Christmas Bird Counts
Updated December 2025
For current results scroll past maps below. For historical results follow this link: Previous CBC Results
Upcoming counts:
December 14th, 2025: Jaffray-Wardner count - Marianne N. co-ordinator
December 28th, 2025: Cranbrook count - Marianne N. co-ordinator
January 3rd, 2026: Kimberley count - Carol F. co-ordinator
December 14th, 2025: Jaffray-Wardner count - Marianne N. co-ordinator
December 28th, 2025: Cranbrook count - Marianne N. co-ordinator
January 3rd, 2026: Kimberley count - Carol F. co-ordinator
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You do not need to be an experienced birder to join the fun and challenge. Birders are always learning and teams will include a variety of birding levels and expertise. You may decide to join for just a couple of hours. Once teams are formed, with their leader, they will decide when and where to meet to begin the count of their quadrant.
Other birding opportunities: Early Morning Birding hosted by the Rocky Mountain Naturalists - see the RMN Calendar The Great Backyard Bird Count Project Feederwatch 
Canada Jay, Helga K photo
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CBC FAQs
What is a CBC (Christmas Bird Count)?
A coordinated effort to count all the birds in a specified circle on one day around Christmas-time.
A great way to experience birds in winter and connect with other birders.
What to do if you want to take part?
Sign up by the deadline to get assigned to a team/area and get the complete instructions.
Is there a participation fee?
No, it's free to participate. Your only costs are personal transportation and lunch.
What can I expect to be doing on Count Day?
Travelling around with and/or communicating with you team to cover your team's assigned area and report all the birds seen. An experienced birder and eBirder is on every team to help identify birds and record the numbers.
Encountering some amazing birds of all sizes and marvelling at their toughness surviving the winter.
What to do if you want to do a feeder count?
You can count the birds at your feeder or in your yard, too. Sign up by the deadline, get the counting instructions, then report your count.
Can I just do my own CBC and send you my numbers or enter them on eBird or iNaturalist?
No, because the CBC is a real census used to estimate the number of birds, we need to cover the whole circle and also try not to double-count birds. You can still put them online but those observations will not be included in the Count. To participate in the CBC, you will need to join an existing CBC circle by contacting the coordinator in advance of count day.
What has over a century of CBC data told us about bird populations in North America?
How does my data help?
See the Audubon Trend Maps at Where have all the birds gone
Scroll down for more info, see our Circles, and read last year's results
What is a CBC (Christmas Bird Count)?
A coordinated effort to count all the birds in a specified circle on one day around Christmas-time.
A great way to experience birds in winter and connect with other birders.
What to do if you want to take part?
Sign up by the deadline to get assigned to a team/area and get the complete instructions.
Is there a participation fee?
No, it's free to participate. Your only costs are personal transportation and lunch.
What can I expect to be doing on Count Day?
Travelling around with and/or communicating with you team to cover your team's assigned area and report all the birds seen. An experienced birder and eBirder is on every team to help identify birds and record the numbers.
Encountering some amazing birds of all sizes and marvelling at their toughness surviving the winter.
What to do if you want to do a feeder count?
You can count the birds at your feeder or in your yard, too. Sign up by the deadline, get the counting instructions, then report your count.
Can I just do my own CBC and send you my numbers or enter them on eBird or iNaturalist?
No, because the CBC is a real census used to estimate the number of birds, we need to cover the whole circle and also try not to double-count birds. You can still put them online but those observations will not be included in the Count. To participate in the CBC, you will need to join an existing CBC circle by contacting the coordinator in advance of count day.
What has over a century of CBC data told us about bird populations in North America?
How does my data help?
See the Audubon Trend Maps at Where have all the birds gone
Scroll down for more info, see our Circles, and read last year's results
Over the year-end holidays, the Rocky Mountain Naturalists coordinate the Christmas Bird Counts in the Cranbrook, Kimberley, and Jaffray-Wardner circles. Volunteer counters go into the field or watch their home feeders to record every bird spotted around each community. This provides a snap-shot of local bird populations. Recorded bird numbers go up and down every year depending on weather events and number of people counting but over the years, trends can be detected within a circle and compared to nearby circles.
These data, collected over the past century from over 2,500 location across the western hemisphere, are part of the longest-running community science project in the world. The wealth of this information is used to aid bird conservation year-round.
For participants, it's also a great day of winter birding and a great way to learn to identify our resident birds and winter visitors.
These data, collected over the past century from over 2,500 location across the western hemisphere, are part of the longest-running community science project in the world. The wealth of this information is used to aid bird conservation year-round.
For participants, it's also a great day of winter birding and a great way to learn to identify our resident birds and winter visitors.
The Kootenay River at Wasa was open this year (Jan 2023) - C. Rioux photo
Links to more info:
Birds Canada - Christmas Bird Count
- all info and count circles
Audubon - Christmas Bird Count
- all info, count circles, historical data, bird trends
Birds Canada - Christmas Bird Count
- all info and count circles
Audubon - Christmas Bird Count
- all info, count circles, historical data, bird trends
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MAP LINKS - Google
Maps of each circle
Opens google maps |
FORMS - pdfs
Official form for documenting
rare birds - Birds Canada How many from each list
- A, B, or C - did you see on count day? Also feeder instructions and list |
INSTRUCTIONS - pdfs
How to report your yard birds
Instructions for field counting
from Birds Canada For registered eBirders
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More resources for Count Coordinators, Area Leaders, and counters:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mkJxfca7EKEXZnyRzel9WNh5X4QTY-XW?usp=sharing
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mkJxfca7EKEXZnyRzel9WNh5X4QTY-XW?usp=sharing
Our "circles"
Cranbrook CBC Circle
Kimberley CBC Circle
Jaffray CBC Circle
Count #126 / #28 Kimberley Christmas Bird Count Results
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2026-01-08
Short Summary
The mini-blush of American Robins seen on both the Christmas Bird Counts for Jaffray-Wardner (56 robins) and Cranbrook (614 robins) continued in the Kimberley CBC circle with 148 robins counted. The 51 species spotted by the 22 field counters and 3 feeder watchers ties the record for highest number of species set five years ago in January 2021. This is well above the average of 43 species. No rare species were seen but unusual species were Varied Thrush (3), White-throated Sparrow (1), and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (1). In addition to the most robins every seen, 7 other species had maximum numbers including a favourite species - Blue Jay (30). Rain has been an issue only a handful of times on any of our counts over the past 28 years but this year had some of the field counters taking shelter from a squall under the Kootenay River Bridge at Wasa for a few moments – most unusual. The count-up gathering at our usual spot, the Marysville Pub, was well attended and the food and service was terrific as usual. Thus ends the Christmas Bird Count season for birders. Yay! Spring!
