By Jennifer Nantais
Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO) has signed up to work toward the goal of making Windsor one of Canada’s first Bird Friendly Cities. This certification program, created by Nature Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, recognizes and celebrates the contributions of communities toward the creation of a more bird friendly environment.
So far, a local volunteer bird team has been created, and PIBO has obtained funding to add an urban bird educator and an education assistant to the staff working on this certification process. Current projects are focused on developing outreach opportunities to share information about hazards that birds face in an urban environment, including window and vehicle collisions, disturbance of nesting and roosting sites, and the impacts of pesticides and light pollution, just to name a few.
The team is working on a survey for landscapers to learn about their current knowledge and practices pertaining to native vegetation and bird and wildlife friendly gardening practices. We are also developing outreach projects to educate private citizens about options in their yards and home gardens.
World Migratory Bird Day
The bird team celebrated World Migratory Bird Day on May 8th by hosting a virtual scavenger hunt. This family friendly event encouraged participants on three teams to practice safe social distancing while exploring Essex County to complete 25 tasks that required them to photograph birds, answer a variety of questions, and share their passion for nature.
The celebration continued into the evening with a virtual gala. This online event welcomed renowned authors, including Margaret Atwood, and featured speaker David Lindo, who discussed how his passion for birds was born in an urban environment. Over 200 viewers tuned in, and the event successfully raised funds to support future bird research.
Photo Contest
A bird-themed photo contest and virtual art exhibit also accompanied these World Migratory Bird Day events. Stay tuned for the photo contest winners, which will be shared on the PIBO website, social media, and the Bird Friendly Windsor project Facebook page. Like or follow this page to keep up on our progress, receive related content about keeping birds safe in an urban environment, and help us to spread the word about making Windsor a Bird Friendly City.
Art Exhibit
The art exhibit that kicked off on World Migratory Bird Day will remain open, and submissions are welcome from artists and bird lovers of all ages. Not only is this a fun way to show off your talent, but the more entries we can share, the more opportunities we will have to showcase Windsor and Essex County’s love of birds and passion for becoming a Bird Friendly City.
City Bird
The next step is to select a city bird! This exciting public engagement opportunity will give citizens a chance to first nominate the birds they think would best represent the city of Windsor, then vote as a community on the winner! Which bird do you think should be chosen? Let us know the bird you wish to nominate, and why you think this should be our city bird. Once the most popular nominations have been gathered, the official nominees will be announced. Stay tuned, and make sure to vote!
Please send submissions for the virtual art exhibit to
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