The 42nd anniversary of the Banff-Canmore Christmas Bird Count is set to take place on Saturday (Dec. 17).
This annual event sees participants count birds in their allocated areas for however long they’re able and then reporting them to a collaborator at the end of their day. There is no specific length for a count, but it is recommended to count for at least two hours.
The Christmas Bird Count is a well-known citizen science program run by Bird Studies Canada. It originated from a popular Christmas game – seeing who could shoot the most birds in a single day. Thanks to Frank Chapman in 1900, this turned into a day of counting the birds, instead of killing them.
It is always a good time, and you’ll meet a lot of great people who have been doing this for many years. All experience levels are welcome.
Last year, we had an amazing 66 participants counting in the Banff Canmore area, who collected a list of 49 species and 4,580 individual birds.
The Banff-Canmore CBC offers volunteers the opportunity of seeing anywhere between five and 25 species, or more, if you’re lucky. We have previously recorded species like a King Eider on this count, so bring a field guide, as rarities do show up occasionally.
This year, we are also fortunate to host a Kids Christmas Bird Count, scheduled for Dec. 10.
If you do not wish to go outside all day, you can submit a count to either of the email addresses below with reports of birds from your yard and feeders. Please include in the email a note of where you were and how long you counted.
The count will be free to participants, and will be followed by a potluck at the Banff Seniors Centre.
For more information, helpful documents, or to participate, go to www.birdboy.ca/banff-canmore-cbc, or in Banff, contact Heather Dempsey at [email protected] . In Canmore, contact Ethan Denton at [email protected].
