Inspired by The Galbatross Project—a group of scientists (all women) exploring the unique and understudied lives of female birds—13 birders joined Ly Hoang, Neill Vanhinsberg, and Sarah-Jane McAuley for a walk dedicated to the birds that too often get overlooked.

While male birds tend to steal the spotlight with flashy plumage and loud songs, our goal was to slow down, look more carefully, and appreciate the subtler beauty, behaviours, and voices of female birds.

Under cloudy skies, Neill started off the walk sharing some of the unique challenges faced by female birds. For example, they usually migrate later than males and have to contend with less-than-optimal winter habitats that, in some cases, may lack the same level of conservation protection.

Meanwhile, a male Yellow-headed Blackbird repeatedly interrupted our introductions by screeching dramatically from the cattails—as if offended by the entire premise of Female Bird Day.

The parking lot, as so often happens, turned out to be excellent birding habitat. Plenty of female Red-winged Blackbirds were close at hand for easy observation to allow us to definitively confirm that they were not large sparrows, as is understandably often assumed. Their streaky brown-and-buff plumage was surprisingly elegant once we stopped to look more closely.

Female Red-winged Blackbird. Photo by Sarah-Jane McAuley.

At the edge of the outer pond, we came across a pair of American Goldfinches. The female busily gathered fluffy nesting material while the male…watched.

While both sexes help choose a nesting site, the female builds the nest herself. We also learned that American Goldfinches are unusual among songbirds because they feed their chicks an entirely seed-based diet. Most baby birds require lots of protein-rich insects, but the goldfinches’ vegetarian strategy has an unexpected bonus: it helps prevent parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird chicks from surviving in their nests.

Female American Goldfinch gathering nesting material. Photo by Barry Price.

Gazing over the inner ponds, we found an interesting collection of shorebirds. While none of the species present showed obvious differences between males and females, they prompted a discussion about phalaropes, a group famous for turning many bird “rules” upside down.

In phalaropes, the females are larger and brighter than the males. After laying eggs, a female may leave to seek another mate while the male takes over incubation and chick care. #feminism

Next to the inner ponds, we had excellent views of Tree Swallows darting in and out of nest boxes while feeding their chicks. Like many birds, female Tree Swallows change appearance with age. Younger females are mostly brown above with only a hint of iridescence, gradually acquiring the brilliant blue-green sheen of adulthood after their second year.

Moving on to the Fraser River, a flock of Canada Geese landed nearby. Neill pointed out that the higher-pitched honks come from females, giving many of us a whole new way to listen to one of the most familiar sounds in Metro Vancouver.

Female Purple Martin. Photo by Neill Vanhinsberg.

We then visited the Purple Martin nests and were easily able to identify three females from their grey bellies and brownish backs. Iona is one of the few nesting sites for Purple Martins in Metro Vancouver, so it was encouraging to see a few pairs entering and leaving the nest boxes.

On almost any other bird walk, male Rufous Hummingbirds perched majestically in the sunlight would have inspired delight—and the rapid-fire chatter of camera shutters. Today, however, they were met with disappointed sighs over the absence of females.

Fortunately, a female Purple Finch soon rescued the mood with a burst of song! Many female birds sing, but distinguishing their songs often takes patience and careful listening—making the moment feel especially rewarding.

By the end of the walk, participants agreed that focusing on female birds completely changed the birding experience. Paying attention to the “less flashy” birds encouraged all of us to observe more carefully, listen more closely, and question a few long-held assumptions along the way. Even the loudly protesting Yellow-headed Blackbird at the start of the walk couldn’t distract us from our mission.

We also agreed on one thing: learning female birds may be challenging, but it unquestionably makes us better birders.

We observed females from 12 species: https://ebird.org/checklist/S344991254

And 40 species total: https://ebird.org/checklist/S345009107

Some participants were inspired to attend the walk because of this CBC segment about Female Bird Day.