New Brunswickers urged to give bird-watching a try this weekend

People can explore their communities while also contributing to bird research this Family Day weekend.

The global birding event known as the Great Backyard Bird Count gets runs through Monday, a holiday.

The bird count, now in its 25th year, relies on families, individuals and new and seasoned birders to watch and record the birds they see in their neighbourhoods, parks and nature reserves.

Using the online bird database application eBird, participants then record their data.

The community event was first hosted in 1998 by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. The non-profit bird conservation organization Birds Canada later became a partner. 

Whether you have years of birding experience or are simply looking for a fun way to explore, the bird count could be for you.

"I would just encourage people to participate, and bundle up and go on a short walk around your neighborhood and just remember to stop for 30 seconds at different intervals and just listen," said Allison Patrick, conservation biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

"And you might be surprised at all the little pips and squeaks of birds that you hear around you."

Patrick said participation could be as simple as watching a bird feeder from your window for 15 minutes or watching the trees or shrubs near where you live from inside your home.

It could also mean going for a walk and recording bird activity you see. 

The event is designed to be suitable for anyone, children included. People new to birding are encouraged to use the Merlin Bird ID app, which allows users to record bird songs, and the size and colours of birds seen and offers lists of birds possibly encountered. "Kids might find the app fun because it's sort of like a Shazam for birds," said Allison Patrick, referring to the Shazam music search application.

"Basically what you want to do is keep a list and write down which species you see and how many of each species."

Patrick said winter in New Brunswick is a particularly opportune time for bird-watching. 

"It's quite different from spring, summer and fall bird-watching because in winter, a lot of birds that spend the spring and summer in the Arctic actually come down to this area. "So you'll have lots of finches and grosbeaks and snow buntings that are normally in the Arctic, but they spend their winters in New Brunswick, so we get to see a different variety of birds than we normally see. In different years, different species tend to come down from the Arctic depending on the food resources in the North."