Mount Royal Park is a green haven at the centre of Montreal. From the top, looking south over McGill University’s lower campus and the spread of the St. Lawrence River, you may be lucky enough to spot some of the local and migratory bird species that frequent the park.
Explore the trails of Mount Royal with notes from birder Jeff Harrison highlighting species that have frequented the mountain for centuries, and some more recent visitors. ROAAr has created a storymap of these species, illustrated by images from the Library Collections, along with contemporary photographs from birders and enthusiasts.
Grab your walking shoes, take a deep breath, and head out onto the trails of Mount Royal to discover the birds that call the park home. Many thanks to Jeff Harrison for species notes.
October Big Day
Mark your calendars for October Big Day—9 October 2021! Big Days are a 24-hour opportunity to celebrate birds near and far.
Wherever you are on 9 October, take a few minutes to join the world of birding on October Big Day. By taking part in October Big Day you’re celebrating World Migratory Bird Day. Be a part of the global team, and help set a new record for birding.
We recognize that COVID-19 continues to impact our communities. Even if your local conditions have improved, we always encourage everyone to put safety first, follow local guidelines, and bird mindfully. You can bird from home and still participate in October Big Day! See here for more details on how to participate
Looking for more bird content? Explore natural history holdings in the ROAAr collections:
- Blacker-Wood Collection in Zoology and Ornithology
- Taylor White’s Paper Museum
- Elizabeth Gwillim’s Drawings of Birds
- The series consists of 121 watercolour paintings of birds, created by Elizabeth Gwillim while she was living in Chennai, India (then Madras). The birds were painted from life rather than from the skins or stuffed specimens used by many artists of her day. Many paintings feature their avian subjects within a full landscape. Some paintings contain inscriptions with species identifications and, occasionally, additional observations about the birds.
Watch the recording of “Birding Mount Royal Yesterday and Today” with Jeff Harrison.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.