Hiway16 Magazine... about people and places in north-central British Columbia, Canada

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Name That Bird Song

by Jim Easterday

Spring is the best time to see birds in north-central BC. Many species nest locally and others migrate through our area to the forests and arctic barren lands to the north.

Some are easy to see and identify, such as the Red-Breasted Sapsucker, in the photo on the right. With other species, you are lucky to glimpse a flash of colour as they zip through thick bush.

Often the birds are high in the tops of the trees, invisible and impossible to identify...if you rely on your eyes. But, there is another, better way to identify birds - listen to their song.

The Red-Breasted Sapsucker, tapping on a steel drum in the Spring

Mel Coulson, from Quick, has long relied on the fact that each species of bird has a distinct song and call. He can tell you which species is flittering in the top of a nearby pine tree, without seeing the bird. Mel can also identify birds that may appear very similar to the eye. The female and young of a species may be in drab colours, and look like other species but their song is the only clue that Mel needs to give them a name.

For small birds that stay high in the canopy of tall trees, the song or call may be the only way to identify the bird. For those of us who rely on sight identification, we're probably missing a good portion of the local species.

Mel recordng on Hudson Bay Mountain

Mel Coulson belongs to the BV Naturalists Club. About 6 years ago, the Club was looking for a project and Mel suggested recording as many local bird songs as possible so that beginners could learn to identify birds by sound.

As happens so often in small clubs, the man with the idea, Mel, was nominated to lead the project. He put together a list of 35 birds and planned on spending a leisurely summer or two recording and compiling a CD of local birdsongs.






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