For the second year in a row, a count of birds breeding in the Okanagan has brought awareness to endangered bird species, with this year’s count taking place in the Kilpoola area west of Osoyoos on June 9.
The Chopaka East and Kilpoola Lake area is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), supporting nationally significant populations of several rare bird species. Eleven experienced volunteer birders surveyed the area, noting all the bird species encountered. Other wildlife including bear, deer, coyote, badger, and snakes were also noted.
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Matthias Bieber, co-caretaker for the IBA, said volunteers counted more than 100 different bird species, including several endangered and threatened species. The results are compiled on eBird.org, an international bird database.
This IBA is one of five in the South Okanagan. There are more than 10,000 designated IBAs in more than 200 countries worldwide, which includes nearly 600 in Canada and more than 80 in B.C.
The BC Field Ornithologists provided funding to support this scientific count and the volunteers contributed their time and expertise for the day. Regular bird count volunteers from Kelowna to the south Okanagan were joined by counters who came from as far as Vancouver Island.
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“Organized official counts like this are an important tool in conservation planning, ” said Jason Bieber, one of the IBA Caretakers who organized the count. “It would be great to do these counts on a more regular basis to explore differences in diversity and numbers of birds based on seasonal conditions. It’s also great baseline data, as we see an increase in pressure on our birds and habitats. Ten years ago we may not have foreseen some of the population declines that are now being reported.”
Vaseux Lake IBA caretaker Eva Durance said the South Okanagan has the highest number of endangered birds in Canada,
“The IBA is an educational designation to make people aware of how important these areas are for the survival of these birds. The more people know, the better decisions can be made about protection.”
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