National Bird Count

Arikok National Park in partnership with Aruba Birdlife Conservation and support of CBS Central Bureau of Statistics is organizing the National Bird Count 2014.

When?

The bird count will take place in the morning hours of Tuesday March 18, 2014.
The bird count takes 15 minutes of your time. The 15 minutes count should be carried out in the morning hours, somewhere between 7 am and 9 am.

Preparing for the bird count.

You need the following items by hand.

1. The bird count form.

2. A pen (black or blue).

3. A clock/watch.

Where do you get the bird count form?

You can pick up your bird count forms at the Visitor Center of Arikok National Park (daily between 8 am – 4 pm), at schools, Tribike, Botica weg Seroe Preto, National library San Nicolas and Oranjestad, Botica Maria, Santa Rosa, Fort Zoutman   and post offices in San Nicolas and Oranjestad. Forms are available as of March 3rd till March 18th   at all participating distribution points.

Where to drop off the filled in forms?
From March 18 until April 1st the filled in form can be dropped off at the Visitor Center of Arikok National Park and at the post offices in San Nicolas and Oranjestad,Tribike, Botica weg Seroe Preto, National library San Nicolas and Oranjestad, Botica Maria, Santa Rosa, Fort Zoutman You can drop them in the designated mailboxes.

How to count – the Bird Count process in 8 steps:

Step 1.

Review the bird form with the additional 4 questions. (See instruction on the front of the form).

Step 2.

Fill in your contact details on the back of the form (capital letters).

Step 3.

Sit on a comfortable spot in the yard.

Step 4.

Have the bird count form, pen and clock/watch ready to start the count.

Step 5.

After one minute of waiting, start the time and start the bird count for a duration of 15 minutes. (Please don’t forget to register your observations on the form!)
Registration of the observed birds occurs through tallying (‘turven’) and at the end by adding the tallies into totals per bird species.

Step 6.

Answer questions 1 till 4 on the form.

Step 7.

Please verify your contact details once again and make sure to write down your address where you did the bird count, this is very important!

Step 8.

Drop off your filled in form – within 2 weeks after the bird count – to the indicated locations.

Where can you find more bird pictures to help you identify Aruba’s bird?

Go to www.arubabirdlifeconservation.com; here you can find pictures of more than 100 species of birds taken in Aruba.

Why a National Bird Count?

1. It will provide important information about the distribution and numbers of bird species on Aruba.
2. It will help raise environmental awareness.
3. It provides an in-expensive quality time experience for the family.

Your participation can help make this event a success. You also count!

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