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Firelands Audubon
Christmas Bird Count
When does the count happen?
All Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) are conducted between December 14 to January 5, inclusive dates, each season. Your local count will occur on one day between those dates. Participate in as many counts as you wish!
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Last year's CBC date was:
December 17, 2022
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This year's CBC date will be:
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December 16, 2023
How does participation work?
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There is a specific methodology to the CBC, and all participants must make arrangements to participate in advance with the circle compiler within an established circle, but anyone can participate.
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Each count takes place in an established 15-mile wide diameter circle, and is organized by a count compiler. Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It's not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.
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If you are a beginner birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.
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If your home is within the boundaries of a CBC circle, then you can stay at home and report the birds that visit your feeder on count day as long as you have made prior arrangement with the count compiler.
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This full day of birding is a wonderful tradition, a great example of citizen science and a lot of fun to participate in.
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If you are interested in joining our CBC please send us an email and we will get you the appropriate information.
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The totals for the 2022 CBC ARE BELOW:
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# IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THIS SPECIES OBSERVED
CW STANDS FOR COUNT WEEK BIRDS - BIRDS SEEN THE WEEK OF THE COUNT BUT NOT ON COUNT DAY.
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Number Species
1 Ross’s Goose
17 Snow/Ross’s Goose
1235 Canada Goose
1 Mute Swan
50 Trumpeter Swan (New High)
254 Tundra Swan
114 Trumpeter/Tundra Swan (New High)
19 Wood Duck
56 Gadwall
15 American Black Duck
860 Mallard
64 Northern Shoveler (New High)
10 Northern Pintail
6 Green-winged Teal (New High, Unusual)
4 Bufflehead
23 Hooded Merganser
80 Common Merganser
820 Red-breasted Merganser
2 Ruddy Duck
8 Wild Turkey
5 Common Loon
1 loon sp.
7 Pied-billed Grebe
4 Horned Grebe
1 American White Pelican (Unusual)
146 Great Blue Heron (New High)
1 Great Egret (Unusual)
146 Rock Pigeon
143 Mourning Dove
6989 Ring-billed Gull
234 Herring Gull
7 Lesser Black-backed Gull
23 Great Black-backed Gull
8 Bonaparte’s Gull
64 Bald Eagle
7 Cooper’s Hawk
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
21 Red-tailed Hawk
3 Killdeer
10 Eastern Screech-Owl
CW Northern Saw-whet Owl (Unusual)
2 Great Horned Owl
2 Belted Kingfisher
9 Red-headed Woodpecker
73 Red-bellied Woodpecker (New High)
71 Downy Woodpecker
12 Hairy Woodpecker
29 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
6 Pileated Woodpecker (New High)
10 American Kestrel
1 Peregrine Falcon
180 Blue Jay
51 American Crow
4 Horned Lark
67 Black-capped Chickadee
43 Tufted Titmouse
11 Red-breasted Nuthatch
83 White-breasted Nuthatch (New High)
3 Brown Creeper
1 Winter Wren
14 Carolina Wren
2 Golden-crowned Kinglet
CW Ruby-crowned Kinglet
17 Eastern Bluebird
271 American Robin
3713 European Starling
12 Cedar Waxwing
56 American Goldfinch
93 American Tree Sparrow
16 Song Sparrow
180 House Sparrow
39 House Finch
1 Swamp Sparrow
1 Eastern Towhee
66 White-throated Sparrow
3 White-crowned Sparrow
230 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
14 Red-winged Blackbird
50 Blackbird sp. (New High)
6 Yellow-rumped Warbler
125 Northern Cardinal
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76 Total Species (78 CW Average 67)
17,018 Total Individuals
31 Participants (Average 22)
9 Parties
171 Mileage (39 foot, 132 car)
56 Party hours (37 foot, 19 car)
4 Owling Parties (6.15 hours , 15 miles)