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Bird Study Group Birds Calgary 2010 - Overview In the year 2000, we (the Bird Study Group of Nature Calgary) held a friendly birding competition, primarily aimed at finding out how many birds species could be seen within the borders of the City of Calgary. An additional aspect was to share the more significant sightings by informing the other registered participants of these observations so that they, too, could go and see these rarer species before they moved on. In all, we ended up collectively observing a grand total of 257 species. Nine other species were reported, but unverified. In addition to noting all those birds, we also had a great social interaction, making many new, life-long friends. We also became much more familiar with our city, learning where all the best birding sites were located. Next year, 2010, will be the tenth anniversary of that memorable event. So, to mark the anniversary, we are inviting Nature Calgary members and the general public to join us in a year-long competition to find and identify every species of bird that visits Calgary in 2010. Times have changed. In the last ten years, much of the habitat within Calgary has been altered by new subdivisions, factories, warehouses, etc. The city's boundaries have been enlarged, too. Perhaps the biggest change has been in communication. This is due to the now almost universal use of the Internet. In 2000, many of the participants were not connected. That meant contacting them individually by telephone - a time-consuming process.Cell phones have also become ubiquitious. This now allows an observer in the field to notify a member on the internet, enabling them to immediately send out a message of discovery. Available observer(s) may now arrive within the hour, allowing the finder to show them the bird(s) directly, and to verify the observer's identification. Species diversity has also obviously changed. In 2000, we could always count on seeing Gray Jays at Shannon Terrace. However, Northern Pygmy-Owls are now being seen there annually, since that event. House Finches, in contrast were a novelty in 2000; this in marked contrast to today when they are now widespread. While some species' populations may have increased, it would seem that many may have declined. This activity would also allow us to measure such changes, and perhaps, with the support of the collected data, appeal for appropriate protection. |
Bird Study Group links:
Home -- Field
Trips -- 2010 Competition -- Workshops -- Species Counts -- Birding
Locations -- Birding on the Web
-- Meet the Species -- Other
Clubs -- Other Links -- Birding
News -- Past Events -- 2005
Competition -- Credits
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