Stephen Ayres
The popular citizen’s birdwatching project is now in its 123rd year!
The Christmas Bird Count is North America’s longest-running Citizen Science (volunteer) project. And, as the area’s avid birdwatchers know, Old Ottawa East (OOE) happens to be in the heart of some of Christmas time’s best bird watching and bird counting!
The Black Capped Chickadee is one of many different bird species that can be viewed by Old Ottawa East residents this December. Photo by @P.Downing.Photo
The very first Christmas Bird Count occurred on Christmas Day in the year, 1900. At that time, scientists and birdwatchers were noticing a decline in bird populations. A concerned ornithologist with the Audubon Society proposed a census or count of all the local birds as a new holiday tradition and a unique way to capture critical information. That first year, twenty five bird counts were held at various locations throughout Canada and the United States. Since then, the count has happened each year in December through early January, and the project has expanded geographically right across North America to include hundreds of locations known as Counting Circles.
OOE is located right in the centre of our region’s Counting Circle, and as good fortune would have it, this community boasts a wide variety of birds for everyone to enjoy watching year-round, including over the upcoming Christmas season. Perched as we are between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River, OOE is in an extra special location to view various species of waterfowl that might still be in the area if the conditions on the river and the canal are free of ice. Our neighbourhood also consists of some beautiful, wooded areas along the Rideau River that attract many bird species. Moreover, our streets and gardens contain mature trees and shrubs that are home to year-round resident species and migratory birds.
The Hairy Woodpecker taking a look around. Photo by @P.Downing.Photo
In each Counting Circle, bird numbers and observations gathered by the volunteers are reported to a bird count Compiler, who is a fellow volunteer at the local level, often supported by a birding club or a naturalist organization. For us, Birds Canada is the national bird conservation organization that coordinates the Annual Christmas Bird Count. To learn more about the Annual Christmas Bird Count or if you would like to sign up as a volunteer for the Ottawa-Gatineau count on December 17th, information and instructions can be found at birdscanada.org. There, you will also find the email address of the Ottawa-Gatineau bird count Compiler.
The Goldeneye may be among the birds you can spot during the annual Christmas Bird Count. Photo by @P.Downing.Photo
The information collected each year by the thousands of volunteer participants and bird count Compilers is used by conservation biologists, environmental planners, and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds. Each participant or group counts birds for any length of time they wish and enters the species of birds they could identify at each site visited, whether that be from home, at a local park, or in a wilderness area.
Combined with other bird counts, the Christmas Bird Count results help to create a clearer picture of how birds are managing, whether individual species are in decline, increasing, or holding steady in the face of habitat loss, climate change, and other threats.
This year, the Christmas Bird Count for the Ottawa-Gatineau Counting Circle took place on December 17th. That’s the perfect time of year to brave the cold and get outside to visit a local park, river, or woodland to observe and take note of the birds around us. People of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to join. Your participation in this valuable and fun event is always welcome.