Kimberley CBC Results
#126 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#28 - Kimberley
Count code: BCKB
Count day: 03 Jan 2026
Count week: 01 Jan 2026 – 06 Jan 2026
51 - number of species (47 species last year, average = 43, all species = 84)
- plus 1 species during count week
4,288 - number of individual birds (1,635 last year, average 2,400)
The weather was relatively warm on Saturday and it actually sprinkled rain off and on throughout the day. Temperatures were just above freezing. Still water was frozen over and moving water was partly open. Snow cover was low, ranging from 0 to 20 cm.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking numbered 22 birders with a couple of new CBC counters. They walked 11 km and drove 342 km spending 38 hours combined. Three feeder watchers reported 12 species and counted 49 birds.
Teamwork
This year, 13 species were seen by only one team. The Kimberley team saw Wild Turkey (23) and Sharp-shinned Hawk (1). The Meadowbrook-Lost Dog team saw Canada Jay (1). The Wasa-Ta Ta Creek team got our only Red-tailed Hawk (1). The Wycliffe Team saw one Green-winged Teal in with a bunch of Mallards in a large opening in the ice in the middle of Reade Lake. Also in their travels they saw Belted Kingfisher (1), Horned Lark (3), Golden-crowned Kinglet (1), Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (1), Snow Bunting (50), American Tree Sparrow (1), and White-crowned Sparrow (1).
A feeder watcher in Marysville has a White-throated Sparrow (1) overwintering in the neighbourhood.
Missed Species
The same “no-shows” for Cranbrook were missed in the Kimberley count circle too: Ruffed Grouse, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Shrike, Brown Creeper, and Pine Grosbeak. House Sparrow was missed on count day but was seen during count week.
New Or Unusual Species
There were no new or rare species seen on the Kimberley count this year but unusual species seen were Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Varied Thrush (3), White-throated Sparrow (1), and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (1).
New Maximums
The mini-blush of American Robin (148) counted in our other two Christmas Bird Count circles happened in the Kimberley circle too. Previous to this year, the most ever American Robins seen on a Kimberley count was 30 (January 2000). In the winter, they will eat the ornamental crab apples and cherries, perhaps some mountian ash, and if you want to feed them, cut up some apples and poke the pieces onto twigs of nearby leafless trees or provide frozen blueberries, raspberries, or fresh cranberries (no sulfur dioxide compared to dried cranberries).
The new maximum for Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (303) is now double it’s previous maximum of 152 seen in January 2022. A flock is now regular in Marysville and hangs out around the Timber Hitch coffee shop.
The new maximum for Dark-eyed Junco is an impressive 5 times the previous max of 60 seen in January 2003 and the new maximum for Common Merganser (37) is six times the previous maximum of 6 in January 2018. But Mallards (250) showed the most increase – 10 times the previous maximum of 25 seen on the Kimberley count of January 2021.
New maximum numbers were also seen for the following:
Northern Flicker (78), whose previous maxiumum was 41 on the January 2022 count.
Blue Jay (30) whose previous maximum was 18 on the January 2023 count.
Townsend's Solitaire (39) whose previous max was 19 on the January 2004 count.
Feeder Species
It was with much relief and happiness that we saw high numbers of some of our “feeder” species because they had been scarce before the first major snowfall. Dark-eyed Junco (322) set a new maximum, Pine Siskin (247) numbers were reaching towards their maximum of 394 seen in January 2019 and House Finch (192) numbers were almost at their maximum of 195 seen in January 2017.
Of the other finches, Cassin's Finch (6) had numbers just below their average of 10, American Goldfinch (10) was half of their average of 22 and Redpoll (47) was one third of their average of 160 – the highest Redpoll number ever was 807 in Jan 2002.
Evening Grosbeaks (67) have seemed scarce this winter but on count day their numbers were just a bit below their average of 70.
Of the woodpeckers, beside the new maximum numbers for Northern Flicker (78), only Pileated Woodpecker (11) was seen in above average numbers. Downy Woodpecker (17) numbers were slightly below their average of 21 and Hairy Woodpecker (9) numbers were almost half of their average of 15.
Of the nuthatches and chickadees, only Red-breasted Nuthatch (54) had numbers just a bit above their average of 48. Their maxiumum was 109 on the January 2022 count. Pygmy Nuthatch (7) was close to average; they are slowly expanding their range in the southern trench. White-breasted Nuthatch (3) numbers were half of average. Both chickadees, Black-capped Chickadee (57) and Mountain Chickadee (55) were about one third of their averages.
Of the Jays, a new maximum was seen for Blue Jay (30) whose previous maximum was 18 three years ago. Steller’s Jay (3) numbers were very low, their average being 9, and only one Canada Jay (1) was seen when we usually see 3.
Of the sparrows, one American Tree Sparrow (1) was seen which was nice because it was missed on the previous 4 counts, Song Sparrow (11) numbers were almost double their average of 6, and it was nice to get one each of both White-Crowned (1) and White-throated (1) Sparrow. House Sparrow was missed on count day but spotted during count week.
Other Below Average Numbers
The large flocks of Bohemian Waxwing (1415), like some of the feeder species, did not show up until after the first major snowfall. This year, they are spending more time in Marysville than in previous years. This is a species that winters here and it is fun to watch the weekly abundance map on eBird to see how the bulk of the population uses the Rockies to move between their breeding grounds in Alaska and the Yukon and their major wintering grounds in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming (https://science.ebird.org/en/status-and-trends/species/bohwax/abundance-map-weekly?week=9). Their numbers this year were just a bit below their average of 988. Counting them in the field as they are milling around is quite challenging; the best that can be done is a rough estimate. A couple of field counters took pictures of the flocks to count later on their computers. In the field, they estimated one flock at about 100 but counting dots on the photo revealed there were actually more like 400 birds.
Wild Turkey (23) numbers seen in Kimberley were half of their average. Black-billed Magpie (11) numbers were slightly below their average of 15. Clark's Nutcracker (47) has been below average for several years and this number is half of what was seen last year.
Other Notable Species and Numbers
The Eurasian Collared-Dove (27), an introduced species not seen in the area before the 2010’s, was seen in above average numbers.
Common Raven (164) numbers were above their average of 131.
