Participants in Conservation Sudbury's Christmas Bird Count for Kids over the weekend identified 12 bird species and counted 192 individual birds in the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area.
Ten children and their families took part in the event in which they were paired with members of the Sudbury Ornithological Society to learn about, and observe, different bird species in the region.
Organizers said mallards and black-capped chickadees represented more than 80 per cent of the counted birds, but participants also spotted trumpeter swans, American black ducks, a Canada goose and a northern pintail, as well as rock pigeons, a hairy woodpecker, a pileated woodpecker, a blue jay, common ravens and a northern shrike.
In addition to the outdoor learning experience, the children and their family members also donated canned goods to the Sudbury Food Bank.
