A total of 3,164 birds were counted in the 47th North Bay area Christmas bird count this year.
Officials with the Nipissing Naturalists Club say North Bay has taken part consistently since 1980, with occasional observations submitted since 1941.
They say it’s an important contribution to one of the world’s oldest, largest, and most widespread annual collections on population densities and the distribution of bird species.
A 24 km zone around the city was covered by field surveyors with nearly two dozen feeder watchers also taking part.
37 different species were recorded this year, including the first sighting of a Merlin in 20 years.
“This small falcon was seen on Four Mile Lake Rd. carrying its prey,” states a release. “It landed in a conifer, where it stayed for some time while the surveyors identified and photographed it to confirm. This is only the second time in all 47 North Bay counts that it has been observed. The first was in 2005.”
The club says the three most abundant species this year were Black-capped Chickadees (965), Rock Pigeons (765), and European Starlings (260).