Bald Eagle (20) numbers were tied with their new maximum set last year.
American Crow (119) numbers were their second highest for the Kimberley count. There is typically 2 to 3 times more Crows on the Cranbrook count.
Red Crossbill (259) numbers were high. Their maximum of 322 was set in January 2021.
Red-winged Blackbird (53) numbers were also high. They have been seen on 6 of the last 10 counts – so increasingly over-wintering here.
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2026-01-08
Short Summary
The mini-blush of American Robins seen on both the Christmas Bird Counts for Jaffray-Wardner (56 robins) and Cranbrook (614 robins) continued in the Kimberley CBC circle with 148 robins counted. The 51 species spotted by the 22 field counters and 3 feeder watchers ties the record for highest number of species set five years ago in January 2021. This is well above the average of 43 species. No rare species were seen but unusual species were Varied Thrush (3), White-throated Sparrow (1), and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (1). In addition to the most robins every seen, 7 other species had maximum numbers including a favourite species - Blue Jay (30). Rain has been an issue only a handful of times on any of our counts over the past 28 years but this year had some of the field counters taking shelter from a squall under the Kootenay River Bridge at Wasa for a few moments – most unusual. The count-up gathering at our usual spot, the Marysville Pub, was well attended and the food and service was terrific as usual. Thus ends the Christmas Bird Count season for birders. Yay! Spring!
Kimberley CBC Results
#126 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#28 - Kimberley
Count code: BCKB
Count day: 03 Jan 2026
Count week: 01 Jan 2026 – 06 Jan 2026
51 - number of species (47 species last year, average = 43, all species = 84)
- plus 1 species during count week
4,288 - number of individual birds (1,635 last year, average 2,400)
The weather was relatively warm on Saturday and it actually sprinkled rain off and on throughout the day. Temperatures were just above freezing. Still water was frozen over and moving water was partly open. Snow cover was low, ranging from 0 to 20 cm.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking numbered 22 birders with a couple of new CBC counters. They walked 11 km and drove 342 km spending 38 hours combined. Three feeder watchers reported 12 species and counted 49 birds.
Teamwork
This year, 13 species were seen by only one team. The Kimberley team saw Wild Turkey (23) and Sharp-shinned Hawk (1). The Meadowbrook-Lost Dog team saw Canada Jay (1). The Wasa-Ta Ta Creek team got our only Red-tailed Hawk (1). The Wycliffe Team saw one Green-winged Teal in with a bunch of Mallards in a large opening in the ice in the middle of Reade Lake. Also in their travels they saw Belted Kingfisher (1), Horned Lark (3), Golden-crowned Kinglet (1), Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (1), Snow Bunting (50), American Tree Sparrow (1), and White-crowned Sparrow (1).
A feeder watcher in Marysville has a White-throated Sparrow (1) overwintering in the neighbourhood.
Missed Species
The same “no-shows” for Cranbrook were missed in the Kimberley count circle too: Ruffed Grouse, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Shrike, Brown Creeper, and Pine Grosbeak. House Sparrow was missed on count day but was seen during count week.
New Or Unusual Species
There were no new or rare species seen on the Kimberley count this year but unusual species seen were Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Varied Thrush (3), White-throated Sparrow (1), and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (1).
New Maximums
The mini-blush of American Robin (148) counted in our other two Christmas Bird Count circles happened in the Kimberley circle too. Previous to this year, the most ever American Robins seen on a Kimberley count was 30 (January 2000). In the winter, they will eat the ornamental crab apples and cherries, perhaps some mountian ash, and if you want to feed them, cut up some apples and poke the pieces onto twigs of nearby leafless trees or provide frozen blueberries, raspberries, or fresh cranberries (no sulfur dioxide compared to dried cranberries).
The new maximum for Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (303) is now double it’s previous maximum of 152 seen in January 2022. A flock is now regular in Marysville and hangs out around the Timber Hitch coffee shop.
The new maximum for Dark-eyed Junco is an impressive 5 times the previous max of 60 seen in January 2003 and the new maximum for Common Merganser (37) is six times the previous maximum of 6 in January 2018. But Mallards (250) showed the most increase – 10 times the previous maximum of 25 seen on the Kimberley count of January 2021.
New maximum numbers were also seen for the following:
Northern Flicker (78), whose previous maxiumum was 41 on the January 2022 count.
Blue Jay (30) whose previous maximum was 18 on the January 2023 count.
Townsend's Solitaire (39) whose previous max was 19 on the January 2004 count.
Feeder Species
It was with much relief and happiness that we saw high numbers of some of our “feeder” species because they had been scarce before the first major snowfall. Dark-eyed Junco (322) set a new maximum, Pine Siskin (247) numbers were reaching towards their maximum of 394 seen in January 2019 and House Finch (192) numbers were almost at their maximum of 195 seen in January 2017.
Of the other finches, Cassin's Finch (6) had numbers just below their average of 10, American Goldfinch (10) was half of their average of 22 and Redpoll (47) was one third of their average of 160 – the highest Redpoll number ever was 807 in Jan 2002.
Evening Grosbeaks (67) have seemed scarce this winter but on count day their numbers were just a bit below their average of 70.
Of the woodpeckers, beside the new maximum numbers for Northern Flicker (78), only Pileated Woodpecker (11) was seen in above average numbers. Downy Woodpecker (17) numbers were slightly below their average of 21 and Hairy Woodpecker (9) numbers were almost half of their average of 15.
Of the nuthatches and chickadees, only Red-breasted Nuthatch (54) had numbers just a bit above their average of 48. Their maxiumum was 109 on the January 2022 count. Pygmy Nuthatch (7) was close to average; they are slowly expanding their range in the southern trench. White-breasted Nuthatch (3) numbers were half of average. Both chickadees, Black-capped Chickadee (57) and Mountain Chickadee (55) were about one third of their averages.
Of the Jays, a new maximum was seen for Blue Jay (30) whose previous maximum was 18 three years ago. Steller’s Jay (3) numbers were very low, their average being 9, and only one Canada Jay (1) was seen when we usually see 3.
Of the sparrows, one American Tree Sparrow (1) was seen which was nice because it was missed on the previous 4 counts, Song Sparrow (11) numbers were almost double their average of 6, and it was nice to get one each of both White-Crowned (1) and White-throated (1) Sparrow. House Sparrow was missed on count day but spotted during count week.
