My name is Melissa Hafting and my spark bird is a Black-capped Chickadee. The first time my dad taught me how to feed one (at five years old) on my hand, I was hooked. I put sunflower seeds on my hand and the cute chickadee landed on my hand and made the soft “chicka-dee-dee” call.

I still love chickadees and they make me feel calm and at peace and I never tire of their cuteness! I love to see the young birders in my BC Young Birders program I founded still getting the same joy from the common Chickadee as it lands on their hand to eat some sunflower seeds.

Perch with Melissa!

@bcbirdergirl on Instagram

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What’s Your Story?

In an effort to place the spotlight on the birding community I am seeking birders who are interested in sharing their spark bird story to be featured on the Modern Birder Collective. Whether you’re a backyard birder, nature trail birder, or in an urban setting, every birder has a story to tell which can inspire others to discover the joy of birding.

SUBMISSION

Want to share your story on the Modern Birder Collective?

It’s easy! Simply write up your unique spark bird experience and email it to modernbirdercollective@gmail.com. Be sure to include the following:

• Your name as you’d like it to appear in the published post.
• A photo to be used as the featured image.
• Your story, written by you, I’ll copy and paste it directly into the post. It can be as short or as detailed as you’d like to capture your experience.
• Any social media handles (optional) you’d like to include so fellow birders can connect with you and grow the community. 

Looking forward to connecting with you soon & happy birding!