Glen Bernhardt Century Count
When does the count happen?
The Glen Bernhardt Century Count occurs every year on the third Saturday of May!
The next count date is:
May 15, 2027
What is the Glen Bernhardt Century Count?
Glen Bernhardt was a local birder, wildlife researcher, park director, nature educator, and founding member of Firelands Audubon Society. The Century Count is our long-running tradition, in his honor and memory, to collectively count as many species as we can within Erie County. As the name suggests, the goal is to surpass 100 species!
Moving a group, we aim to visit various locations around Erie County, including Sheldon Marsh, Edison Woods MetroPark, Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve, and Pipe Creek Wildlife Area.
People can join us at any time/location. We traditionally begin at Sheldon Marsh at 6AM, and expect to arrive at Pipe Creek around 4PM (visiting various other locations throughout the day). However, our schedule may change depending on the birds that are being seen in the area, so we cannot follow an exact schedule.
Registration is NOT required, and all skill levels are welcome. Simply get in touch and join us where we are. If you’re unable to join the group, you can still participate. Please email us by the end of Sunday to let us know what birds you have seen. (Typically a species needs to be seen by two people in order to be included.)
Other suggested birding locations: Huron Pier, Joseph Steinen Wildlife Area, Medusa Marsh, Osborn MetroPark, Wyandot MetroPark.
A downloadable bird list can be found here.
2026 Results
A group of up to 10 participants birded throughout the day, with independent birders contributing elsewhere. The main group counted 118 species, with an additional 2 species observed elsewhere. Altogether, an incredible 120 species were recorded in Erie County. This is not a record for this event, but it is the highest total since we've been putting the lists on the website. A full list of the species observed can be found below. A permanent link to this list can be found here.
1. Canada Goose
2. Trumpeter Swan
3. Wood Duck
4. Blue-winged Teal
5. Gadwall
6. Mallard
7. Mourning Dove
8. Chimney Swift
9. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
10. Common Gallinule
11. American Coot
12. Killdeer
13. Semipalmated Plover
14. Spotted Sandpiper
15. Dunlin
16. Least Sandpiper
17. Semipalmated Sandpiper
18. Ring-billed Gull
19. American Herring Gull
20. Caspian Tern
21. Forster's Tern
22. Pied-billed Grebe
23. Double-crested Cormorant
24. Black-crowned Night Heron
25. Green Heron
26. Great Egret
27. Great Blue Heron
28. American White Pelican
29. Turkey Vulture
30. Sharp-shinned Hawk
31. Cooper's Hawk
32. Bald Eagle
33. Red-tailed Hawk
34. Belted Kingfisher
35. Red-headed Woodpecker
36. Red-bellied Woodpecker
37. Downy Woodpecker
38. Hairy Woodpecker
39. Pileated Woodpecker
40. Northern Flicker
41. Merlin
42. Eastern Wood-Pewee
43. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
44. Acadian Flycatcher
45. Alder Flycatcher
46. Willow Flycatcher
47. Least Flycatcher
48. Eastern Phoebe
49. Great Crested Flycatcher
50. Eastern Kingbird
51. Yellow-throated Vireo
52. Blue-headed Vireo
53. Eastern Warbling Vireo
54. Red-eyed Vireo
55. Blue Jay
56. American Crow
57. Black-capped Chickadee
58. Tufted Titmouse
59. Horned Lark
60. Bank Swallow
61. Tree Swallow
62. Purple Martin
63. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
64. Barn Swallow
65. Cliff Swallow
66. White-breasted Nuthatch
67. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
68. Northern House Wren
69. Marsh Wren
70. Carolina Wren
71. European Starling
72. Gray Catbird
73. Eastern Bluebird
74. Swainson's Thrush
75. Wood Thrush
76. American Robin
77. Cedar Waxwing
78. House Finch
79. American Goldfinch
80. Chipping Sparrow
81. Field Sparrow
82. Savannah Sparrow
83. Song Sparrow
84. Eastern Towhee
85. Yellow-breasted Chat
86. Bobolink
87. Eastern Meadowlark
88. Orchard Oriole
89. Baltimore Oriole
90. Red-winged Blackbird
91. Brown-headed Cowbird
92. Common Grackle
93. Ovenbird
94. Northern Waterthrush
95. Black-and-white Warbler
96. Prothonotary Warbler
97. Tennessee Warbler
98. Nashville Warbler
99. Common Yellowthroat
100. Hooded Warbler
101. American Redstart
102. Northern Parula
103. Magnolia Warbler
104. Bay-breasted Warbler
105. Blackburnian Warbler
106. Northern Yellow Warbler
107. Chestnut-sided Warbler
108. Blackpoll Warbler
109. Black-throated Blue Warbler
110. Palm Warbler
111. Yellow-rumped Warbler
112. Black-throated Green Warbler
113. Canada Warbler
114. Wilson's Warbler
115. Scarlet Tanager
116. Northern Cardinal
117. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
118. Indigo Bunting
Additional Species:
119. Peregrine Falcon
120. House Sparrow