Other Below Average Numbers
The large flocks of Bohemian Waxwing (1415), like some of the feeder species, did not show up until after the first major snowfall. This year, they are spending more time in Marysville than in previous years. This is a species that winters here and it is fun to watch the weekly abundance map on eBird to see how the bulk of the population uses the Rockies to move between their breeding grounds in Alaska and the Yukon and their major wintering grounds in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming (https://science.ebird.org/en/status-and-trends/species/bohwax/abundance-map-weekly?week=9). Their numbers this year were just a bit below their average of 988. Counting them in the field as they are milling around is quite challenging; the best that can be done is a rough estimate. A couple of field counters took pictures of the flocks to count later on their computers. In the field, they estimated one flock at about 100 but counting dots on the photo revealed there were actually more like 400 birds.
Wild Turkey (23) numbers seen in Kimberley were half of their average. Black-billed Magpie (11) numbers were slightly below their average of 15. Clark's Nutcracker (47) has been below average for several years and this number is half of what was seen last year.
Other Notable Species and Numbers
The Eurasian Collared-Dove (27), an introduced species not seen in the area before the 2010’s, was seen in above average numbers.
Common Raven (164) numbers were above their average of 131.
Bald Eagle (20) numbers were tied with their new maximum set last year.
American Crow (119) numbers were their second highest for the Kimberley count. There is typically 2 to 3 times more Crows on the Cranbrook count.
Red Crossbill (259) numbers were high. Their maximum of 322 was set in January 2021.
Red-winged Blackbird (53) numbers were also high. They have been seen on 6 of the last 10 counts – so increasingly over-wintering here.
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Kimberley Christmas Bird Count, #126 / #28 03-Jan-2026 |
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|
Sp Nr. |
Trend |
Species |
Nr |
|
1 |
max |
Mallard |
250 |
|
2 |
first |
Green-winged Teal |
1 |
|
3 |
> avg |
Common Goldeneye |
37 |
|
4 |
max |
Common Merganser |
37 |
|
5 |
< avg |
Wild Turkey |
23 |
|
6 |
max |
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) |
303 |
|
7 |
> avg |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
27 |
|
8 |
unusual |
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
1 |
|
9 |
high |
Bald Eagle |
20 |
|
10 |
avg |
Red-tailed Hawk |
1 |
|
11 |
avg |
Belted Kingfisher |
1 |
|
12 |
< avg |
Downy Woodpecker |
17 |
|
13 |
< avg |
Hairy Woodpecker |
9 |
|
14 |
> avg |
Pileated Woodpecker |
11 |
|
15 |
max |
Northern Flicker |
78 |
|
16 |
avg |
Merlin |
2 |
|
17 |
avg |
Canada Jay |
1 |
|
18 |
low |
Steller's Jay |
3 |
|
19 |
max |
Blue Jay |
30 |
|
20 |
< avg |
Black-billed Magpie |
11 |
|
21 |
< avg |
Clark's Nutcracker |
47 |
|
22 |
high |
American Crow |
119 |
|
23 |
> avg |
Common Raven |
164 |
|
24 |
low |
Black-capped Chickadee |
57 |
|
25 |
low |
Mountain Chickadee |
55 |
|
26 |
avg |
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
1 |
|
27 |
< avg |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
3 |
|
28 |
> avg |
Pygmy Nuthatch |
7 |
|
29 |
avg |
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
54 |
|
30 |
avg |
American Dipper |
3 |
|
31 |
avg |
European Starling |
9 |
|
32 |
max |
Townsend's Solitaire |
39 |
|
33 |
unusual |
Varied Thrush |
3 |
|
34 |
max |
American Robin |
148 |
|
35 |
avg |
Bohemian Waxwing |
1415 |
|
cw |
House Sparrow |
0.01 |
|
|
36 |
avg |
Evening Grosbeak |
67 |
|
37 |
high |
House Finch |
192 |
|
38 |
< avg |
Cassin's Finch |
6 |
|
39 |
low |
Redpoll |
47 |
|
40 |
high |
Red Crossbill |
259 |
|
41 |
high |
Pine Siskin |
247 |
|
42 |
< avg |
American Goldfinch |
10 |
|
43 |
avg |
Snow Bunting |
50 |
|
44 |
low |
American Tree Sparrow |
1 |
|
45 |
max |
Dark-eyed Junco |
322 |
|
46 |
avg |
White-crowned Sparrow |
1 |
|
47 |
> avg |
Song Sparrow |
11 |
|
48 |
high |
Red-winged Blackbird |
53 |
|
49 |
avg |
Horned Lark |
3 |
|
50 |
unusual |
White-throated Sparrow |
1 |
|
51 |
unusual |
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch |
1 |
|
Downy/Hairy woodpecker |
1 |
||
|
woodpecker sp. |
1 |
||
|
chickadee sp. |
11 |
||
|
passerine sp. |
15 |
||
|
nuthatch sp. |
2 |
||
|
4288 |
|||
Count #126 / #28 Cranbrook Christmas Bird Count Results
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-12-29
Short Summary
This year will be known as “The Year of the Robin” – maybe the “first” year of the Robin? Time will tell if seeing an astonishing 614 American Robins will become a usual thing at Christmas. This was the 28th annual Christmas Bird Count for Cranbrook. 28 people took part and saw a total of 48 species with 3,112 individual birds counted. 12 species were seen by only one team.
Cranbrook CBC Results
#126 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#28 - Cranbrook
Count code: BCCB
Count day: 28 Dec 2025
Count week: 25 Dec 2025 – 31 Dec 2025
48 - number of species (37 species last year, average = 44.5, all species = 107)
3,072 - number of individual birds (1,635 last year, average 2,562)
This was the 28th official count for the Cranbrook CBC.
The weather was a little cooler than last year with a high of only -8 but there was little to no wind so it was just a matter of keeping your hands warm. Moyie Lake was completely open but Jimsmith and Elizabeth Lakes were frozen over as usual; however, snow cover was low, ranging from 0 to only 10 cm.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking numbered 17 birders and friends. They walked a total of 11 km and drove 212 km altogether. Eight feeder watchers also took part.
Teamwork
This year, 12 species were seen by only one team or feeder watcher.
The Jimsmith to Moyie team got our only Canada Goose (17), Mourning Dove (2), Great Blue Heron (1), Northern Shrike (1), and Snow Bunting (1).
The New Lake Wycliffe team saw Trumpeter Swan (11) flying over. The Jimsmith team also saw the swans flying over but with good communication between teams we realized it was the same group so the swans did not get counted twice. The New Lake team also saw our only American Goshawk (1), and Clark’s Nutcracker (4), and American Three-toed Woodpecker (1).
