Zion seeks volunteers for annual bird count

Zion National Park is looking for volunteer birders to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Dec. 19.

The count is open to birders of all skill levels. This year marks Zion's 38th year of participation in the bird count.

The Zion National Park count takes place in a designated area 15 miles in diameter (about 177 square miles) where birders cover as much ground as possible within a 24-hour period. In the 2008 count, 5,474 individuals of 85 bird species were counted in Zion and vicinity.

The data collected by each group is sent to the National Audubon Society headquarters in New York and is published in a special book-sized edition of American Birds magazine.

To volunteer or to find out more information about the bird count, contact Claire Crow at 435-772-0212 or claire_crow@nps.gov.