Photo: Peace Parkland Naturalists Facebook page.

By Shane Clausing

christmas bird count

Final numbers in from 2021 Christmas Bird Count

Dec 20, 2021 | 1:32 PM

The final number is in from the annual Christmas Bird Count.

The annual Christmas Bird Count usually takes place on a weekend in December and has local bird enthusiasts walk through a park or neighbourhood to identify birds and the different types of species living in our region.

The spokesperson for the bird count Margot Hervieux says it was another successful year.

“We saw about 30 species (this year), which is a pitch above average from what we usually see during this count.”

While the 30 species located was a bit above average from a normal year, it was down slightly from 2020, which saw 32 different species identified.

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Hervieux explains there were a couple of species of birds that stood out this year.

“A couple of interesting species that we didn’t expect to see was a robin and a report of a flicker. A flicker is a woodpecker that usually migrates south in the fall. It was surviving like the robin was with berries and backyard bird feeders,” she explained.

Hervieux didn’t have direct numbers for Beaverlodge, however, she mentioned it was likely lower than Grande Prairie.

While the data may seem like nothing to some, it has proven to be useful for knowing what species are coming and going in the region.

“The Christmas Bird Count has been going on across North America for over 100 years, so its not as critical as far as one particular year is concerned, but when you start to see trends over time, it shows signs of activity of the new birds that have maybe moved into an area that they never used to live in.”

There were 10 people who took part in the bird count this year in Grande Prairie.