The North Cranbrook-Mission team saw our only Belted Kingfisher (1) and White-breasted Nuthatch (1).
A feeder watcher in the South Cranbrook area was the only one to see a White-crowned Sparrow (1).
Missed Species
It’s always hit-or-miss to get Brown Creeper and this year we missed them for the first time in 8 years. Other favourites missed were Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Northern Pygmy-Owl and Ruffed Grouse.
New Or Unusual Species
Trumpeter Swan (11) has never been recorded on count day for Cranbrook before even though they have been around in December in other years. Perhaps the birds nesting at Elizabeth Lake are staying all year long now. A couple of other unusual-for-this-time-of-year species were Snow Bunting (1), which has been on 4 of 28 counts and was a lifer for one birder, White-crowned Sparrow (1), also only on 4 of 28 counts, and Great Blue Heron (1) which was seen near the “heronry” nesting colony near Moyie Lake.
Low Numbers
Unlike last year when many of the feeder species had low numbers, this year only 3 species had particularly low numbers. Bohemian Waxwing (109) are again low this year and they were low on the Jaffray count too. Their average is 696 and they have been seen on 27 of 28 Crabnrook counts. House Sparrow (20) numbers were half of average but they continue on every count. Redpoll (53) was missed altogether last year and their numbers this year were half of average.
New Maximum Numbers
An astonishing 614 American Robin were seen on the Cranbrook CBC. That’s 5 times the previous max of 103 set in December 2021. Contrary to popular belief that all Robins migrate, there is usually at least one or two spotted here in winter and the eBird distribution map for December shows some stay even in Alaska. The bulk of the wintering population is usually in Washington, Oregon, and the Lower Mainland of BC but this year, higher numbers are being seen throughout southern BC. The Victoria, BC CBC reported 61,212 robins. (2025 Victoria Christmas Bird Count - BCVI - eBird Trip Report). We are quite happy with our 614.
Dark-eyed Junco (277) was also our highest count ever and amazing since only 4 were seen last year. The previous maximum count of American Crow (392) and Norther Flicker (60) was 7 years ago. Wild Turkey (49) and Common Merganser (12) were also a new maximums.
High Numbers
High numbers were seen for Blue Jay (45), which is only one less than the maximum set 5 years ago, Red Crossbill (160), which is 3 times above average, Pine Siskin (169), the 3rd highest count of them and almost 3 times their average, and American Goldfinch (34), which was missed on the previous 3 counts.
Feeder species
All autumn, feeder watchers reported low numbers of birds at their feeders and many were concerned it was the result of avian flu. I have not yet heard of any scientific evidence for that but it may be true. Around my own residence, the House Finches were very sporadic from the middle of August until late December. This was worrisome because I know they had a good breeding season, getting off 4 broods from their nests hidden in my neighbour’s ivy tangled along the side of the house. From early spring to the middle of August there were regularly a dozen finches all day, every day. Then they disappeared. What made me hopeful that they were just somewhere else and not dead was that for one or two days per month a dozen came in for a few hours. Now, in late December, they are indeed back and there are regularly a dozen every day. However, it is not just House Finches that disappeared; chickadees – both Black-capped and Mountain, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Evening Grosbeak, have also been scarce.
For the whole of the Cranbrook CBC circle, feeder species had average to below average numbers:
Black-capped Chickadee (41) - less than half of the average of 111
Downy Woodpecker (10) - slightly below average of 14
Pileated Woodpecker (5) - slightly below average of 7
Mountain Chickadee (79) - slightly below average
Song Sparrow (15) - average
Steller's Jay (2) - average; on 27 of 28 counts
White-breasted Nuthatch (1) - average; on 23 of 28 counts
Hairy Woodpecker (12) - average
Red-breasted Nuthatch (45) - average
House Finch (230) - average
Cassin's Finch (9) - average; missed last year; on 13 of 28 counts
Other species we keep an eye on
Canada Goose (17) and Mallard (119), both numerous in the summer, had numbers half of average for the Christmas Bird Count. A good number of Common Goldeneye (51) decided to overwinter here; this is their highest number in last five years.
Introduced and now naturalized species in the area: House Sparrow (20) numbers were half of average and they continue on every count. European Starling (50) number were above their average of 37. Eurasian Collared-Dove (5) numbers were below their average of 12; their maximum of 44 was 4 years ago. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (203) numbers were well above their average of 150.
Common Raven (145) numbers were below their average of 276.
Winter visitors: Clark's Nutcracker (4) move to higher elevations to breed and should be leaving soon. They have been seen on 27 of our 28 counts. Bohemian Waxwing (109) showed up late this year probably because their preferred colder weather didn’t happen until just before Christmas. Their numbers were decent, considering their population size is quite variable. Their average is 696 and they have been on 27 of our 28 counts.
Results table:
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-12-29
Short Summary
This year will be known as “The Year of the Robin” – maybe the “first” year of the Robin? Time will tell if seeing an astonishing 614 American Robins will become a usual thing at Christmas. This was the 28th annual Christmas Bird Count for Cranbrook. 28 people took part and saw a total of 48 species with 3,112 individual birds counted. 12 species were seen by only one team.
Cranbrook CBC Results
#126 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#28 - Cranbrook
Count code: BCCB
Count day: 28 Dec 2025
Count week: 25 Dec 2025 – 31 Dec 2025
48 - number of species (37 species last year, average = 44.5, all species = 107)
3,072 - number of individual birds (1,635 last year, average 2,562)
This was the 28th official count for the Cranbrook CBC.
The weather was a little cooler than last year with a high of only -8 but there was little to no wind so it was just a matter of keeping your hands warm. Moyie Lake was completely open but Jimsmith and Elizabeth Lakes were frozen over as usual; however, snow cover was low, ranging from 0 to only 10 cm.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking numbered 17 birders and friends. They walked a total of 11 km and drove 212 km altogether. Eight feeder watchers also took part.
Teamwork
This year, 12 species were seen by only one team or feeder watcher.
The Jimsmith to Moyie team got our only Canada Goose (17), Mourning Dove (2), Great Blue Heron (1), Northern Shrike (1), and Snow Bunting (1).
The New Lake Wycliffe team saw Trumpeter Swan (11) flying over. The Jimsmith team also saw the swans flying over but with good communication between teams we realized it was the same group so the swans did not get counted twice. The New Lake team also saw our only American Goshawk (1), and Clark’s Nutcracker (4), and American Three-toed Woodpecker (1).
