Junior Avian

Ambassador Program

Welcome Future Junior Avian Ambassadors!

The Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre cares for any injured, orphaned, or sick wild birds until they can be released back into the wild. If you ever think you have found an injured bird please check our web page under Bird Emergency or contact us for ways you can help.

​This page is dedicated to bird loving kids that want to help the birds they see around them. It is hard to be a wild bird, there are many dangers such as windows, cars, and pollution and it is just tough some days to find food, nesting material, and a safe place to keep warm overnight.

​We have come up with 10 missions that you can do to help the birds in your backyard. It is going to take a bit of work but if you succeed in completing one of the missions you will not only be helping your backyard bird survive in the wild, you will also receive an official Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre Junior Avian Ambassador pin and certificate you can show off to your friends.

To find our more, please fill out the contact form on the Education & Outreach page: Contact Patty McLaughlin

Become a Citizen Scientist

Child looking through binoculars outdoors on a sunny day.

  • To monitor bird populations, scientists are beginning to rely more on surveys from citizens like yourself! Scientists are looking for people to count birds in their yard or at their feeders, observe nests, and to submit observations of any other general bird sightings online.

    Here are some great citizen scientist programs you can participate in:

    • The Great Backyard Bird Count: Held over a weekend in February each year, participants count the number and type of birds they see for at least a 15 minute period. http://gbbc.birdcount.org

    • Project Feeder Watch: Participants are asked to observe and count the number and kinds of birds that come to their bird feeder at regular intervals throughout the observation season (November through April). https://feederwatch.org/ *Please Note: Participation requires you to become a member of Bird Studies Canada.

    • Project NestWatch: If you know the location of an active nest and you can observe it without disturbing the birds then you can collect your observations for Project NestWatch. http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/pnw/

    • eBird: Any time you are out for a nature walk you can submit your bird sightings on ebird.org

    • Local Bird Counts: Many naturalists groups have bird counts throughout the year and it is a great way to team up with a more experienced birder to learn more about birds!

    • Other Citizen Science Projects Across Canada: http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/programmap/index.jsp?lang=EN

Clean Up a Habitat

Group of volunteers cleaning up a forest, wearing blue shirts and hats, collecting trash with trash bags.

  • There are many dangers that careless humans toss into an animal’s natural habitat. Grab a pair of gloves and a garbage bag and go far a walk to pick up any trash you see, especially string or other items birds might be tempted to use as nest-building material. The birds and other animals will thank you! Don’t forget to take and send us a picture of all the dangerous litter you picked up!

Don’t be a Bird Napper

  • Each summer the Centre receives over 1000 baby birds but some of them are mistakenly “Birdnapped” and should have been left in the care of their parents. The Centre has developed a brochure to help the public determine if a bird may be injured and more importantly, signs that it is a healthy baby and should be left alone. Junior Avian Ambassadors are encouraged to educate others by printing and distributing the flyer below, or creating your own!

    Download the poster: Download

    If you are unable to print them yourself, please contact: Patty McLaughlin from the Education & Outreach page: Click here

Donate

  • We are the only rehabilitation centre for wild birds in Ottawa and we are able to help thousands of injured birds each year because of generous help from the community.

    We are not funded by the government so all donations, no matter how small, make a big difference! Aside from collecting monetary donations we also have a large list of common household items we are always in need of.

    If you wish to donate common household items, please call the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre to find out what our current needs are: (613) 854-2849.

Save Birds’ Lives & Keep Cats Safe

  • Cats are responsible for over 200 million birds deaths in Canada each year. Here in Ottawa, the Wild Bird Care Centre cares for over 500 birds each year because of cat attacks. Allowing cats to roam freely outdoors not only puts wildlife at risk but there are many risks for the cat as well. Nature Canada has a developed an entire website of ways cat owners can keep their cat safe and save birds lives. http://catsandbirds.ca/

    We encourage Junior Avian Ambassadors to help spread information by distributing Nature Canada’s Keep Cats Safe and Save Birds Lives brochures or creating your own.

    To obtain a few brochures, contact the Centre: Contact Us

Provide a Food Source

  • Birds are very small animals that need to eat often! As we grow our cities and build more schools, parks, and shopping malls, we are taking away forests that provide a lot of food for birds. We can help birds find food by:

    • Planting a natural food source such as a native plant that produces berries, fruits, or seeds. Flowers can also be planted as a food source for Hummingbirds. Your one-time effort will provide food and shelter for birds for many years!

    • Put up a Hummingbird feeder. A basic feeder and food can be found at many dollar stores but it is better to make your own food than to buy the dyed store brand.

      • Hummingbird food: 1 part sugar, 4 parts warm water.

      • Tip: Place your feeder in a shaded area. The hot afternoon sun will make the food go bad very quickly.

    • Make and put up a bird feeder! Birds are not too picky and do not need a fancy store bought feeder. You can make one at home out of recycled materials.

    • Make a suet feeder! Suet feeders are a great food source for birds in the winter and can be made using pine cones, toilet paper rolls or you can just spread suet onto tree bark. Suet can be made many ways but the main ingredients are:

      • Fat (beef fat, lard) or any kind of nut butter

      • Bird seed especially black oiled sunflower seeds

      • Dried fruits, cornmeal, or oats can also be added

      • Mix the ingredients together and spread them on your pinecone, toilet paper roll and then hang outside.

Provide a Habitat for the Birds

  • Birds live in many different types of habits but cities that are filled with large buildings, roads, parking lots and grassy parks lack many habitat features that birds like. There are many simple ways that Junior Avian Ambassadors can create and improve habitats for birds.

    1. Plant a tree. Try to pick a native one that grows berries or an evergreen that will provide a sheltered place for birds year round.

    2. Plant a vining plant along a fence. This will provide a great hiding spot for small birds and could make your fence look much nicer!

    3. Collect old dead plants and sticks to make a brush pile in an undisturbed corner. Bird will use it for protection or maybe even nesting!

Provide a Nest Box or Nesting Materials

    1. Build a birdhouse or nest platform to help birds get started. Use this website to find out if a bird you know is in your area and what type of next box they would like. https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/right-bird-right-house/

    2. Birds must collect a lot of different materials to make their nest. We can help the birds by collecting some nesting material and provide a one-stop shopping spot for them! Collect dead materials such as dried grass, sticks, pieces of vine, pine needles, and your dog/cat fur. Place a pile of these materials somewhere the birds can find them that is not too out in the open so they feel safe grabbing their nesting supplies!

    3. Many birds will use mud as a way to “glue” their nest material together. If it is a very dry spring mud might be hard to find. You can create a mud puddle with clean water or provide a shallow tray of mud to help the birds.

Provide a Source of Clean Water

  • Finding a clean puddle to drink or bathe from in the city can be difficult. You can help the birds by making a bird bath! Birds are not too picky about their bathtubs so rummage through your recycling bin or shed to see if you can find something to reuse as a bird bath. You are looking for something that is not too deep, more like a plate than a bowl. Always provide a rock or two to make it easier for birds to egress from the bird bath.

Reduce Window Impacts

  • Studies show that decals/marks on the outside of the window can make the window visible to birds and reduce the number of impacts. The density of these decals is very important. For the most effective application, they should be placed no further than 5 cm apart. Junior Avian Ambassadors can help reduce the number of window impacts by drawing on the OUTSIDE of the window with washable paint, whiteboard marker, or a bar of soap. Check out our Window Collisions page for more ideas and permanent solutions.