The Feeder Birds of Christmas
By Myrna Pearman, Mother Nature’s Naturalist and Backyard Birding Expert
As we head into the holiday season, bird watchers will be marking their calendars with an additional yuletide activity – the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Interestingly, the CBC—now the longest-running and most important bird census in the world—didn’t start out as a wildlife-friendly activity. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas "Side Hunt." They would choose sides and go afield with their guns, killing everything in sight. The group that slaughtered the most (all animals were fair game) was declared the winner.
Golden Crowned Sparrow
In 1900, ornithologist and Audubon Society officer, Frank M. Chapman, proposed an alternative to this barbaric holiday tradition—a "Christmas Bird Census" that would count, not kill, birds. The inaugural count, held on Christmas Day, had 27 participants recording 90 species across North America. Today, tens of thousands of volunteers around the globe take part in this annual event.
Not surprisingly, the Lower Mainland hosts one of the biggest CBCs in Canada, as hundreds of bird enthusiasts join forces to count birds. The 68th annual Vancouver count will be held on December 14 while others are held on other dates (Ladner: Sunday December 15; White Rock: Saturday December 38; Pitt Meadows: Saturday, January 4, 2025). For more information on the count in your area, check out https://naturevancouver.ca/birding/vancouver-area-christmas-bird-count/
Five common Vancouver-area feeder birds to look for on the CBC:
Dark-eyed Junco – ground foragers that hop around forest floors and beneath bird feeding stations. They prefer sunflower seeds, millet and cracked corn.
Golden-crowned Sparrow – ground foragers that are found in brushy areas and around bird feeding stations. They are readily attracted to sunflower seeds, millet, peanut hearts and safflower.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – common feeder birds that will visit tray, tube and platform feeders that offer sunflower seeds and suet.
Spotted Towhee – common feeder patrons that visit platform or hopper feeders but prefer to feed on the ground where they will dine on sunflower seeds, safflower, cracked corn, peanut hearts, millet and milo.
Steller’s Jay – common feeder birds that will visit a variety of feeders and eat most types of seed, including sunflower seeds, cracked corn, peanuts and milo
Have more questions? Visit your local Buckerfield's and we'll be happy to help!
