Bird watchers thrive on challenge. Every time we go out to look for birds, we face a monumental challenge, and we love every minute of it. We bird in all weather conditions, and generally glory in tales of getting stuck in mud or snow, being drenched from pouring rain, or …
The 2010 Doug Tarry Natural History Fund’s Young Ornithologists’ Workshop will be held at Long Point Bird Observatory near Port Rowan, Ontario, from Friday, July 30 to Sunday, August 8. Participants will receive hands-on field ornithology training, including bird banding, censusing, field identification, birding trips, preparing museum specimens, guest lectures, …
In an effort to determine where Piping Plovers wintering in The Bahamas are staging during migration and breeding, 57 birds were uniquely colour-marked this winter. The project was done for Environment Canada by Sidney Maddock and Peter Doherty, with help from The Bahamas National Trust. Each bird has a black …
Eurasian collared-doves historically occurred only in and around India. A massive expansion in the 1600’s brought them to Turkey and the Balkans, and from there they spread across Europe. First released in the Bahamas in the mid-1970’s, they made their way to Florida and spread quickly across the North American …
It is a very strange year for birders in this area. Our winter birds are still here, while reports are increasing daily of returning spring visitors. The weather is ideal, with day after day of sunshine and temperatures around 13C (56F). Staying indoors on Sunday was just impossible, so we …
The Mute Swan, a native of Eurasia, was introduced to this continent from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. Due to their graceful appearance on water, these swans were imported to many areas of North America as an adornment to city parks and large estates. All North American Mute Swan …
Birds are an important part of the environment in which we live. By monitoring bird distribution and habitat use, we can assess the health of the environments they inhabit (in essence, our environment). The Prairie provinces support hundreds of bird species during the breeding season, and we need to collect …
Ever wonder what the top of a Sandhill Crane looks like? These huge birds can reach up to 47″ (120 cm) so we don’t normally get to see the top of their heads. This obliging bird walked right underneath the raised viewing platform I was standing on. Taken February 2010 …
For each day of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bird Studies Canada’s British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator Rob Butler is featuring a different bird species on his Vancouver Sun blog. Every entry includes interesting information about the bird of the day, such as where to find it, what it looks …
