Christmas Bird Count - Trends since 1981

Species

There are 6 species that were recorded in early Christmas Bird Counts but are no longer found in recent counts, and 9 species where there has been a notable reductions in numbers. In contrast, there have been 9 species with notable increases in numbers since 1981. The 2018 number was affected by bad weather. The species involved are shown below the graph. Overall the total of number of species recorded each year has slightly increased over the time span of the counts as shown below:

Number of Species recorded per year
from 1981 to 2020
Species numbers

Number of Birds recorded per year
from 1981 to 2020
counts

Losses

Snow Goose - none seen since 2003
Common Goldeneye - none seen since 2007
Red-breasted Merganser - none seen since 1983
Ruffed Grouse - none seen since 1999
Northern Bobwhite - none seen since 1989
Evening Grosbeak - none seen since 1997

Reductions

Mallard
Ring-necked Pheasant
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Killdeer
American Crow
Field Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow

Gains

Ross’s Goose
Mute Swan
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Ring-billed Gull
Eastern Phoebe
Common Raven