Spring 2018 NCC Magazine

SONGBIRDS
Restore and care
for bird habitat
ILLUSTRATIONS: LAURA FETTERLEY. PHOTO: NCC.
RAPTORS
Become a
citizen scientist
Raptors, or birds of prey, are
species that hunt and feed
on other animals, including
rodents and birds. They have
keen eyesight, hooked beaks,
and feet with sharp, curved
claws or talons. The group
includes falcons, ospreys,
hawks, vultures and eagles.
Last year, NCC volunteers
observed migrating golden
eagles during an event in
Alberta’s Crowsnest Pass. They
also learned about raptors
from local experts. In British
Columbia, volunteers have
helped conduct bird inventories
to inform the development
of NCC’s conservation plans.
You can sign up for one of
NCC’s bird inventories across
the country and learn more
about birds of prey like the
golden eagle. Apply that
knowledge by downloading
eBird or iNaturalist — two
fantastic citizen science apps
— and heading out to the field
to collect important bird data.
You’ll be contributing to a
collective body of information
on birds.
GRASSLAND BIRDS
Make fences
safer for birds
Hollow metal posts are often
used in fences on Canada’s
prairies. Since they are small
in diameter and have smooth
inside walls, the posts can
create an unintended hazard
for grassland songbirds. Birds
can become trapped when
they are looking for a hole to
nest in, or when they perch at
the edge of the uncapped post
to explore what’s inside. Young
birds are especially at risk,
since they can easily fit into
pipes. Once they are trapped,
there is no way for them to
climb out, and they die.
The most critical times for birds
getting caught in these hollow
pipes is during migration and
breeding seasons, when more
birds are present and searching
for shelter and homes. You can
show your support for grassland
songbirds, like McCown’s
longspur, by helping NCC staff
cap fence posts with tin cans
and other recycled materials
at the Old Man on His Back
Prairie and Heritage Conservation
Area in Saskatchewan.
SHOREBIRDS
Keep Canada’s
shorelines clean
Shorebirds sport long legs for
wading in water or on mudflats,
and long bills for feeding on
hidden invertebrates. This group
includes oystercatchers, avocets,
stilts, turnstones, sandpipers,
yellowlegs, snipes, godwits,
curlews, phalaropes and plovers.
The piping plover is an iconic
yet endangered shorebird. In
Atlantic Canada it breeds on
sand and pebble beaches.
You can support piping plovers
and other shorebird species
by participating in a shoreline
cleanup this year. By volunteering
to clean up marine debris
and litter, you’ll enhance shoreline
health and protect the areas
where these birds nest and feed.
NCC hosts several shoreline
cleanups each year, such as at
Holman’s Island in PEI, Brier
Island in Nova Scotia and Sandy
Point beach in southwest
Newfoundland.
Songbirds, such as the
endangered prothonotary
warbler, are perching birds
known for their diverse
and elaborate songs. Many
songbirds, including chickadees,
woodpeckers, finches and
nuthatches, are often seen at
winter feeders. Sadly, many
songbirds are disappearing,
largely due to habitat loss.
Join efforts to restore and
maintain the health of native
bird habitat by volunteering for
a restoration project this year.
Whether it’s digging in for
a weed pull to remove invasive
plants or rolling up your sleeves
to plant a tree, you can help
ensure songbirds continue to
have safe places to nest and
rear their young.
In Ontario, NCC’s Conservation
Volunteers have been supporting
restoration work on Pelee
Island — a site well known for
its spring songbird migration
— for more than eight years.
This includes collecting seeds
and planting native species on
the property’s meadows and
restored wetlands, creating
prime habitat for birds.1
Celebrate the return of migratory birds with
NCC’s First Signs of Spring: Early Bird Edition
photo contest, now until May 1. Snap these
moments and share your photos on our
Facebook gallery or on Twitter and Instagram
using #NCCEarlyBirds. You could win one of
our weekly outdoor gear prizes or even the
grand prize: a $1,000 gift card. Upload your
photos and vote for your favourites today!
#NCCEarlyBirds
natureconservancy.ca