Bird lovers of Yellowknife, dig out your binoculars, this year’s Christmas Bird Count is set for this weekend.
Ecology North is hosting the 48th edition of the event this Saturday, Dec. 18. Yellowknifers are invited to join the team counting the birds in the Yellowknife area. The count is part of a larger citizen-science project; over 2,000 Christmas bird counts will be taking place in communities throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Last year’s count tied a record for the most species ever counted, at 16. The most-commonly identified birds were ravens and bohemian waxwings. It was also the first-ever sighting of a red-breasted nuthatch by a Yellowknife group.
Reid Hildebrandt, last year’s event coordinator and a lifelong bird counter, will again be organizing the event this year.
The day starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Ecology North office with some snacks and coffee.