Adopt-A-Bird
Adopt a Bird
We know you love birds and the world we share with them. Symbolically adopting a bird is a powerful way to show it. With your gift, you'll provide funds for RPBO's critical science, education, advocacy, and on-the-ground conservation work. You'll be protecting birds and the places they live.
Choose from our list of birds commonly banded at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory, and you (or your chosen recipient) will receive an adoption certificate featuring:
- A colour photo of a bird of your chosen species that was banded at RPBO
- Details of the bird's age, sex, weight, wing length and unique band number, as well as some general life history information such as the species’ range and habits
- If your bird is ever recaptured, we will contact you with the details of the recovery so that you can track its progress!
Anna's Hummingbird
$75
These tiny birds feature iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling pink throats.
Anna's Hummingbird
The Anna's Hummingbird has expanded its range north from California all the way to Alaska in the past several decades and has made a permanent home all along the coast. This hummingbird species spends the winter throughout much of its range.
While both the female and male have green backs, the male also sports a very fancy pink to magenta gorget and head feathers. The colour is structural, not pigment, so the light has to hit it just right to display the full range of colours from black to hot pink. The female may have a few irides cent feathers on her throat.
They can breed throughout the year, but only the female builds the nest, incubates the eggs, and tends to the young. She will often start a new nest while still feeding young at another.
Scientific
- Banding code: ANHU
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Calypte
- Species: Calypte anna
RPBO
RPBO bands Anna's Hummingbirds as part of the Hummingbird, MAPS and Migration projects.
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
$30
This diminutive bird with endless energy.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
The males and females are similarly coloured greenish-gray with a pale belly and two distinct wing bars, but the males have a secret under the feathers on their heads. When courting, defending a territory, or confronting a predator, they can raise a patch of red feathers on their heads, displaying the ruby crown for which the species is named.
Although tiny, these kinglets are bundles of energy. They seldom sit still, flicking their wings and hopping from branch to branch of shrubs and trees. The females take about five days to build their nests and could lay up to 12 eggs in a single clutch! This species is seasonal over almost all of its range. In some areas, it is a summer bird, breeding high in the trees. For others, it is a winter resident, usually found close to the ground.
Scientific
- Banding code: RCKI
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Regulidae
- Genus: Regulus
- Species: Regulus calendula
Bushtit
$50
Bushtits are sprightly, social songbirds that twitter as they fly. They build unique nests held together by spiderwebs.
Bushtit
The Bushtit is one of the smallest songbirds found on Vancouver Island and the west coast of North America. Constantly on the move, Bushtits form flocks for most of the year, only pairing off in the spring to build elaborate nests and raise their families. The nests resemble mossy socks left dangling in the shrubs and trees, and are held together by spiderwebs that the pair collects. Each nest can hold up to 10 young. The inside of the nest can be up to 4° C warmer than the air outside!
You can identify the adult female Bushtits by their pale yellow eyes. Males and young have brown eyes.
Bushtits glean insects from the vegetation, but also feed in our gardens on suet. In the winter, large flocks can swarm a feeder covering it in what looks like fluffy grey balls with tails.
Scientific
- Banding code: BUSH
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Aegithalidae
- Genus: Psaltriparus
- Species: Psaltriparus minimus
Rufous Hummingbird
$50
This bright bird travels 1000s of miles from Central America to breed & nest.
Rufous Hummingbird
The Rufous Hummingbird is a very small bird (7-9 cm, 2-5g).
The Rufous typically lays a clutch of 2 eggs. It incubates them for 12-14 days and they fledge after a further 20 days. Usually only 1 brood is raised but occasionally a 2nd will be raised.
Scientific
- Banding code: RUHU
- Order: Trochiliformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Selasphorus
- Species: Selasphorus rufus
RPBO
We band Rufous Hummingbirds during our Spring MAPS and Fall Migration programs. We have also instituted a dedicated program specific to banding these flying wonders.
Steller's Jay
$60
Our provincial bird and an integral component of Garry Oak ecosystems.
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is member of the crow family. It measures 30-34 cm and weights between 100-140 grams.
