Tap artist: A Downy woodpecker
spotted in Lachine this summer.

In The Silence of the Songbirds, ornithologist Bridget Stutchbury states we may already have lost half the songbird species that populated the Earth only 40 years ago.

The consequences could be grave, as songbirds form a vital part of our ecosystem and their loss would be a devastating blow to forests, plants and flowers.

For the past 18 years, Le Nichoir, a not-for-profit organization based in Hudson, has been in the business of saving and rehabilitating wild birds.

Now it has a chance to take part in a unique fundraising experience: It will participate, along with four other recognized wildlife conservation groups across Canada, in Jamieson Vitamins’ Call of the Wild contest on Facebook.

The $100,000 prize money will be divided among the organizations depending on how many votes they receive from the public. Supporters are encouraged to vote once a day until September 16 at Le Nichoir’s website, lenichoir.org.

Volunteer and president Lindsay D’Aoust considers the contest an opportunity to raise awareness of Le Nichoir’s mission.

“People learning about us for the first time through the Call for the Wild event will, we hope, be interested in our accomplishments and want to encourage Le Nichoir.”

n Le Nichoir invites you to join their bird ambulance service. Road Runners transport birds in distress from the SPCA on Jean Talon to their centre in Hudson. If you work in Montreal, live near Hudson or are willing to pick up birds from the SPCA and drop them off at the centre, contact 450-458-2809 or info@lenichoir.org.