A Black-capped Chickadee (left) and an American goldfinch. (Photos courtesy of the Nature Conservancy of Canada)

By Justin Goulet

Grab your binoculars for this weekend’s Great Backyard Bird Count

Feb 19, 2022 | 8:05 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – To help beat the winter blues, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is encouraging Canadians to step outside and watch for birds.

The 25^th annual Great Backyard Bird Count began Friday, February 18 and is on until Monday, February 21. Canadians can step outside for just 15 minutes and watch for birds in their backyard, local trails or parks.

Participants can document their findings through the eBird app. The NCC says by doing so, Canadians are contributing vital information that helps experts track the health of the bird populations in Alberta.

Those planning to take part can also utilize the free Merlin app to identify the winged creatures they hear and see during the weekend event. The bird count is run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada. Last year, over 300,000 people in 190 different countries took part.

In Canada, there were over 43,465 lists of birds submitted across all 10 provinces and three territories.

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The NCC notes that bird populations in the country are in flux. In a release, the NCC stated, “on the one hand, waterfowl and birds of prey appear to be growing in number, more than doubling their populations since 1970.”

“On the other hand, shorebirds and aerial insectivores like swallows appear to be disappearing at alarming rates. NCC’s land conservation work protects critical habitat for these species.”

More on the bird count initiative is available here.