The Annual Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest running wildlife censuses in the world. Over 400 sites are surveyed each year across Canada, and Fundy National Park is one of 20 sites surveyed in New Brunswick. Christmas Bird Counts are coordinated nationally by Bird Studies Canada, Canada’s leading science-based bird conservation organisation. Each year, data from Fundy National Park’s event helps to document bird species diversity and numbers across North America and the globe.
Participants are asked to please register by Monday, December 11th, by contacting Denis Doucet at 506-887-6028 or firstname.lastname@example.org. A free bird identification session will be held on December 14th at 3:00 p.m. at the Salt and Fir Centre for all those interested in learning tips to identify bird species. Novice birders will be also paired with experts during the count.
Fundy National Park’s Annual Christmas Bird Count starts at 8:00 a.m. on December 15th. The Salt and Fir Centre will be open throughout the day as a warming station, with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate for participants. Results will be tallied and shared between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Salt and Fir Centre, at which point everyone is welcome to warm up with some refreshments provided by the Fundy Guild.
In case of inclement weather, the storm date for the Christmas Bird Count is Wednesday, December 20th.
· Parks Canada is a recognized leader in conservation. The Agency plays an important role in collecting data and collaborating with other conservation organizations worldwide to improve our understanding of species that inhabit or migrate through our sites.
· With over 50 years of data collected in Fundy National Park, this growing dataset has become an increasingly valuable tool for observing changes to bird populations and their habitat over time.
· The opportunity to contribute to something bigger, in terms of scientific research, is one reason why so many people participate in Christmas Bird Counts across North America.
Information provided by Parks Canada.