British Columbia Field Ornithologists

In this, the second of our birding travel adventure presentations by members, for members, join Larry Cowan on Wednesday, 17th February 2021 at 7:30 pm for a Peruvian birding adventure from Lima to the heart of the Amazon.

Details for viewing the presentation are found in the Members area.

 – Invitation to Apply –

Needed – Two (2) individuals to serve as participating members of the Bird Records Committee (BRC).

Duration – We are seeking two individuals willing to commit to a three-year term, beginning March 2021. As per BRC operating guidelines, up to two consecutive terms may be served, for a total of six years. Renewal for a second term is optional and subject to BRC approval. Members may not sit for more than two-consecutive terms before taking a mandatory one-year absence. Following this absence, individuals may be re-nominated for additional terms, and placed in the candidate pool for available positions. Monthly time commitments vary, but candidates should be willing to put in approximately ten (non-consecutive) hours.

Qualifications – Candidates should be knowledgeable on bird identification and distribution of all bird species in the province, as well as familiar with the identification and distribution of avian taxa from the remainder of North America, and ideally also Eurasia and Mexico. Preferred candidates will have first-hand experience with the majority of species that may be reported (see the current Review List). In addition to field experience, candidates should have access to sufficient resources (e.g., books, web resources) to provide critical, independent commentary and evaluations of bird records by set deadlines. Knowledge of aging and sexing of birds is a plus.

Candidates must be courteous and respectful of fellow committee members and to individuals whose records are being reviewed, including confidentiality of observer names and committee discussions. Previous experience with committees is beneficial, but not mandatory; however, candidates must be able to work effectively in a committee operating under a consensus framework.

In addition to birding experience, candidates must be able to reliably communicate electronically. This includes frequent and reliable access to the internet and the ability to email, Skype, and send/receive files in MS Word and MS Excel formats.

Prior membership to BCFO is not a requirement, but non-members are expected to join the organization upon appointment to the committee. All BRC members are expected to maintain their membership to BCFO in good standing for the duration of their tenure. Candidates should reside in British Columbia for the majority of each calendar year for which they are serving.

Selection – The committee strives to maintain representation of the entire provincial birding community by selecting members from varied regions of the province and of varied backgrounds. To ensure that the committee is inclusive of the diversity within the provincial birding community, women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and people of colour, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), and others are strongly encouraged to apply.

The BRC is a committee of the BCFO. Applicants, or a shortlist of applicants, will be discussed by the current BRC membership for nomination to the committee. Final appointments are confirmed by the BCFO Board of Directors.

How to apply – You may nominate yourself or someone else who you believe is qualified. All nominations should be sent electronically to Catherine Craig, Chair of the BRC, at bcbrc.chair@gmail.com. In the email include a brief description of your qualifications, or, if nominating someone else, highlight why you think that person would fit well on the committee. Make sure to include your full name and contact information (email address and/or phone number), or the full name and contact information of the nominee. All information should appear in the body of the email; formal cover letters, CVs, etc., are not required.

Please apply as soon as possible, and no later than January 31, 2021. The positions will remain open until filled.

Discussion of Round 29 submissions to the Bird Records Committee has just been completed. Consensus decisions to “accept” were made for nine of the ten submissions for this round.

To see the full report of those recently accepted records, follow the link here or use the drop down menu above – BRC Public > BRC Round 29 Mar to Dec 2020.

BCFO members will be presenting a series of birding travelogues starting in January. With Covid restricting travel for most of us, it seems like a good opportunity to enjoy vicariously some trips taken by other BCFO members. As we watch their travels, perhaps we can begin to imagine, and to plan our own trips for when things open up. First out of the gate will be Vice-president Gary Davidson giving a Zoom, illustrated presentation on his birding exploration of Australia from Cape York to Tasmania.

Forest Kingfisher Photo: Gary Davidson

Details for viewing the presentation are found in the Members area.

Amie MacDonald of Birds Canada has a request:

Hello BC birders,

Birds Canada has recently started a research project using radio-telemetry and leg flags to track overwintering movements of Dunlin in the Fraser River Estuary and their migration. We would appreciate hearing about any sightings of birds with leg flags if you happen to see any while out birding – you can email me directly at amacdonald@birdscanada.org. Spotting a leg flag in a large flock of Dunlin is certainly no easy feat, but we know birders are up for the challenge! We will collect a lot of movement data through the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, but leg flag sightings help in areas where there is no Motus coverage and offer very precise locations. Complete reads of the 3-digit code are great, but even just one or two of the digits can be very helpful if you can’t get a complete read.

Thanks and happy birding!

Amie

Amie MacDonald
Motus Analyst and Coordinator, British Columbia
Birds Canada | Oiseaux Canada
(506) 232-1219 | amacdonald@birdscanada.org
www.birdscanada.org | www.motus.org
(she/her)

The American Robin pictured above is certainly not looking for earthworms in a mountain ash tree, but for most of us these ubiquitous birds foraging in a grassy field is another familiar sight.

Dr Rob Butler has made a study of a question that has likely puzzled many of us over the years: ” How exactly do they find the earthworms that they eat? Do they use sight or sound or …?”

Read Rob’s article here to see what he found out.

The December 2020 edition of BC Birding is now available in the Members Only section (you will be emailed the URL if you’ve forgotten the password). This is a particularly rich edition including items on:

• Upcoming BCFO Zoom presentations
• Birding during COVID times
• Bagging that rarity
• Nest watching: Barn Swallows and Ospreys
• Birding in The Congo
• Northwest Crows and Green-winged Teal
• Tracking Pleistocene Birds
• Mexico as a winter birding destination

Plus all the usual features and some superb photography.  Print subscribers ($12 annually allows you to read the magazine in traditional form) will receive their copy through the post in due course.

Christmas Bird Count season will be upon us soon. With that in mind, we have just opened our annual CBC tracking page for this 121st count season.

If your count(s) does not yet have this season’s information entered, please send the details as soon as possible to our compiler directly through the page.

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) Job Posting – Deadline extended to October 15, 2020

BC Nature is seeking a part-time coordinator to manage the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) Caretaker Network in British Columbia.

The IBA program monitors and conserves a network of more than 11,000 of the world’s most important places for birds and biodiversity. Please find the job posting on the button below, as well as in your BC Nature Fall 2020 Magazine, coming to your mailboxes soon.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to manager@bcnature.ca by October 15, 2020.

The BCFO once again proudly presents our next Featured Photographer, Number 20 in our continuing series.  For the third time we have drawn from our pool of remarkably talented youngsters: Gaelen Schnare is a 14-tear-old from Nelson, who received a BCFO Young Birder Award in 2020.  Click here to see what this lad can do with a camera.