There were 50 species of birds seen during this year’s Christmas Bird Count– a near record for the annual Banff-Canmore event.
The all-time high count was 54 species in 2003, while the all-time low was 36 in 1989 and 2008. There has only been one other year that saw 50 bird species in 2006 and the average number of species is 43.
Organizers were still waiting to compile the total number of individual birds at the time the Outlook went to press, but said they suspected it would be about 2,000, fewer than last year’s count of 2,077 individuals and almost 400 birds less than the long-term average of 2,446.
Heather Dempsey, one of the organizers of the Dec. 20 Banff-Canmore count, said there was one bird species never seen before on the count – an American coot spotted at the Cave and Basin marsh.
She said it’s been seen around the Cave and Basin area for most of December.
“It’s a bird that nests in the park. They are common spring through fall and then leave here,” said Dempsey.
“It’s probably here because there’s more open water with the heat wave we’ve had. I think the general feeling is there’s less waterfowl on the river because there’s more open water elsewhere.”
This was the 40th consecutive year for the local count, which is organized by Bow Valley Naturalists. The Banff-Canmore count circle has its centre on the Bow River below Mount Rundle, including the Town of Banff west to Vermilion Lakes, and the Town of Canmore east to the Trans-Canada-Highway 1A interchange.
Some other highlights of the Christmas Bird Count include a rare sighting of a Virginia rail, a secretive bird of freshwater marshes, first reported seen in the park in 1998 in the annual bird count.
It has been seen on the count day or during the count week seven times since then. The last time a Virginia rail was recorded was on the 2011 count.
A hooded merganser was counted at the Cave and Basin marsh and another at Third Vermilion Lake. Two were seen at Vermilion Lakes the day after the bird count. It was first recorded on the 1992 count and again in 2002.
There were also three Rusty blackbirds reported at the Cave and Basin. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has assessed the bird as a species of special concern.
More than 70 per cent of the Rusty blackbird’s breeding range is in boreal forest. Threats include changes to habitat, primarily to winter range in the southeast corner of the United States, including Florida, and blackbird control programs.
“They used to be seen here more in the past; now are becoming a rarity in winter,” said Dempsey.
Dempsey was the coordinator for Banff, and Canmore had a new coordinator – 11-year-old Ethan Denton, with the help of his dad, Neil Denton.
“I have been a keen birder ever since I was five years old,” said Ethan, adding he has participated in the BowKan Bird count since he was six years old, and has been counting with the Banff-Canmore CBC for three years now.
“I love the variety of birdlife that lives or passes through our valley, and I love getting to meet other people who have the same passion.”
This year’s Banff-Canmore count saw about 70 participants, beating the previous high of 66 last year.
“I think it’s safe to say it was the biggest effort ever taken,” said Dempsey.
Dempsey said the side benefit of participating in the bird count is the opportunity to see lots of wildlife, including elk, deer, marten and a moose this year.
“There was also fresh sign of wolf and cougar in the remoter areas,” she said.
