That little green hummingbird with the fuchsia neck feathers that’s been hanging out at your feeder may just be a sign of climate change.
But scientists won’t know that unless they learn Anna’s hummingbirds are hanging out farther north than they used to during the winter.
And you can help them.
From Feb. 16 to 19, Tri-City residents can join birding enthusiasts from around the world in the 21st annual Great Backyard Bird Count. The global event is a chance for people with a keen eye or just an interest in the birds around them to contribute their observations into a massive database that allows scientists to note odd migration patterns, or where specific species are alighting, that might be an indicator of changes to the climate.
And you don’t have to be a dedicated birder, said Karen Devitt, the program co-ordinator at Bird Studies Canada. Participants just need a pair of binoculars, a sharp ear and about 15 minutes to observe the birds around them wherever they may be at the time: on a walk in the woods, at school, in a park or on the deck in their backyard.
“The beauty of this is birds are everywhere, and you can do this anywhere there are birds,” Devitt told The Tri-City News.
Observers record their findings using a checklist they can download and enter at birdcount.org.
Last year an estimated 240,418 people from more than 100 countries submitted checklists. They reported spotting 6,259 species — that’s more than half the known bird species in the world.
The data is added to observations recorded daily by avid bird watchers, as well as from seasonal events like the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
“When it’s combined with other data, we can get a big-picture look at what is happening,” Devitt said, adding that by holding the count at this time of year, as winter begins it’s slow transition to spring, it provides scientists an idea of sustained behavioural or territorial changes.
“It tells us a lot about the distribution and abundance of birds at a specific time,” Devitt said.
And that can tip scientists off about changing trends in weather patterns or temperature, said Gary Langham, the vice-president and chief scientist for the National Audubon Society.
“No other program allows volunteers to take an instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations that can contribute to our understanding of how a changing climate is affecting birds,” he said in a press release.
But more importantly, Devitt said, it’s just a nice reason to get outside and become more attuned to your surroundings.
“Just be a little more aware of what is around you,” Devitt said. “Start with little observations that make sense to you and help you remember what that bird sounded like or looked like. They’re not hard to pick out.”
• To learn more about observing birds and to get a chance to count birds with other people, Bird Studies Canada is teaming up with the Burke Mountain Naturalists and the Port Moody Ecological Society to hold a counting event on Feb. 18 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Participants will get an introduction to identifying bird species and then a chance to head out along the Shoreline Trail to put their new knowledge and observation skills to the test. To register, go to bsc_gbbc.eventbrite.ca.
