Zion seeks bird counters

Zion National Park is looking for volunteers to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 15. The count is open to birders of all skill levels.

Each count group will have a designated area 15 miles in diameter (about 177 square miles) where they cover as much ground as possible within a 24-hour period. The data collected by each group will be sent to the National Audubon Society headquarters in New York and will be published in a special book-sized edition of National Audubon Society Field Notes magazine.

This is Zion's 36th year of participation in the bird count. To volunteer or to find out more information about the bird count, contact Claire Crow at 435-772-0212 or claire_crow@nps.gov.

This year marks the 108th anniversary of the National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. More than 55,000 volunteers from 50 states, every Canadian province, parts of Central and South America, Bermuda, the West Indies, and the Pacific islands will count and record every bird encountered during one calendar day.