PARRY SOUND’S CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT FINDS INCREASING NUMBER OF BALD EAGLES

The numbers are in for the Parry Sound Christmas Bird Count that took place on Saturday December 16^th.

The annual event, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary, was conducted by the Parry Sound Nature club in conjunction with Bird Studies Canada and the Audubon Society.

Organizer Steph Romaniuk says he’s excited about the bald eagle count this year.

In total, 27 bald eagles were spotted. That’s up from 18 last year.

Other totals of note were higher numbers of dark-eyed juncos, and six year high counts of wild turkeys and golden-eye ducks, also known as whistlers.

Romaniuk says weather can be a factor in the types of birds the Nature Club spots.

Parry Sound’s and the rest of Bird Studies Canada totals are collected by the Audubon Society in the United States as part of their Christmas Bird Count, first organized in 1900.

The results are a valuable tool in tracking bird populations and migration patterns in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information, visit the Parry Sound Nature Club Facebook page at facebook.com/ParrySoundNatureClub.