Organizers of annual Christmas Bird Count in Victoria seek volunteers

The annual Christmas Bird Count is kicking off across Canada this weekend, and local birdwatchers are looking for volunteers to pitch in.

The national bird count is happening this Saturday and has been taking place annually for the past 123 years, with the goal of identifying, counting and recording birds.

More than 60,000 volunteers from every province in Canada, every state in the U.S., and across parts of Central and South America and beyond will be counting and recording every individual bird and species they come across in their regions.

The information is used by Birds Canada and the U.S. Audubon Society to determine everything from population trends to changes in migration patterns and bird health.

Organizers say the goal is to help engage a new generation in one of the continent's longest running citizen science projects. No birdwatching experience is necessary.

"We’re always looking for new people," said Ann Nightingale, coordinator of the Victoria Christmas Bird Count.

"We’ll try and pair you up with more experienced people or at least a team of others so that there is a group that can go together and check out an area," she said.

If you can’t get out of your home, there are still options to contribute.

"People can bird from their own backyards and submit their results from the 'Feeder Watch' forum on the Christmas Bird Count website," said Nightingale.

"You can go out and have a fun day out birding and actually contribute to some meaningful scientific data as well," she said.

Last year, according to the birdwatching enthusiast, three new species were added to the list of birds seen during Victoria Christmas counts: the Short-billed Dowitcher and two species considered rare at any time of year, the King Eider and Tennessee Warble.

"The counts are really more about the common birds, but it creates extra joy when a rarity is found," said Nightingale.

During the pandemic, when people were looking for outdoor activities, birdwatching became very popular, as did the number of people volunteering to do the count.

However, now that people are able to travel again, the number of volunteers is down this year.

"We’ve always had a really strong contingent of field counters for the Victoria count, often having the highest of more than 2,500 count circles," Nightingale said.

"This year, a lot of our regulars are travelling, so I’m really hoping for an influx of new counters," she said.

The more people counting translates to better coverage and better data on bird populations.

In addition to the annual Christmas Bird Count, the Rocky Point Bird Observatory is hosting a special Christmas Bird Count for Kids (CBC4Kids) at Beckwith Park in Saanich, on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The family-friendly bird counting event will complement the annual Christmas Bird Count.

The results from the CBC4Kids will be included in the official Victoria Christmas Bird Count, being held the same day.

More details about the Victoria Christmas Bird Count, and others taking place across the island, can be found here.