A Rufous hummingbird, an Orange-crowned Warbler and two types of owls were among the species spotted in the Tri-Cities last week in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
A total of 86 observers were out on Jan. 4 along the 12 designated routes in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody to report on the sightings for the National Audubon Society.
The latest citizen-science project across the western hemisphere will bring 125 years worth of data to the organization in a bid to watch bird trends and activities in various countries.
Victoria Otton, organizer of the Pitt Meadows–Tri-Cities Count for the Burke Mountain Naturalists, said the local results were "average" with some 10,000 birds documented on the wet day.
Observers, who had binoculars, cameras and cell phones with the Merlin app, captured 78 bird species — slightly down from the group’s 1998–2023 average of 81 species, Otton said.
As in past years, the top three species in the Count area were:
- Canada goose
- 1,654
- Mallard ducks
- 1,538
- American Crow
- 1,183
The Rufous hummingbird was registered on a private property in Port Coquitlam, which has a feeder with nectar; the first documented Rufous hummingbird in Metro Vancouver was in Otton’s backyard in 2017.
Typically in Mexico by August to avoid the cool weather, the species is now in Canada year-round due to the mild winter like the Anna’s hummingbird, which has been seen year-round in the region for the past 17 years.
Last week, observers listed 69 Anna’s hummingbirds in the Tri-Cities.
As for the Orange-crowned Warbler, observers counted one at ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park (formerly Colony Farm Regional Park); an insect-eating bird, it also tends to head south during the winter.
“It’s an extraordinary bird to find,” Otton said, noting one was also located during a recent count near Boundary Bay.
And owls — specifically, a barn owl in a regional park, as well as a Northern Pygmy Owl in Port Coquitlam — were also noted.
Meanwhile, the Great Backyard Bird Count takes place from Feb. 14 to 17, a program that’s also supported by Audubon and Birds Canada.
Participants are asked to watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, and submit entries.
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