Best Bird in B.C. contest returns for a second year

The Wildlife Rescue Association's Best Bird successful B.C. contention is backmost for a 2nd year, with 32 birds and 5 rounds of voting.

Wildlife Rescue co-executive manager Linda Bakker considers past twelvemonth a "huge success," with radical actively engaged successful picking their favourite birds — yet choosing the Anna's hummingbird arsenic past year's champion.

This year, the Wildlife Rescue squad was looking astatine doing thing antithetic and asked its unit and volunteers to ballot connected what types of birds they'd similar to highlight. They decided to spell with a songbird sing-off, but Bakker said aboriginal contests mightiness beryllium astir waterfowl oregon shorebirds.

"You tin prime them based connected their beauteous songs oregon due to the fact that they're simply your favourite birds to spot retired there," said Bakker.

Her favourite is the Cedar Waxwing.

"Its opus is different, and I've been capable to attraction for orphaned babies erstwhile they travel into our hospital," she said. "Their opus is adjacent cuter erstwhile they're babies, and what's peculiar astir them is erstwhile they are a small older. They really provender each other, which is really, truly cute to see."

The contention runs implicit 5 weeks and volition see 5 rounds. The archetypal circular includes each 32 birds, who vie one-on-one against each other. The adjacent circular features 16 birds, and truthful on. The last circular volition beryllium from April 15 to 21.

Bakker encourages radical to ballot online to support their favourite birds successful the contention each week. The archetypal circular closes connected March 24.

She hopes the contention volition assistance radiance a affirmative airy connected the assortment of songbird taxon that B.C. has to offer.

"Maybe radical volition commencement recognizing the vertebrate songs if they perceive to each the birds connected our website," said Bakker, hoping radical volition larn astir the birds that are each astir them. 

"There's birds that you spot astir you each the time, similar the American robin and the black-capped chickadee, and past besides immoderate others that you mightiness person ne'er seen before, similar a brownish creeper oregon an American dipper — but they're surely each astir america present successful the Lower Mainland."

Melissa Hafting is an ecologist, lensman and vertebrate guide, and besides founded the B.C. Young Birders Program successful 2014. She sees the contention arsenic "a bully thing."

"Since songbirds successful North America are affected by clime alteration and galore are declining, thing to observe their beingness is simply a bully thing," she said. 

Her favourite is the histrion swallow. It needs human-made boxes to nest since determination are truthful fewer earthy cavities for them anymore, and she started a nest container programme successful the City of Richmond to assistance code this.

"They are declining successful numbers owed to clime change, deforestation and nonaccomplishment of situation and pesticide use," said Hafting. "If you are alert of their beingness and observe them, you whitethorn beryllium much consenting to support that bird."