Jasper bird watchers saw less species this year, but recorded the first Canadian sighting of a rare species during a Christmas bird count.

Bird watchers counted 32 species and 1,348 total birds on Dec. 20, which represented a decline in numbers for the Friends of Jasper organized event. Temperatures stayed around -17 C on the day, and snow forced many species into the trees, affecting the ability for volunteer bird counters to see them.

According to Gord Ruddy, one of the organizers of the Friends of Jasper Christmas Bird Count, the spotting of a green tailed Towhee was an extremely rare event. It’s the first time the species has been spotted during a Christmas bird count in Canada.

“This was only the fourth time it’s been seen in Alberta. Why it’s here, we have no clue,” Ruddy said.

The Towhee looks like a sparrow with warblers colours, Ruddy said, and is common in Northern Mexico during the winters. It occasionally ranges as far as Southern Montana, but has never been seen this far north at this time of year. Bright green feathers mark the wings of the bird.

Ruddy said every once and a while an aberrant bird is spotted during the bird count.

The Towhee was spotted at a bird feeder in town, however Ruddy agreed not to reveal the exact location of the species.

“It’s being well taken care of,” Ruddy said.

There were other surprises for the bird watchers. A Varied Thrush and a Lincoln’s sparrow were seen for the first time during Jasper’s winter bird count.
“They’ve never been on the list, but it’s not outrageously weird that they were there,” Ruddy said.

No woodpeckers were seen on the day, which is also uncommon for Jasper, however Ruddy doesn’t believe it’s an indicator of a decline in woodpecker populations.

Twelve observers on six teams and six feeder watchers contributed to the list this year. Thirty-two species comes as a bit of a disappointment for bird watchers, who in the past have recorded as many as 44 different species.

“It wasn’t a great bird count,” Ruddy said. “The snow drives the birds into the trees.”