Published results show that the prior year's record-setting 2,160 counts was once again blown away with a new record of 2,215 counting circles, involving 62,624 observers in 20 countries and territories. 2,250 different species were tallied, about 22% of the world's total.
As the time nears for volunteer citizen scientists to sign up for the 2011-2012 Christmas Bird Count, Volume 65 of Audubon's American Birds was received by subscribers on October 19. The 128-page journal summarizes last year's results and provides fascinating insight into the state of much of the globe's bird populations.
Origin of the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
The annual bird count is actually five years older than Audubon itself. As the twentieth century dawned, the closest thing to a Christmas bird count was an annual event called 'The Side Hunt'. As unbelievable as it sounds today, this 'side hunt' consisted of teams (sides) which competed to see which group could shoot and kill the most birds. In 1900, an ornithologist with the American Museum of Natural History, Frank Chapman, proposed counting birds rather than shooting them. Fortunately for the birds and today's birders, Chapman's idea outlasted the shooting spree.
Chapman was also instrumental in founding the Audubon Society in 1905, and the organization has continued and expanded Chapman's original count. In that first count, 27 observers recorded about 90 species at 25 locations from Ontario to California. Observers for the annual count consist of volunteer 'citizen scientists', and today's counts number more than two thousand in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, South America, as well as some Pacific islands.
The counting circles (sites) are established by Audubon, and are 15 miles in diameter. Each count is led by an experienced coordinator who organizes the field party and compiles the results. Counts are held on a date selected by the coordinator, which must be within the period December 14 through January 5. All birds seen or identified by song or call are recorded, and count tallies are forwarded to Audubon for tabulation. CBC data have proven invaluable in many ways, documenting the health of bird populations and providing statistics for biologists, conservationists and others.
Highlights of the 111th CBC
The Society's CBC director, Geoffrey S. LeBaron, provides an opening commentary in the journal summarizing the scope of the event, results and findings of particular interest. Tables included in his article show new counting areas this year (50), counts with 100 or more participants (57), counts that recorded 150 or more species (98 in the U.S. and Canada, 32 in Mexico and south) and the highest species counts for each region.
The total number of counts, 2,215, established a new record, 55 more than that set the prior year, and included 1,714 in the U.S., 394 in Canada and 107 in Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific islands. Of the 50 new counts, 17 were located in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the most significant one being Les Cayes, the first-ever CBC submitted from Haiti. Les Cayes is of particular interest for having been the birthplace of John James Audubon. 52,850 observers were in the field and another 9,774 observers monitored yard feeders for a new record total of 62,624 volunteers.
The highest count again came from Ecuador, with a staggering 423 species. A second Ecuador site was close behind with 412, followed by five Costa Rica sites (each exceeding 300 species). Rounding out the top ten: Pacific Canal Area, Panama (298), San Blas, Mexico (271) and the Atlantic Canal Area of Panama (261). Once again, the Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh, Texas count led the U.S. and Canada with 236 species, followed by 29 other sites in Texas and California before another state shows up (Florida's West Pasco site with 170 species.) At the oher end of the spectrum, Prudhoe Bay in Alaska has yet to record more than one species, the Common Raven. For all counts combined, 2,250 species were recorded out of roughly 10,000 world-wide, a remarkable number considering the relatively limited area and time involved.
La Niña provided milder-than-normal weather across much of the counting area, easing the job of observers accustomed to more severe weather during winter counts, but weather-predicted bird activity for the most part was a non-event. Specifically, a major anticipated southbound movement of redpols and finches fizzled.
Special Birds of the 111th Audubon Count
Birds don't always stay in their known territories, and surprising finds are always a fascinating element of the annual count. The only new addition to the U.S. cumulative CBC checklist, other than those created by AOU splits (Pacific/Eastern Wren and Eastern/Mexican Whip-poor-will) was a Black-vented Oriole in Anzalduas-Bentsen, Texas, far from his Mexican range. In Canada, four first-ever birds were counted, including a Black-tailed Gull in Newfoundland, an American Redstart in Nova Scotia and two in British Columbia, an Acorn Woodpecker and a Costa's Hummingbird. The Costa's wandered far afield, likely from southern California.
The most remarkable out-of-range sighting was an endangered species Abbot's Booby found on one of the Northern Mariana islands, Rota. This bird breeds only on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, and is the only such record in the CBC database.
Volunteering for the Next Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Volunteer counters are always welcome for each year's count, including those without birding experience. During November, the Audubon Society posts information about the upcoming count on its web site. Membership in the society is not a requirement, but it's inexpensive, promotes the conservation of birds and includes the society's magazine as well as the journal, American Birds, summarizing each year's Christmas Bird Count.
Source: American Birds, Volume 65, The 111th Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society
Bob Bowers - A lifelong naturalist and amateur ornithologist, Bob's avocation is studying, photographing and writing about birds.
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