'An enormous data set': Christmas Bird Count looks at avian health in Winnipeg, North America

A pine grosbeak is seen in Lac du Bonnet in May 2023. (Submitted: Rudolf Koes)

When you look out your window this weekend, chances are you will see birds but have you ever wondered how many feathered friends are flying around?

The Christmas Bird Count seeks those answers every year. The long-running tally tradition started as an alternative to hunting in 1900 and has been running constantly in Manitoba since 1925, with Minnedosa hosting the first count in 1908.

Now occurring worldwide, communities pick a day near the holidays and volunteers count the number of birds and species in the area. The totals contribute to a giant set of data that can be used to gauge habitat and avian health in general.

A great horned owl, a very popular bird in Manitoba, is seen in Rossmere Crescent. *Submitted photo: Rudolf Koes)

“With more than 2,000 counts across North America, it really gives scientists that use this data a good idea of what the trends are, which birds are increasing, which birds are decreasing,” said Rudolf Koes, the coordinator of Winnipeg’s bird count. “It’s an enormous data set, and it is very useful for analysis.”

Rudolf Koes has been birding since he was 11 years old in The Netherlands, and when he moved to Canada in 1968, he heard about the counts and took part the following year. He has helped coordinate Winnipeg’s annual count on and off since the 1980s. 

This year, 46 species of birds were observed in Winnipeg on Dec. 15 for the bird count. Koes said it is slightly lower compared to the average, which is around 50 different species each year, with the record topping out at 58 different species.

Koes explained that there are several reasons why the numbers can change.

“Habitat is changing,” he said. “Of course, in the city, we are losing more and more of our agricultural land on the outskirts. On the other hand, we're getting more and more well-grown mature forest. So, there are certain bird species that have increased and certain bird species that have decreased.”

Among the species this year, a surprise swamp sparrow was spotted—a first for Winnipeg’s count—and a herring gull stuck around for a longer period.

Some bird species are being seen more in winter. 

“One example is a pileated woodpecker,” Koes said. “They used to be extremely rare here in the city and are now quite common, and that is due to the large number of mature trees that we have. Another species is the American crow. They were they used to be very rare wintering birds, and they are now much more common than, say, 30, 40, or 50 years ago.”

The pileated woodpecker has been spotted in Manitoba more in the winter in recent years. (Submitted: Rudolf Koes)

However, some species are declining, including the European starling, rock pigeons, and the house sparrow, which Koes attributes to a lack of food.

Next year’s bird count in Winnipeg is set for Dec. 14.