Did you know that crows will remember your face for up to five years? Or that our city’s quirky little pigeons with their flashy iridescent necklaces who nervously toddle around the sidewalks are actually monogamous cliff-nesting birds in their natural environment – and they care so much for their young that they normally keep them in the nest until almost fully grown? And those little brown sparrows who hop around on outdoor tables and eat your muffin crumbs are so adaptable that they are found almost everywhere, in almost every garden, all over the world. But these aren’t the only birds living alongside us in Vancouver – there are hundreds of different species of these feathered distant-dino-descendants who live and pass through the city. All you have to do to find them is know how to look (or listen.)
This Vancouver Bird Week, get to know all of the feathered flutterers who share Vancouver’s skies, gardens, and parks with workshops, art shows, art-making, nest box building, and other classes and events such as:
Garden Plants for Birds: Learn what to plant in your garden to attract a parade of different birds just outside your windows. May 7th at Stanley Park
From last year’s Owl, Fowl, Toil and Trouble | photo by Geneviève Raiche-Savoie
Owl Prowl: Under the cover of darkness, watch for owls as they hunt insects and small mammals. May 9th at Pacific Spirit Regional Park
Dawn Chorus Walk: Get up early and learn how to identify which bird’s songs are bringing you back from slumber every morning. May 8th at Queen Elizabeth Park
From last year’s Nature Vancouver walk | photo by Geneviève Raiche-Savoie
Photographing Birds: It is what it sounds like! Learn tips and technique from a professional bird photographer. May 8th at Stanley Park
From last year’s Chinese Brush Painting Birds | photo by Nick Murphy
There is lots more. Find it all on the Vancouver Bird Week website.
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