The clutch size ranges from 2-6 eggs. They are incubated by the female for 16-18 days.The young fledge in 16 days.
Scientific
- Banding code: STJA
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Corvidae
- Genus: Cyanocitta
- Species: Cyanocitta stelleri
RPBO
Being a relatively large bird, the Steller's Jay is not easily caught in our passerine nets. But we do usually catch a few most seasons.
Cedar Waxwing
$80
These birds feature gorgeous silky grey plumage with lemon-yellow accents.
Cedar Waxwing
Waxwings were named in honour of the red waxy tips that can sometimes be seen at the ends of their wings and occasionally even their tails. To the people who named them, these tips reminded them of the wax used to seal envelopes long ago. Their dark masks and brown crests and yellow tailbands make them easily identifiable among backyard birds.
Cedar Waxwings are often found in flocks, and descend on fruit-bearing trees such as hawthorns and mountain ash in the winter. They also act like flycatchers, sallying from their perches to pluck small insects out of the air. Their song is a high-pitched trill that can&rquot;t be heard by everyone.
Of the birds that breed in our area, Cedar Waxwings are among the latest to nest, and they can sometimes have more than one brood in a season. Their nests can be found in trees, shrubs and even in tangles of blackberry bushes.
Scientific
- Banding code: CEDW
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Bombycillidae
- Genus: Bombycilla
- Species: Bombycilla cedrorum
RPBO
Although not a frequently banded bird at RPBO, it is always a delight to find one in a net.
Varied Thrush
$70
Restricted to western North America, the Varied Thrush breeds from Alaska to Northern California.
Varied Thrush
Varied Thrushes look a little like fancy robins. They are about the same size, and similarly coloured, but have bold orange eyebrows and wingbars, and a dark band across their chests. The males are steel blue and orange, and the females are brown and orange. Like robins, they are omnivores, eating fruit, seeds and invertebrates.
Although they breed in the hills on Vancouver Island, they are only seen in the lowlands during the winter. The numbers that move into the cities are affected by the success of the breeding season and the abundance (or lack of abundance) of available food in the hills. Every few years, large numbers are encountered in residential areas, often with robins and other thrushes.
The Varied Thrush&rquot;s song is unique. It sounds like someone breathing or blowing lightly through a referee&rquot;s whistle. It is most often heard at sunrise and dusk.
Scientific
- Banding code: VATH
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Turdidae
- Genus: Ixoreus
- Species: Ixoreus naevius
RPBO
While not often caught in our nets 2019 saw a large number of Varied Thrush banded with a total of 53 birds, almost equalling the total for the previous 7 years combined.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
$100
These amazing little owls are banded during their fall southward migration.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
The Northern Saw-Whet Owl is small by raptor standards (17-22 cm, 75-110g).
The clutch size ranges from 3 to 7 eggs. They are incubated by the female for 21-28 days. During this time the male brings her food. The young fledge in 28-35 days and are cared for by their parents for a few weeks after fledging.
Scientific
- Banding code: NSWO
- Order: Strigiformes
- Family: Strigidae
- Genus: Aegolius
- Species: Aegolius acadicus
RPBO
Capture of Northern Saw-whet Owls during fall daytime migration monitoring led us to establish the Nocturnal Owl Monitoring Project. Since this project was launched in 2002, we have banded more than 15,000 owls.
Common Yellowthroat
$25
Common Yellowthroat is a very vocal bird, early to arrive each Spring. Colourful males sport a broad black mask.
Common Yellowthroat
The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is one of the first warblers to come north in the spring, announcing their arrival with a "witchity, witchety, witchety" song. They nest in marshes, along lake edges, and other wet environments, but can often be found in much drier habitats during migration.
The bold facial mask with the white headband is only found on the males. Young and female Common Yellowthroats are a more subdued yellow-green colour and are sometimes mistaken for Orange-crowned Warblers.
The nest, which holds up to 6 eggs, is constructed of grasses, and placed on or slightly above the ground. The female builds the nest and incubates the eggs on her own, but the male joins in and helps feed the young.
Scientific
- Banding code: COYE
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Parulidae
- Genus: Geothlypis
- Species: Geothlypis trichas