by Thomas Smith

On Tuesday, Nov. 19, the osprey was named the official bird of the City of Kawartha Lakes.

 In March of 2024, the City of Kawartha Lakes became a Bird Friendly City through a collaboration with Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes and Nature Canada. With an osprey being represented on the logo of the City of Kawartha Lakes, the bird has already been a key element to the their branding and identity.

The genesis of Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes at a Fleming Bird Day event held by Fleming College’s student-lead Fleming Bird Conservation Committee (FBCC) in the fall of 2022. Thom Luloff, a professor in the Conservation Biology program, was also a member of Bird Friendly Peterborough. After their success in Peterborough being designated a Bird Friendly City in 2022, the group knew the City of Kawartha Lakes could follow Peterborough’s example, says Chair of Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes Jamie Morris.

To become a designated Bird Friendly City, a ‘Bird Team’ is required to spearhead efforts.

Morris, a member of the City of Kawartha Lakes’ Council appointed Environmental Advisory Committee (KLEAC), organized people to have the first meeting in March of 2023. Participants were representatives from Fleming College, Kawartha Conservation, Kawartha Land Trust, Kawartha Field Naturalists, KLEAC, and Kawartha Bird Control. Together they formed the Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes coalition and set their first goal as becoming a certified Bird Friendly City.

“We felt we would be a strong candidate,” said Morris. “Fleming’s Frost Campus in Lindsay is a leader in environmental education, we have a number of energetic environmental organizations, and our amalgamated City has over 3000 square kilometers of lakes, forests, farmland, and small communities.”

Morris says that Nature Canada sets the bar high for cities to receive their Bird Friendly City certification. Nature Canada supplies a 55-page application that highlights three key areas including mitigating threats to birds, protecting and restoring habitat, and education. While the application process takes a lot of time and effort, Morris says that it is well worth the effort. Nature Canada also supports applicants throughout the process. Luckily, the council was entirely on board with the idea, likely due to the lack of costs and how the certification fit their Strategic Plan. “Certification has many benefits,” said Morris. “It brought our various organizations together, created awareness of good work being done and where the gaps were. It also made us eligible for grants.”

Since becoming a certified Bird Friendly City, Nature Canada has given grants for interpretive signage at Ken Reid Conservation Area in Lindsay and towards a new campaign that encourages cat owners to keep their cats inside.

The KLEAC now has a Bird Friendly Subcommittee that covers bird conservation work including bird conservation workshops and to determine bird friendly protection efforts like window protectors and protective plantings.

“The Environmental Advisory Council connection gives Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes a mechanism for putting resolutions in front of Council and access to support from the City’s Communications Department,” said Morris.

Through the City of Kawartha Lakes Jump-In website, an online poll with over 500 participants voted for the 2024 Bird of the Year. Other popular candidates included the black-capped chickadee, Northern cardinal, and barred owl. In 2022, the great blue heron was voted as Peterborough official city bird, and the belted kingfisher was voted as Barrie’s official bird this year.

While Morris loves all birds, they were ”kinda rooting for the black-capped chickadee.”

“They’re here year-round, not at all shy (they will swoop in to take sunflower seeds from an open palm), help out other species with their alarm calls, and have marvelous abilities and adaptations. One example: They hide seeds and other food items to eat later, in thousands of different hiding spots. Hard to imagine (for someone like me, who has trouble remembering where he put his car keys) but they can actually remember the locations of those seeds. To make that possible, in the fall the brain’s hippocampus (part responsible for spatial memory) grows by 30 per cent.”

The osprey won by a landslide of votes. One advantage the osprey has is their impressive size, which can reach up to 183 centimeters, says Morris.

“They’re less common than Black-capped Chickadee and Northern Cardinal. They really are magnificent birds–very hard to miss as they soar overhead and impossible to forget when you see one dive from a height to plunge into the water to seize fish in their specially-adapted talons. The stick-nests on platforms can be seen as you drive around the City.”

“They’re the only North American raptor with a diet of live fish and the ability to dive into water to catch them.”

Morris also says that with the banning of DDT, the population of ospreys in the City of Kawartha Lakes and surrounding areas is increasing. Local groups have also created nesting platforms to support the nesting of ospreys.

Why is the City of Kawartha Lakes becoming a Bird Friendly City relevant to Haliburton County? “There’s a concept in birding of the ‘spark bird’ –the bird that sparks an interest that can turn into a lifelong passion. The Osprey could be that bird for a few. But more importantly, the general public learning to appreciate and value one bird can make them want to protect all birds from the dangers that are contributing to declining populations–roaming cats, window collisions, habitat loss, and learn about other birds.”

Morris hopes this certification leads to protection of nesting sites, tree canopy cover, and by-laws preventing cats from predating on birds outside.

“The State of Canada’s Birds” prepared by Birds Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada says that populations of birds of prey have increased 35 per cent since 1970, while grassland populations have declined by 67 per cent and aerial insectivores by 43 per cent.

 “The osprey embodies the spirit of Kawartha Lakes—resilient, graceful, and deeply connected to our waterways,” says Kawartha Lakes Mayor Doug Elmslie. “As a symbol of our commitment to conservation and community pride, and with its prominent role in our municipal branding, it’s a perfect choice for our Official Bird. It’s even more meaningful knowing that the community came together to vote for the osprey, highlighting how much it resonates with residents.”

This May, Kawartha Lakes will host the first ever Bird Friendly Day. The event will be held around Migratory Bird Day with a number of bird walks, workshops, displays and other events throughout the City. In the past, bird conservation workshops were held in Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, and Lindsay. However, there has been mention of a collaboration between the Kawartha Lakes Library branches in Norland and Kinmount.