Birders will flock to Fundy Park for milestone bird count

Parks Canada is marking a golden anniversary with birding enthusiasts later this week at Fundy National Park.

The park, along with the Fundy Guild, will celebrate 50 years of the Christmas bird count.

The annual count, planned for Friday, is one of 20 sites being surveyed in New Brunswick and over 400 sites surveyed each year across Canada.

The event is one of the longest running wildlife census in the world, said Anne Bardou, visitor experience product development officer for Fundy National Park.

"We have 50 years of data about what kind of birds, what species, the number of birds we see in any given Christmas bird count, so it gives us a long term look at our winter bird populations," Bardou said.

"It gives you an idea that there are certain species of birds that are more commonly seen nowadays than they used to be, even 10 or 20 years ago."

Bardou points to the Northern Cardinal, which was seldom seen in the region two decades ago.

"Certain birds have progressed and extended their territory northward as time goes on," she said.

Data from Fundy National Park's event will contribute to document bird species diversity and numbers across North America and around the world.

Bardou said participants will be asked about their background in bird watching.

"If they are new to birding, or want to learn more about birding, they can be paired up with someone more knowledgeable than they are, or they can come with a friend … and they can take the whole day to count birds."

Birders will be assigned a section of land spanning the park, the Village of Alma, and part of the Bay of Fundy. The 24 kilometre diameter territory is centred at Kinnie Brook.

Participants will be grouped into parties, and with a party leader they will explore certain areas of the park, looking for all the birds it may harbour.

"It will be fun for people to participate, but more than that is you have a chance to be out and about in the park all day," said Bardou.​