The North Cranbrook-Mission team saw our only Belted Kingfisher (1) and White-breasted Nuthatch (1).
A feeder watcher in the South Cranbrook area was the only one to see a White-crowned Sparrow (1).
Missed Species
It’s always hit-or-miss to get Brown Creeper and this year we missed them for the first time in 8 years. Other favourites missed were Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Northern Pygmy-Owl and Ruffed Grouse.
New Or Unusual Species
Trumpeter Swan (11) has never been recorded on count day for Cranbrook before even though they have been around in December in other years. Perhaps the birds nesting at Elizabeth Lake are staying all year long now. A couple of other unusual-for-this-time-of-year species were Snow Bunting (1), which has been on 4 of 28 counts and was a lifer for one birder, White-crowned Sparrow (1), also only on 4 of 28 counts, and Great Blue Heron (1) which was seen near the “heronry” nesting colony near Moyie Lake.
Low Numbers
Unlike last year when many of the feeder species had low numbers, this year only 3 species had particularly low numbers. Bohemian Waxwing (109) are again low this year and they were low on the Jaffray count too. Their average is 696 and they have been seen on 27 of 28 Crabnrook counts. House Sparrow (20) numbers were half of average but they continue on every count. Redpoll (53) was missed altogether last year and their numbers this year were half of average.
New Maximum Numbers
An astonishing 614 American Robin were seen on the Cranbrook CBC. That’s 5 times the previous max of 103 set in December 2021. Contrary to popular belief that all Robins migrate, there is usually at least one or two spotted here in winter and the eBird distribution map for December shows some stay even in Alaska. The bulk of the wintering population is usually in Washington, Oregon, and the Lower Mainland of BC but this year, higher numbers are being seen throughout southern BC. The Victoria, BC CBC reported 61,212 robins. (2025 Victoria Christmas Bird Count - BCVI - eBird Trip Report). We are quite happy with our 614.
Dark-eyed Junco (277) was also our highest count ever and amazing since only 4 were seen last year. The previous maximum count of American Crow (392) and Norther Flicker (60) was 7 years ago. Wild Turkey (49) and Common Merganser (12) were also a new maximums.
High Numbers
High numbers were seen for Blue Jay (45), which is only one less than the maximum set 5 years ago, Red Crossbill (160), which is 3 times above average, Pine Siskin (169), the 3rd highest count of them and almost 3 times their average, and American Goldfinch (34), which was missed on the previous 3 counts.
Feeder species
All autumn, feeder watchers reported low numbers of birds at their feeders and many were concerned it was the result of avian flu. I have not yet heard of any scientific evidence for that but it may be true. Around my own residence, the House Finches were very sporadic from the middle of August until late December. This was worrisome because I know they had a good breeding season, getting off 4 broods from their nests hidden in my neighbour’s ivy tangled along the side of the house. From early spring to the middle of August there were regularly a dozen finches all day, every day. Then they disappeared. What made me hopeful that they were just somewhere else and not dead was that for one or two days per month a dozen came in for a few hours. Now, in late December, they are indeed back and there are regularly a dozen every day. However, it is not just House Finches that disappeared; chickadees – both Black-capped and Mountain, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Evening Grosbeak, have also been scarce.
For the whole of the Cranbrook CBC circle, feeder species had average to below average numbers:
Black-capped Chickadee (41) - less than half of the average of 111
Downy Woodpecker (10) - slightly below average of 14
Pileated Woodpecker (5) - slightly below average of 7
Mountain Chickadee (79) - slightly below average
Song Sparrow (15) - average
Steller's Jay (2) - average; on 27 of 28 counts
White-breasted Nuthatch (1) - average; on 23 of 28 counts
Hairy Woodpecker (12) - average
Red-breasted Nuthatch (45) - average
House Finch (230) - average
Cassin's Finch (9) - average; missed last year; on 13 of 28 counts
Other species we keep an eye on
Canada Goose (17) and Mallard (119), both numerous in the summer, had numbers half of average for the Christmas Bird Count. A good number of Common Goldeneye (51) decided to overwinter here; this is their highest number in last five years.
Introduced and now naturalized species in the area: House Sparrow (20) numbers were half of average and they continue on every count. European Starling (50) number were above their average of 37. Eurasian Collared-Dove (5) numbers were below their average of 12; their maximum of 44 was 4 years ago. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (203) numbers were well above their average of 150.
Common Raven (145) numbers were below their average of 276.
Winter visitors: Clark's Nutcracker (4) move to higher elevations to breed and should be leaving soon. They have been seen on 27 of our 28 counts. Bohemian Waxwing (109) showed up late this year probably because their preferred colder weather didn’t happen until just before Christmas. Their numbers were decent, considering their population size is quite variable. Their average is 696 and they have been on 27 of our 28 counts.
