Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Flickers are an easy bird to identify in Vancouver. They are native to most of North America and abundant in Vancouver.

What to look for

The Flicker is light brown with darker stripes and they have a distinctive black bib and red whiskers.
They are larger than a robin but smaller than a crow.
They are often seen on the ground digging for ants and beetles.
When in flight, the white patch on their behind gives them away.

What to listen for

A piercing kyeer about a half second long is the most recognizable call.
In the spring, males will hammer on all kinds of things other than trees, there is one that favours our electrical box on the laneway telephone pole.

How to keep them happy

Do not kill ants in your yard – ants are a flicker’s preferred food.
A bird bath will appeal to flickers and other birds especially in the summer.
Discourage starlings. Starling compete with flickers for nesting sites.

Did you know

Flickers breed for life
The young stay with their parents for up to six weeks.
They have very long tongues to lick up ants and other insects.
The longevity record for a flicker is 8 years, 9 months.

Christmas Bird Count

As a citizen science effort, “the Christmas Bird Count is the great granddaddy of them all,” says Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count Director Geoffrey LeBaron.

History

In 1900, an ornithologist with the Audubon Society organized a bird count to replace the traditional Christmas hunt. 25 people took up the challenge that year, including one birder in Toronto. In 2017, more than 30,000 people counted 65-70 million birds around the world.

The Christmas Bird Count runs for 24 hours on one day between Dec 14th to Jan 5th and occurs within a designated 24 km diameter circle. Volunteers record all birds that they see or hear.

How can I get involved?

CBC circles — 2019 Christmas Bird Count Locations

Volunteers of all skill levels can participate and the lower mainland has several Christmas Bird Counts for children.

What will I have to do?

You should be prepared to commit part or all of the day as either a field observer or feeder watcher somewhere within the count circle.
- Field observers cover a portion of the count circle on their own or with a small group, counting all birds they find.
- Feeder watchers count birds at their feeders for a portion of the day.

Why the Christmas Bird Count counts

The data collected is used by the many organizations to help in bird conservation efforts and recognize long-term trends in bird populations.

Five Ways to Help Swallows

swallows on wire Its official, swallows are threatened in Canada. Their populations have declined by 95% in some areas. 10 years ago I would watch hundreds of Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Violet-green Swallows do their aerobatics from the deck at my family’s cabin. Barn Swallows would nest under the eaves and at one point their droppings streaked the whole cabin. The power washer is no longer needed, the swallows are mostly gone.

How can we help swallows?

Become a citizen scientist. Report swallow sightings or monitor a nest.
Build a nesting box. Tree Swallows and Violet-green Swallows are cavity nesters and boxes help make up for a lack of dead trees. A ledge can also be built under eaves to provide a space for Barn Swallows to nest.
Avoid pesticides and insecticides. Swallows only eat insects, we need healthy insect populations for healthy bird populations!
Open doors. Consider leaving barn and other out-building doors open so Barn Swallow can nest in rafters.
Support a local or national bird conservation organization.

Why You Should Keep a Bird List

Beyond the simple pleasure of adding a new bird to your life list, keeping track of the birds you see can aid in bird conservation. Lists provide useful information to people and organizations who work to protect birds.

Types of Bird Lists

The Life List: A list of all the birds you have ever seen. Addictive enough to explain explain expensive Antarctic birding cruises. Keep with it and perhaps you can join the 600 club: people who have seen 600 of the 671 regularly occurring birds in North America.
The Yard List: A list of birds you see from your home. The benefit of a yard list is that it tracks birds over time. You can compare what you saw last year with this year’s yard list.
The Patch List: Similar to the yard list but is an area you go to often, such as a local park, your dog-walking route or favourite camping spot.

How to Keep a Bird List

Old fashioned pen and paper is fine, but the connectivity of on-line bird lists is what make them so valuable to bird conservationists. Bird list apps offer searchable databases, up-to-date information about rare bird sightings, and excellent identification tools for species and bird song.

Birds and Windows

More than 1 billion birds die every year in collisions with windows.

Several years ago, I heard about FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program), an organization that was working to help stop birds from hitting windows in office buildings. I was unaware of how many birds die after hitting windows in our cities, especially during the fall migration. I wasn’t alone, nobody had very good data or any data at all. Now we know and it is alarming!

bird-glass-feature — Every year, nearly one billion birds are killed in North America flying into windows. (Kenneth Herdy/FLAP)

Why birds hit windows

In the daytime, windows reflect their surroundings and birds fly straight for them as if the window presented a clear path. At night, lights left on can attract migratory birds. This is especially so in foggy conditions. Some species of birds will also launch a territorial attack on their own reflections.

How to prevent bird window strikes

Research shows that in order for birds to see windows as an obstacle, widows must be marked in a 2” by 2” grid. Here are some suggested ways to make your windows safer for birds:

Decals or Tempera paint or soap. Create a grid or a more artistic approach. Note that one or two hawk silhouettes do little to deter birds, the spacing needs to be more dense.
ABC BirdTape. Tape that applies the appropriate grid for you. .
Acopian Bird Savers. These ‘zen’ curtains seem like something I could convince my design-conscious partner to put on our windows.
Screens or Netting
One-way transparent film.

Hummingbirds in November?

I never tire of spotting a hummingbird, but after November and onwards into a Vancouver winter, I feel more concern than excitement –how can this tiny creature survive? And who are these brave overwintering hummingbirds?

Anna’s Hummingbird

It turns out that the Anna’s Hummingbird, Vancouver’s only all-year resident hummingbird, is tougher than it looks. This hardy little bird has been expanding its range north for decades and now successfully breeds in Vancouver. Researchers credit our gardens and a warming climate for making Vancouver a suitable year-round home.

Should I put out a hummingbird feeder to help them survive the winter? The answer is yes, you can, but it is not necessary. The Anna’s switches to an insect and spider diet when nectar becomes harder to find in the winter. If you do put out a feeder, make sure you maintain the feeder properly.

Tips for watching Anna’s hummingbirds:

Bright, rose-pink markings confirm a male, more muted colours are found on juveniles or females.
Clicking chirps are often the first sign that an Anna’s is perched nearby.
Dive-bombing aerobatics are usually the males showing off in courtship displays.
Hummingbird feeders will attract many of these beauties to your yard.
Get yourself a humdinger of a hat.