Winnipeg is not accredited as a bird friendly city yet, but a group of concerned community members are hoping that more people will lend their skills to begin the process. “I think the most exciting thing is that once you start noticing them, you realize how many there are,” said Victoria Weir at a Trees Please event.
Over 380 species of birds have been identified that pass through our city, a migratory “flyway” to Manitoba’s ample northern boreal forests and arctic ocean at Hudson’s Bay.
While on their way, birds are dispersing seeds, feasting on insects, pollinating plants and bringing benefits which are still being uncovered, such as a recent study which showed a remarkable 10% benefit to human mental health when birds are in your environment.
However, bird studies estimate that 3 billion wild birds have been lost to due human causes, with up to 42,000 birds lost every year in Canada alone, from flying into windows.
“I love how something like putting stickers on your windows can save so many birds that die when they fly into buildings, and that it’s 100% preventable,” said Alison Conrad, another volunteer who joined Bird Friendly Winnipeg.
Calgary is the first city to receive the most basic level of Bird Friendly accreditation from Nature Canada in 2021, but was soon joined by London, Toronto, and Vancouver. The effort to become bird friendly involves educating the public about simple measures people can take to stop preventable deaths, and gathering data about where they are occuring to have the greatest effect.
A pane of glass at their bird friendly table showed examples of products available that can be permanently attached to the window through a complete season, as well as quick creative items that can do the trick at least untill the next heavy rainfall.
The fastest is a using a bar of soap to rub a design onto the window that doesn’t leave more than 2 inches between markings or water based paint, chalk, or coloured markers and a little bit of artistic flair (see photo).
Another helpful and easy habit is to turn your lights off in the evening, which can distract birds and bats from the guides in the environment they use to determine their flight path.
“Its a powerful kind of connection to the environment and to nature and also just to the place where you’re living,” said Victoria. Interested people are encouraged to contact birdfriendlywinnnipeg through their website or watch for upcoming events. Their next event will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day on May 9 at the forks. Justin Rasmussen from the University of Manitoba’s Indigenous Birding Club will give a guided birding walk at The Forks starting at 9am. (Meet under the canopy by 10 am, and bring binoculars if you have them).
Top photo: Bird Friendly Winnipeg volunteers Victoria Weir and Alison Conrad show freehand designs made with a sharpie chalk pen that wash off when no longer needed that can protect birds.
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