Why is it called the Songbird Side Trail?
Songbird! Is there a prettier name for a trail or one more evocative? The story goes that Brian Popelier, a Bruce Trail Conservancy ecologist, named the trail after the initial work on the trail in 2012. Brian had noticed a variety of songbirds and the name followed.
He was right. Today Songbird Side Trail is an eBird Hotspot. eBird is a Cornell Lab of Ornithology initiative that gathers observations of birders worldwide, increasing the understanding of the movements and needs of birds globally. And Songbird Side Trail is doing its small part in this global initiative.
Three distinct vegetative communities can be found along this short 2.9 km looped trail. There is deciduous forest including a core of mature sugar maples that supports a wide range of woodland birds. There is also cultural woodland that includes hedgerow and thicket habitat which provides cover and habitat for bird species. And there is cultural meadow which refers to the open areas seen on the trail dominated by native grasses and herbs.These areas can provide nesting habitat and food sources for grassland birds.
The fact there are three very different habitats found on a short 2.9 km loop explains in part why so many songbirds can be sighted (or heard) on Songbird Side Trail. Another reason is the trail is not well travelled. A quiet trail will see birds sing more to attract mates, defend territory and forage in the open. In 2025 the main Bruce Trail was moved off Airport Road in this area making Songbird Side Trail an orphan of sorts. A main Trail hiker has to commit to walking a stretch of Airport Road to get to Songbird Side Trail now. Those who do might just be rewarded with the varied birdsong the trail is known and named for.
Earth Day, April 22, 2012 – More than 30 CHBTC volunteers cleaned up the Song Bird Nature Reserve, filling two disposal bins with scrap metal and other assorted trash. One of the most impressive feats of the day was the removal of a huge tractor tire that was found deep in the bush. A couple of energetic volunteers rolled the tire through dense underbrush, over hills, rocks and fallen trees to a point where others joined in to get it to the road for proper disposal.