Results table:
|
BCCB #126/#28 December 28, 2025 |
|||
|
Sp # |
Trend |
Species |
Nr |
|
1 |
< avg |
Canada Goose |
17 |
|
2 |
first |
Trumpeter Swan |
11 |
|
3 |
< avg |
Mallard |
119 |
|
4 |
> avg |
Common Goldeneye |
51 |
|
5 |
max |
Common Merganser |
12 |
|
6 |
max |
Wild Turkey |
49 |
|
7 |
> avg |
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) |
203 |
|
8 |
< avg |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
5 |
|
9 |
avg |
Mourning Dove |
2 |
|
10 |
avg |
Great Blue Heron |
1 |
|
11 |
avg |
American Goshawk |
1 |
|
12 |
> avg |
Bald Eagle |
9 |
|
13 |
avg |
Red-tailed Hawk |
2 |
|
diurnal raptor sp. |
1 |
||
|
14 |
avg |
Belted Kingfisher |
1 |
|
15 |
avg |
American Three-toed Woodpecker |
1 |
|
16 |
< avg |
Downy Woodpecker |
10 |
|
17 |
avg |
Hairy Woodpecker |
12 |
|
18 |
< avg |
Pileated Woodpecker |
5 |
|
19 |
max |
Northern Flicker |
51 |
|
Northern Flicker (red-shafted) |
9 |
||
|
20 |
avg |
Merlin |
2 |
|
21 |
avg |
Northern Shrike |
1 |
|
22 |
< avg |
Canada Jay |
4 |
|
23 |
< avg |
Steller's Jay |
2 |
|
24 |
high |
Blue Jay |
45 |
|
25 |
avg |
Black-billed Magpie |
2 |
|
26 |
< avg |
Clark's Nutcracker |
4 |
|
27 |
max |
American Crow |
392 |
|
28 |
< avg |
Common Raven |
145 |
|
29 |
< avg |
Black-capped Chickadee |
41 |
|
30 |
< avg |
Mountain Chickadee |
79 |
|
chickadee sp. |
7 |
||
|
31 |
< avg |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
1 |
|
32 |
avg |
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
45 |
|
33 |
< avg |
American Dipper |
4 |
|
34 |
> avg |
European Starling |
50 |
|
35 |
avg |
Townsend's Solitaire |
8 |
|
36 |
max |
American Robin |
614 |
|
37 |
low |
Bohemian Waxwing |
109 |
|
38 |
low |
House Sparrow |
20 |
|
passerine sp. |
15 |
||
|
39 |
avg |
House Finch |
230 |
|
40 |
avg |
Cassin's Finch |
9 |
|
41 |
low |
Redpoll |
45 |
|
Redpoll (Common) |
8 |
||
|
42 |
high |
Red Crossbill |
160 |
|
43 |
high |
Pine Siskin |
169 |
|
44 |
high |
American Goldfinch |
34 |
|
45 |
low |
Snow Bunting |
1 |
|
46 |
max |
Dark-eyed Junco |
238 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) |
39 |
||
|
47 |
avg |
White-crowned Sparrow |
1 |
|
48 |
avg |
Song Sparrow |
15 |
|
new world sparrow sp. |
1 |
||
|
3112 |
|||
Count #126 / #5 Jaffray-Wardner Christmas Bird Count Results
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-12-15
Short summary:
The 5th annual Christmas Bird Count for Jaffray-Wardner took place on 14 December 2025 and was organized by Marianne N. 19 people took part and saw a total of 50 species – a new record for the Jaffray-Wardner count – with 1,088 individual birds counted. A whopping 18 species were seen by only one team. 7 species were “firsts” for this 5-year-old count. One highlight was the first Marsh Wren for the area in winter. Feeder birds were few but 56 American Robins were seen. Scarily, there was no snow on the ground even up Bull River.
#126 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#5 – Jaffray-Wardner
Count code: BCJW
Count day: 14 Dec 2025
Count week: 11 Dec 2024 – 17 Dec 2024
50 - species (last year=44, average = 45, all species all years = 67)
1,088 - individual birds (850 = last year)
This was the 5th official count for the Jaffray-Wardner CBC.
A record number of species (50) were seen on count day and there was good numbers of birds overall except for some of the feeder species like finches and chickadees which were low or below average.
The weather was unusually warm with temperatures just above zero all day but the most unusual thing was the lack of snow – there was NO snow cover anywhere, even up Bull River!
The counters: 19 people did the counting: 16 field counters, and 3 feederwatchers and they came from Kimberley, Cranbrook, Wardner, and Fernie. They walked 8.5 km and drove 133.5 km.
Teamwork
This year, a whopping 18 species were seen by only one team and 7 of those were “firsts” for the Jaffray-Wardner Count.
Missed Species
Only 3 species that we have seen on at least 3 of our previous counts were missed: Common Merganser, Northern Shrike, and Bufflehead which was missed for the first time in 5 years.
New Species
Seven new species for the Jaffray-Wardner circle were seen including 2 species (Tundra Swan-1, Marsh Wren-1) not seen before in any of our 3 count circles on count day (Cranbrook, Kimberley, Jaffray-Wardner).
Marsh Wren (1) was the first seen in any of our 3 count circles. Tundra Swan (1) was the first on any count day – it had been seen once during “count week” on the Cranbrook count back in December 1988. Other firsts for the Jaffray-Wardner count were American Wigeon (2), only seen in Cranbrook before, Hooded Merganser (2), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), American Goshawk (1), and Red-winged Blackbird (1) none of which are common in the area at this time of year.
New Maximums
The highest numbers so far were recorded for 9 species. The most surprising was for a species not normally seen in the area in winter, the American Robin (56). This number was 4 times the previous maximum but still not near the 103 counted on the Cranbrook count of December 29, 2001. Other maximums were Canada Goose (65) which was 5 times higher than the previous maximum, Common Goldeneye (23) which has been seen on all 5 counts so far, Canada Jay (3), Black-billed Magpie (22), Golden-crowned Kinglet (5), American Dipper (6), European Starling (23), which is almost double the previous maximum, and Pine Siskin (136) which is still a far cry from the “irruptive” winter of 2018/2019 when 436 and 394 siskins were counted for Cranbrook and Kimberley respectively.
Above Average Numbers
Above average numbers were counted for Blue Jay (10 – avg 5), Red-breasted Nuthatch (56), which was slightly above average, Red Crossbill (55), also slightly above average, and Song Sparrow (12), which was close to the maximum of 13 on count day three years ago.
Below Average and Low Numbers
Very low numbers of birds at feeders have been reported this autumn throughout the area and beyond and this was reflected in the Christmas Bird Count. One explanation may be that avian flu and other diseases have impacted these species this autumn. Another explanation may be that half of western forest bird populations have declined due to habitat degradation linked to fire suppression. By preventing smaller, natural burns, fire suppression has resulted in large-scale forest fires, which eliminate vast areas of habitat all at once (Western Forest Birds – State of the Birds 2025). But the reason I am hoping for is that the forest birds are finding enough food in the forest because of the warm weather rather than at feeders but, if it gets cold, they will frequent feeders more often.
Feeder species with low or below average numbers were Downy Woodpecker (3), Steller's Jay (1), whose average is 7 so this number was well below that, Black-capped Chickadee (66), which was half of the maximum seen last year, Mountain Chickadee (28), Evening Grosbeak (11), which was almost half of their average, House Finch (11), American Goldfinch (12), and the introduces species, House Sparrow (6), which was half of their average.
Other species with low numbers were Wild Turkey (41), Ruffed Grouse (1), Townsend’s Solitaire (6), and Bohemian Waxwing (3) which seem to be staying a little further north this year.
Average Numbers
All other species had average numbers. It was nice to get an average number of Dark-eyed Junco (39) especially, as they are sometimes few and far between.
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-12-15
Short summary:
The 5th annual Christmas Bird Count for Jaffray-Wardner took place on 14 December 2025 and was organized by Marianne N. 19 people took part and saw a total of 50 species – a new record for the Jaffray-Wardner count – with 1,088 individual birds counted. A whopping 18 species were seen by only one team. 7 species were “firsts” for this 5-year-old count. One highlight was the first Marsh Wren for the area in winter. Feeder birds were few but 56 American Robins were seen. Scarily, there was no snow on the ground even up Bull River.
