Photo: Birding guide Luc Blanchette with a pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds. Photo by Ruth Heibert.

Folks in Manitoba recently had an opportunity to see a portion of the vast variety of bird species in the Pembina Valley on Birding Day!

People of all experience levels came out on May 30, 2015 to help spot and identify birds at the Pembina Valley Interpretive Centre. While the morning was a bit cooler than the birds prefer, the group was still able to identify 43 bird species through listening and seeing.

Birding guides Paul Goossen, Luc Blanchette and Al Schritt taught the songs, characteristics and behaviours of different bird species. For many, learning to distinguish the different bird songs was a new and challenging exercise.

The event concluded with a presentation by Al Schritt on birds he had photographed in Florida over the winter. This gave participants the chance to see how drastically habitat impacts the types of bird species that can be found in a given area.

Discover more about A Rocha’s Pembina Valley Interpretive Centre