'Like panning for gold': Christmas bird count invites community to help with avian research

Armed with binoculars and birdwatching apps, dozens of locals could be seen out and about in the capital region Friday for an annual tradition aimed at understanding wild bird populations.

Percy Zalasky was out in St. Albert for the Christmas Bird Count, a holiday tradition he has been taking part in for decades. 

"It's like a treasure hunt," Zalasky said. "You always find something that you never know is going to be there, so it's always exciting."

The Christmas Bird Count is carried out by avian enthusiasts across North America on one day each holiday season.

It costs nothing to participate in, and bird watchers don't even have to leave the house – with many simply counting the visitors at their backyard bird feeder.

The data collected is then used by researchers, conservation biologists and wildlife agencies to monitor the long-term health of bird populations, as well as inform strategies to protect birds and their habitats.

Zalasky is a bush beater, someone who walks in wooded areas to spot birds. He sighted dozens of different species this year – and almost 1,000 since he started counting – with apps like EBird making tracking easier.

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It's a peaceful pastime, he said, though there's plenty of excitement to be had as well.

"It's like panning for gold," Zalasky said. "Every once in a while you find a nugget, so that's what keeps me going."

A merlin hawk can be seen in St. Albert on Dec. 27, 2024. It was one of several species sighted during the annual Christmas Bird Count. (Adel Ahmed/CTV News Edmonton)

Sian Ramsden has been taking part in the count for about six years. She said each year brings something new, as different species can be spotted depending on what the weather is like.

"It's a bit like Pokémon Go," she added. "You try to find as many as you can. You get to spend time with people, you get to spend time outside. Anytime you see a rare bird, it's always really exciting."

Zalasky said this has been a good year for spotting chickadees, woodpeckers, snow buntings and several species of owl.

"Short eared owls, boreal owls, hawk owls, great horned owls, great gray owls," he said. "Owls are sort of at the top of the birder's list of birds they'd like to see. So anytime we see an owl, people get excited."

A downy woodpecker can be seen in a wooded area in St. Albert on Dec. 17, 2024. It was one of several species found in the area during the annual Christmas Bird Count. (Adel Ahmed/CTV News Edmonton)According to the Audubon Society, the count has been happening for more than a century, with the first one kicking off in 1900. 

St. Albert and Edmonton were two of 16 communities in the greater Edmonton area to participate in the Christmas count.

The Global Bird Count will run from Feb. 14 to 17. For more information or to participate, visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Adel Ahmed