Kevin Shackleton

Ontario Nature board member and birding enthusiast seeks pledges for his 16th Baillie Birdathon!

Every May, thousands of bird watchers participate in or sponsor someone in the Baillie Birdathon, a nationwide, fundraising bird count that began in 1976 to support research and bird conservation.

A birdathon veteran, Ontario Nature’s Kevin Shackleton, along with his team, has raised the bar. “My goal is to see at least 100 species in a new area, Simcoe County, after 15 years of confining my team to York Region. I hope to raise over $9,000 to be split between Bird Studies Canada and Ontario Nature.”

Dedicated birders count all the bird species they see or hear during a 24- hour period within a prescribed area. Before the birdathon, individuals can sponsor participants like Kevin at a flat rate or on a per-species basis.

Participants can designate a conservation charity of their choice as the beneficiary of a percentage of the funds they collect.

A member of the West Humber Naturalists, Kevin is a keen birder and will be well prepared for the upcoming challenge. “In the week before the birdathon, I will do some scouting to find species that might be on our route. I also listen to CDs of birdsong in my car in the month leading up to the event, as over half of the birds we seek can more rapidly and often more easily be identified by song.”

The Baillie Birdathon is a great way to fundraise for conservation, have fun and learn about our feathered friends.

To sponsor Kevin, visit the Ontario Nature website at www.ontarionature.org and click on “Sponsor Kevin.” Kevin’s participant number is 2508.

To find out how you can join the Baillie Birdathon on behalf of Ontario Nature and Bird Studies Canada, visit the organization’s Baillie Birdathon page at www.bsc-eoc.org/support/birdathon.

Will Kevin meet his goal? We’ll let you know in the next issue of ON Nature.