But have you ever actually just sat back, watched and found out just how many different types of birds are actually out there?
As it turns out, the answer is ‘a whole lot of them’.
A total of 406 species of birds, to be precise: from the pigeons you see day-to-day in the city, to hummingbirds and chickadees in the valley, to hawks and owls nesting high in trees, you name it, they’re here.
And the 24th annual Great Backyard Bird Count wants to see just how many you can find.
The event takes place from Friday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 15 and asks people from all over Canada and around the globe to count all the birds they see during at least a 15-minute period on one of or more days of the count, and then enter their findings on the GBBC website.
The best part of it all in these pandemic-ridden days is you easily do so while respecting public health guidelines — just pop out into your backyard or take a socially distanced walk in the valley and enjoy.
Once you’ve entered your findings into the GBBC website, your work will have benefits -- the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada will all use the data to create a snapshot of what is happening with birds in terms of population, migration and range. Last year, participants in over 100 countries identified about 7,000 different bird species.
“People may be able to see many species of birds in their backyard or their community,” said Sarah Ludlow, Saskatchewan conservation coordinator for the Nature Conservancy of Canada. “Black-capped chickadees, red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches, dark-eyed juncos, and downy and hairy woodpeckers may be seen around backyard feeders. Several species that visit only in the winter, such as pine grosbeaks, bohemian waxwings, common redpolls, and white-winged crossbills may also be seen. If you can safely view a body of water from your backyard or neighbourhood, keep an eye out for mallards, common goldeneyes, and Canada geese. Finally, look for bald eagles, snowy owls, or common ravens along rivers, in open areas, or soaring over your home.”
For more information on the event and the benefits it brings, visit www.birdcount.org. And for a list of just how many bird species are found in the province, you can click right here.
