A Christmas Idea for Birders
This Christmas, Adopt a Bird for Yourself or Your Favorite Birder
At the Long Point Bird Observatory in Canada, you can adopt a banded bird or give an adoption certificate as a gift.
Any occasion, including Christmas, is a perfect time to adopt a bird at The Long Point Bird Observatory. More than 370 species of birds have been observed at Long Point – if you’re a North American birder, some of your favorite birds are sure to either migrate through or nest in the area. About 20 different species are available for adoption.
The observatory is located on a long thin arm of land jutting into Lake Erie in southern Ontario, Canada. The arm is about 32 kilometers long, or almost 20 miles, and along its stretch, you will find Long Point Provincial Park, Long Point National Wildlife Area, and Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area. This inviting sanctuary almost scoops migrating birds out of the sky as they head across the vast expanse of Lake Erie. It is a perfect place for them to rest.
The Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) is concerned mainly with bird observation and research, although researchers also monitor butterflies and local reptiles. Established in 1960, it is a nonprofit organization that actively studies birds, educates interested Canadians, and encourages volunteer participation. Three LPBO field stations are located on Long Point – one near the mainland, one in the middle section, and one out at the tip.
Volunteers and researchers at LPBO study bird breeding during the summer months, and bird migration during the spring and fall. Many birds are banded here so that the researchers can gather data about population numbers, life spans, breeding habits, range, and migration patterns. In “Operation Recovery,” the organization invites us all to adopt a bird – a banded bird that may be subsequently recovered in some distant place years from now. If your adopted bird does turn up somewhere in the future, the LPBO will let you know.
Of course, the adopted birds of Long Point don’t go to live with their adoptive parents – the only change they’ll notice is the slender band around one leg. They are caught, banded, and released. As an adopter, you receive a certificate, a picture of your bird, and the excitement of waiting to learn that your bird has been recovered again. Odds that your bird will be recovered are much better than odds of winning the average lottery: for every twenty birds banded, there is approximately one recovery.
If you’re really keen, you can do more than adopt a bird at Long Point Bird Observatory – volunteers are encouraged at the field stations for stays of a couple of days up to several months. If you’re willing to help out, you’re welcome to come and you don’t have to be a bird expert; you just have to be eager to rough it a bit and enjoy this special wildlife experience. Short-stay volunteers pay a low fee per day while long-term volunteers bunk and eat for free. Find out more about volunteering at LPBO at the Bird Studies Canada website.
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