Christmas Bird Counts 2020

Volunteers surveying the Niagara River. Photo credit: J. Hampson

There are five Christmas Bird Count events in Niagara this year. Started in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count is North America’s longest-running Citizen Science project. Counts happen in over 2000 localities throughout the Western Hemisphere. The information collected by thousands of volunteer participants forms one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data. The results are used daily by conservation biologists and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds. Learn more

Each Christmas Bird Count is conducted on a single day between December 14 and January 5. Counts are carried out within a 24-km diameter circle that stays the same from year to year. They are organized, usually as group efforts, at the local level, often by a birding club or naturalist organization.

Note: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be health measures in place (e.g., masks, physical distancing) to keep people safe. In the event of a lockdown, the events may be cancelled. 

Contact the organizer below to find out more about these events and how to get involved:

December 20  – St. Catharines – Contact Bob Highcock/Jean Hampson:  bob.jean@sympatico.ca.

December 20 – Buffalo (including Fort Erie) – Contact Marcie Jacklin mjacklin@brocku.ca.

December 27 – Niagara Falls – Contact Marcie Jacklin mjacklin@brocku.ca

January 2  – Port Colborne – Contact  Drew Campbell drew.campbell@gm.com

January 3  – Peach Tree (Grimsby) – Contact Bruce Mackenzie  kintail52@gmail.com