Bird Studies Canada’s Christmas Bird Count in Gros Morne National Park

Citizen centred science at national park as easy as counting one, two, three!

December 8, 2017                                Rocky Harbour, NL                    Parks Canada Agency

Each year, Parks Canada’s staff in Gros Morne National Park along with volunteers from nearby communities take part in Bird Studies Canada and the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. Annually, thousands of people from across North America take part in over 2500 bird counts across the continent. 

Data collected from Gros Morne National Park includes details on the number of birds of each species seen or heard within a local 24 km diameter circle. Surveying each count circle year-after-year contributes valuable long-term information on how winter birds are faring, both in your locale and across the country.

Novice or experienced, all are welcome to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count, learn more about species in their backyard, and help contribute to knowledge of winter bird species.

Three counts will be held in the Gros Morne area this holiday season:

• St. Paul's-Cow Head Count – Saturday, December 16th, 2017: The count takes in the area of the coast from Martins Point in the south to Slants River (Shallow Bay) in the north.
• Christmas Bird Count for Kids – Sunday, December 17th, 2017: The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Parks Canada’s Visitor Centre in Rocky Harbour. This event is for kids of all ages and will include a short presentation on bird watching, local bird species and how to use binoculars. Parks Canada’s staff will take the kids bird watching on the cross country ski trails near the Visitor Centre. Children must be accompanied by adults.
• The Bonne Bay Christmas Bird Count – Wednesday, December 20th, 2017: This count includes the area from Lobster Cove south to Lomond and west to Wallace Brook in Trout River Gulch.

To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count for Kids, please contact Gabrielle Robineau-Charette at gabrielle.robineau-charette@pc.gc.ca or 709-458-3581. For more information about the St. Paul’s-Cow Head or Bonne Bay Christmas Bird Count and how you can participate, please contact Darroch Whitaker at darroch.whitaker@pc.gc.ca or 709-458-3464.