By Babalpreet Kaur
The Guardian
A website for birds of P.E.I is all set to go for avid local bird-watchers.
The website birdsofpei.info includes short descriptions, anecdotes on the birds, along with photos. It includes topics such as bird feeding, bird watching, conservation, interesting behaviour in birds and contact information.
Denise Motard manages the site and adds pictures and details of birds found on the Island.
The site was started in May 2017 and has 230 species of birds found on P.E.I.
“This number includes all the species breeding on P.E.I., all the common species not breeding on P.E.I. and some ‘rarities’,” said Motard.
The site is a great source for people interested in birds, are bird watchers and bird lovers, she said.
Motard said she is sending information to public libraries and citizens of municipal wildlife and conservation so they can use the information.
“I’m contacting the ministry of education to make the resources available to students.”
Motard was a bird-lover since her childhood. She has a scientific background and on her retirement trip she took photos of birds from Hawaii, New Zealand and Japan.
She said she decided to share her photos with people through a website. This prompted her to develop a website for bird-watchers.
The website is entirely a personal initiative, said Motard.
“I don’t have any funding from government,” she said. The money is personal and the work is volunteer.
Motard is looking to expand the site with the goal of including 368 bird species observed so far on P.E.I.
