From the cheerful American Goldfinch to the soaring Broad-winged Hawk, the familiar American Crow and even the elusive Black-billed Cuckoo, dozens of bird species are at The Forks.
Ever wondered what is singing in the trees while you're walking through The Forks? Now you can find out all about our feathered friends with BirdWeather.
Thanks to the new BirdWeather listening station, you can discover what birds are meeting at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The station identifies birds by their songs and calls, so whether it's an early morning Purple Finch or a Least Flycatcher calling after dark, there's always something to discover.
And there are a lot of winged visitors at The Forks! In just the first month after installation, the station detected 69 different bird species and recorded 26,894 bird song and call detections.
.jpg)
Why install BirdWeather?
The BirdWeather station was installed just before work began on redeveloping The Prairie Garden beside the Old Spaghetti Factory. As the space is transformed with native plants, The Forks sustainability team is eager to further understand the impact of planting species that support avian pollinators.
The station is one of the tools helping to better understand biodiversity on site, which supports ongoing Target Zero initiatives. Additionally, BirdWeather will measure the impact of efforts toward climate adaptation, healthier ecosystems, and more sustainable green spaces.
How does BirdWeather work?
BirdWeather connects to BirdNET technology which is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Chemnitz University of Technology to identify birds from their songs and calls. These observations contribute to a global citizen science effort, helping researchers better understand migration patterns and changes to bird populations over time.
The listening station at The Forks is now part of BirdWeather's growing network around the world, creating a living library of bird vocalizations that anyone can explore.
Follow along
You can check in on The Forks' feathered visitors anytime.
Download the BirdWeather app and follow The Forks, explore the live map on the BirdWeather website, or visit our Tweet Sheet to see who’s flying at The Forks. Our station is listed as The Forks with ID #27617.
The Tweet Sheet also features recordings of each bird's song, making it easy to match what you're hearing to who's singing. You can also see which species have recently stopped by The Forks and discover past visitors we hope to welcome back soon.
Click here to read more about BirdWeather on our Target Zero page.