As fall approaches, ducks, loons, grebes, and other waterbirds begin to return to British Columbia’s coastal areas to spend the winter months. The 12th season of the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey from Bird Studies Canada (BSC) will soon be underway. This program is one of the only long-term coastal monitoring programs in BC that helps identify population and distributional changes in overwintering waterbirds. The new survey season starts on September 12, and monthly counts continue throughout the winter and during the summer at many sites.
The Waterbird Survey aims to coordinate the efforts of people who care about waterbirds in British Columbia. Anyone who can identify coastal waterbird species in their area can participate in the survey. The goal of such coordinated collective efforts is the conservation of coastal waterbird populations in British Columbia.
The coastlines of British Columbia are of international importance for waterbirds, especially during winter when vast numbers can be found feeding and roosting in bays, estuaries and along the rocky inter-tidal beaches of the coast. Thousands of individual birds of many different species use the sheltered near-shore waters, the expansive wetland areas and estuarine habitats to roost, to feed, to over-winter and to stop and restore their fuel supplies during long migratory journeys.
With the coastlines of BC under increasing pressure from development and human population expansion, long-term data on the abundance and distribution of waterbird species will enable BSC to monitor and track changes in waterbird populations and habitat use.
Bird Studies Canada is always looking for new volunteers to participate in this program. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact them at bcprograms@birdscanada.org or 1-877-349-2473. Visit the BSC website for more information about this program, including detailed instructions and a downloadable data form.