Avian diversity and abundance

As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. How early must you be to get the bird? To record birds singing in the forest our staff start work half an hour before sunrise, sometimes as early as 4:00 AM!

More than 250 species of birds have been sighted in Elk Island National Park. Some birds stay year-round, but many birds use the park as a pit-stop as they migrate along the North American Flyway. Birds are sensitive to changes in their environment making them excellent indicators of forest health. A forest containing a large abundance and wide diversity of bird species means a healthy and balanced forest ecosystem.

Each spring, during bird breeding season, specialized audio recording equipment to a variety of locations within the park to record bird calls. The recordings are then analyzed to determine the variety of bird species and their abundance in forest habitats.