Bird counters taking part in Saturday’s Victoria Christmas Bird Count will be on the lookout for a feathered celebrity — a summer tanager — that recently showed up unexpectedly at a feeder in North Saanich.
The medium-sized bird with all-red plumage — the only completely red bird in North America — is a long way from its typical winter range in warmer climes in Central and South America. Its presence here, at this time of the year especially, is so unusual that bird enthusiasts have travelled from as far away as Montreal for a sighting.
The bird count is held in communities across the country but interest in Greater Victoria is usually the highest in the country, with 306 participants last year.
“Last year was the sixth year in a row that Victoria had the highest number of counters in the field,” said Ann Nightingale, co-ordinator of the Victoria Christmas Bird Count, who notes that more than 2,500 bird counts are held across North America.
In Greater Victoria, teams of counters are assigned to one of 23 zones, with each team responsible for recording all the birds they see in their territory.
Last year, bird enthusiasts counted 137 species of birds in Greater Victoria in one day, the highest number in the country.
The most species counted in Greater Victoria was 154 in 2004, a long-standing Canadian record for the count.
Participants count for part or all of the day, with some given specific targets and times. For example, some might be tasked with counting owls at dawn or dusk, or counting waterfowl, songbirds and hummingbirds.
The count may turn up other rare sightings, such as the pygmy nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, orchard oriole or a brambling, a kind of finch seen locally once every six or seven years, said Nightingale.
The one-day event, hosted locally by the Victoria Natural History Society, has taken place annually since 1958.
It includes the main count, which takes place midnight to midnight, a Christmas Bird Count for Kids event in the afternoon and a backyard FeederWatch. Novice birdwatchers are welcome. Bird-curious participants will typically be paired with experienced birders, who will share their knowledge and tips.
There are a number of Christmas Bird Counts to join on Vancouver Island.
Counts take place Saturday in Greater Victoria and on Pender, Mayne and Saturna islands, and Sunday on the Saanich Peninsula, Salt Spring, Galiano, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Ladysmith.
The Deep Bay count takes place Dec. 21, Nanaimo and Sooke Dec. 27 and Duncan and Broughton Strait Dec. 30.
Birds Canada, in partnership with National Audubon Society, oversees the Christmas Bird Count in Canada. Started in 1900, it is the longest-running citizen science project in North America. The count takes place every year between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5.
For more information on Vancouver Island counts or to register to participate, go to christmasbirdcount.ca or contact Nightingale at [email protected].
In addition to the traditional Christmas Bird Counts, Rocky Point Bird Observatory is hosting a Christmas Bird Count for Kids at Beckwith Park on Saturday. At the family-friendly event, kids will learn to identify common winter birds. There is also a duck pond in the park for the children to enjoy.
Results from the event will be included in the official Victoria Christmas Bird Count.
Families can drop in to enjoy hot chocolate and snacks, colour bird pictures and visit the “touch table,” which will have wings, skulls and more to explore.
The event is free to join but registration is recommended. The drop-in event runs 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Beckwith Park, 857 Beckwith Ave. Families can also sign up to join bird count walks, led by experienced Rocky Point Bird Observatory volunteers, that start at 1:15, 1:45, and 2:15 p.m.
For more information, go to rpbo.org. To register, go to creativelyunited.org/event/christmas-bird-count-for-kids.
