Canadian GBBC website, you will be helping scientists gather the data needed to understand how birds are faring across the continent. Last year, 6,700 Canadians submitted their checklists online, accounting for 579,121 individual bird observations.

All it takes is 15 minutes to record the birds in your area – it’s also an easy, fun way to become familiar with your local bird species.

The GBBC is coordinated annually by the Cornell Ornithology Lab, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada, typically recording more than 10 million observations. For tips, instructions, photos and maps from last year’s count, visit http://www.birdcount.org/.  

Birders want wind energy, but not in IBAs

Near Long Point, Lake Erie, Ontario

In September and early October 2009, Nature Canada carried out a survey to explore Ontario birders perceptions of modern wind energy projects, or “wind farms,” and the impact of these installations on birds. The findings of the survey were published in the December 2010 issue of Ontario Birds, the journal of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Two hundred and sixty four birders from across Ontario and a few beyond completed an online survey. We found that Ontario birders reflect a fairly wide spectrum of interests, income and education, yet share similar concerns about climate change and global warming, and generally see wind energy as an important industry to combat this threat.

The vast majority of respondents (92%) consider it important to reduce consumption of fossil fuels. The concern for global warming appears to translate into strong support for wind energy from approximately 60% of respondents with only 20% not supporting wind energy. Despite the support for wind energy, approximately 60% of the respondents believe that wind energy impacts birds, and an even stronger proportion (70%) believe that wind projects have no place in Important Bird Areas or in avian migratory corridors.

However, we also found that most birders recognize that wind energy in the wrong place can pose a threat to bird populations. The wrong place, in ranked order according to survey participants, includes Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBSs), Important Bird Areas (IBAs), National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) and parks. Some birders – over one-third of those sampled – also said they would be discouraged from visiting the iconic birding locations of Point Pelee or Prince Edward Point if wind farms were built near them.

Near Shelburne, Ontario

Nature Canada’s survey comes at a critical time for the future of wind energy in Ontario – with the recent passing of the Ontario Green Energy Act, the number of wind installations in the province will increase dramatically. Wind energy producers are eyeing any location with wind, which of course includes many areas that are well-known for the significance for birds.

In June 2010, the province proposed draft regulations to open up the development of “off-shore” wind farms. The proposed regulations included a five kilometre buffer around all of the Great Lakes shorelines and major islands to protect water intakes as well as important cultural and natural features and functions.

The province already has a mishmash of policies and regulations that can best be described as a “work in progress.” They reflect the conflicting priorities of government agencies, and a continual pressure to adapt to growing local opposition to wind plants, while supporting and promoting the tenets of the Green Energy Act. Once finalized, these regulations will be part of the approvals process of the Green Energy Act, and are designed to lift many of the bureaucratic barriers to developing green energy projects such as wind farms.

Assessment of impacts of wind energy installations has focused on bird mortality, and more recently bat mortality, caused principally by collision with turbine blades. Concerns have also been raised about loss of habitat from installations, which could reduce breeding productivity or reduce survival if birds are displaced from habitat by the presence and construction of turbines, and by the movement of maintenance vehicles, and by the disruption of flight routes caused by avoidance of wind plants.

Gilead Power Corporation, a privately owned wind energy developer, has proposed a wind energy installation, the Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park, inside the globally significant Prince Edward County South Shore IBA near Kingston Ontario, and on provincial Crown land that is also a candidate Area of Natural and Scientific Interest.

The wind park is only a few kilometers from the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, the only NWA specifically recognized for its importance for migrating landbirds. Environment Canada has described the site where the turbines are proposed as “one of the best areas for birds in southern Ontario.”

For us at Nature Canada, the Gilead project is a good example of a wind energy project that is being proposed in the wrong place – in fact the worst possible place in terms of risk to birds. If approved, we believe the project is likely to have significant impacts on a very rich breeding bird community and on migratory birds that depend on Ostrander Point’s natural habitats.

Nature Canada, and our Provincial Partner Ontario Nature, strongly oppose the project and have urged the Province and Gilead to withdraw it, but so far to no avail.

Across the country, Nature Canada is calling on federal and provincial governments to ensure wind energy projects do not come at the expense of this country’s birds and other wildlife.While it appears so far that most projects have a very minimal impact on bird populations, in the wrong place, projects could be disastrous.

We are already seeing evidence of this at TransAlta’s Wolf Island Turbines, where casualty rates as much as 10 times that of most other wind plants have been documented, with birds of prey such as the Red-tailed Hawk and aerial insectivores like swallows appearing to be particularly vulnerable.

To get wind power right in Canada, we are urging governments to enact policies and regulations that ensure the following:

• Wind turbines and wind farms should not be located in Important Bird Areas or other areas with particular significance to congregating, migrating or breeding birds.

• All wind farm proposals should be subject to an environmental assessment prior to development to assess their impact on all wildlife, including birds and bats.

• Any wind farms that already exist within migratory corridors or bottlenecks should be subject to the best practices for mitigating their impacts on birds, especially during migration season.

Join Nature Canada in calling on the Government of Canada to enact wildlife-friendly green energy policies – sign the petition to get wind power right!

Read more about Nature Canada’s position on wind energy development.

Nature Canada would like to thank OFO for supporting and publishing “What birders in Ontario think about wind energy in relation to birds”, by Nature Canada’s Ted Cheskey and Ahmed Zedan.

Our bird conservation efforts in the James Bay and Hudson Bay region are supported by The Ivey Foundation.