Toronto - Citizen scientists are grabbing their binoculars
and heading outside for the annual Christmas Bird Count, the
largest single volunteer conservation movement on behalf of
wildlife. The count begins this week and continues until January
5, 2010.
This year, nearly 40 Ontario Nature member groups are leading
bird counts in communities as far north as Thunder Bay, to Point
Pelee in the south, and Kingston and the Ottawa area in the
east. All bird counts are open to the public.
The data collected from the counts allow researchers and
conservation organizations to study the long-term health,
population numbers, and ranges of birds across North America.
Armed with this information, groups like Ontario Nature can then
identify threats to birds and their habitat, and determine
appropriate conservation action.
Says Caroline Schultz, Executive Director of Ontario Nature,
"The birds of Ontario are a critical part of this province's
biodiversity. The Christmas Bird Count is a key survey that
reveals which populations are increasing and which are
decreasing. Anyone can get involved in a bird count and know
that they are contributing to meaningful scientific research."
The Christmas Bird Count started out as the Christmas Bird
Census led by American ornithologist Frank Chapman as an
alternative to a once popular annual hunt during which teams
competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals
as a Christmas day activity. Chapman's suggestion that birds be
counted instead of shot changed the course of ornithological
history and set the stage for creating an enormously important
conservation tool on behalf of birds and the environment.
Today, nearly 400 Christmas Bird Counts are held in Canada - and
more than 100 in Ontario alone - with some 12,000 volunteer
participants. Last year, over 2,000 bird counts were conducted
across the Americas - a record high.
Bird Studies Canada coordinates the count in Canada in a joint
program with the National Audubon Society. Counts are open to
birders of all skill levels.
For a full list of the Ontario Nature member groups that are
holding bird counts and when, please visit the Nature Network on
our website, www.ontarionature.org
Ontario quick facts:
- Last year, Ontario Nature member group, Nature London,
celebrated its 100th count with more than 100 participants.
London is still Cardinal Capital of the Year with almost 900 of
the birds counted.
- Christmas Bird Counts show population declines and also
success stories. Both the Orillia Field Naturalists and Rouge
Park documented record high numbers of Trumpeter swans - a
species once close to extinction -- which they attribute to the
Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre's restoration efforts. The same year,
the South Peel Naturalists' Club, based in Missassauga/Oakville,
recorded unusually low counts of house sparrows.
- This year, the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists are
celebrating their 75th Christmas Bird Count.
During last year's Christmas Bird Count, almost 60,000
volunteers across North America and beyond tallied more than 65
million birds. Approximately 11,000 volunteers in Canada
participated in 361 counts and tallied nearly 3 million birds.
|
|