#126 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#5 – Jaffray-Wardner
Count code: BCJW
Count day: 14 Dec 2025
Count week: 11 Dec 2024 – 17 Dec 2024
50 - species (last year=44, average = 45, all species all years = 67)
1,088 - individual birds (850 = last year)
This was the 5th official count for the Jaffray-Wardner CBC.
A record number of species (50) were seen on count day and there was good numbers of birds overall except for some of the feeder species like finches and chickadees which were low or below average.
The weather was unusually warm with temperatures just above zero all day but the most unusual thing was the lack of snow – there was NO snow cover anywhere, even up Bull River!
The counters: 19 people did the counting: 16 field counters, and 3 feederwatchers and they came from Kimberley, Cranbrook, Wardner, and Fernie. They walked 8.5 km and drove 133.5 km.
Teamwork
This year, a whopping 18 species were seen by only one team and 7 of those were “firsts” for the Jaffray-Wardner Count.
Missed Species
Only 3 species that we have seen on at least 3 of our previous counts were missed: Common Merganser, Northern Shrike, and Bufflehead which was missed for the first time in 5 years.
New Species
Seven new species for the Jaffray-Wardner circle were seen including 2 species (Tundra Swan-1, Marsh Wren-1) not seen before in any of our 3 count circles on count day (Cranbrook, Kimberley, Jaffray-Wardner).
Marsh Wren (1) was the first seen in any of our 3 count circles. Tundra Swan (1) was the first on any count day – it had been seen once during “count week” on the Cranbrook count back in December 1988. Other firsts for the Jaffray-Wardner count were American Wigeon (2), only seen in Cranbrook before, Hooded Merganser (2), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), American Goshawk (1), and Red-winged Blackbird (1) none of which are common in the area at this time of year.
New Maximums
The highest numbers so far were recorded for 9 species. The most surprising was for a species not normally seen in the area in winter, the American Robin (56). This number was 4 times the previous maximum but still not near the 103 counted on the Cranbrook count of December 29, 2001. Other maximums were Canada Goose (65) which was 5 times higher than the previous maximum, Common Goldeneye (23) which has been seen on all 5 counts so far, Canada Jay (3), Black-billed Magpie (22), Golden-crowned Kinglet (5), American Dipper (6), European Starling (23), which is almost double the previous maximum, and Pine Siskin (136) which is still a far cry from the “irruptive” winter of 2018/2019 when 436 and 394 siskins were counted for Cranbrook and Kimberley respectively.
Above Average Numbers
Above average numbers were counted for Blue Jay (10 – avg 5), Red-breasted Nuthatch (56), which was slightly above average, Red Crossbill (55), also slightly above average, and Song Sparrow (12), which was close to the maximum of 13 on count day three years ago.
Below Average and Low Numbers
Very low numbers of birds at feeders have been reported this autumn throughout the area and beyond and this was reflected in the Christmas Bird Count. One explanation may be that avian flu and other diseases have impacted these species this autumn. Another explanation may be that half of western forest bird populations have declined due to habitat degradation linked to fire suppression. By preventing smaller, natural burns, fire suppression has resulted in large-scale forest fires, which eliminate vast areas of habitat all at once (Western Forest Birds – State of the Birds 2025). But the reason I am hoping for is that the forest birds are finding enough food in the forest because of the warm weather rather than at feeders but, if it gets cold, they will frequent feeders more often.
Feeder species with low or below average numbers were Downy Woodpecker (3), Steller's Jay (1), whose average is 7 so this number was well below that, Black-capped Chickadee (66), which was half of the maximum seen last year, Mountain Chickadee (28), Evening Grosbeak (11), which was almost half of their average, House Finch (11), American Goldfinch (12), and the introduces species, House Sparrow (6), which was half of their average.
Other species with low numbers were Wild Turkey (41), Ruffed Grouse (1), Townsend’s Solitaire (6), and Bohemian Waxwing (3) which seem to be staying a little further north this year.
Average Numbers
All other species had average numbers. It was nice to get an average number of Dark-eyed Junco (39) especially, as they are sometimes few and far between.
|
#126 Jaffray-Wardner 2025-12-14 |
|||
|
Sp # |
Trend |
Species |
|
|
1 |
max |
Canada Goose |
65 |
|
2 |
first |
Tundra Swan |
1 |
|
3 |
first |
American Wigeon |
2 |
|
4 |
avg |
Mallard |
183 |
|
5 |
max |
Common Goldeneye |
23 |
|
6 |
first |
Hooded Merganser |
2 |
|
7 |
< avg |
Wild Turkey |
41 |
|
8 |
< avg |
Ruffed Grouse |
1 |
|
9 |
avg |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
11 |
|
10 |
avg |
Golden Eagle |
2 |
|
11 |
first |
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
1 |
|
12 |
first |
American Goshawk |
1 |
|
13 |
avg |
Bald Eagle |
16 |
|
14 |
avg |
Red-tailed Hawk |
1 |
|
15 |
avg |
Rough-legged Hawk |
1 |
|
16 |
avg |
Northern Pygmy-Owl |
1 |
|
17 |
avg |
Belted Kingfisher |
3 |
|
18 |
< avg |
Downy Woodpecker |
3 |
|
19 |
avg |
Hairy Woodpecker |
4 |
|
20 |
avg |
Pileated Woodpecker |
1 |
|
21 |
avg |
Northern Flicker |
25 |
|
22 |
max |
Canada Jay |
3 |
|
23 |
< avg |
Steller's Jay |
1 |
|
24 |
> avg |
Blue Jay |
10 |
|
25 |
max |
Black-billed Magpie |
22 |
|
26 |
avg |
Clark's Nutcracker |
6 |
|
27 |
first |
Marsh Wren |
1 |
|
28 |
avg |
American Crow |
44 |
|
29 |
avg |
Common Raven |
76 |
|
30 |
< avg |
Black-capped Chickadee |
66 |
|
31 |
< avg |
Mountain Chickadee |
28 |
|
32 |
max |
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
5 |
|
33 |
avg |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
1 |
|
34 |
> avg |
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
56 |
|
35 |
avg |
Brown Creeper |
2 |
|
36 |
max |
American Dipper |
6 |
|
37 |
max |
European Starling |
23 |
|
38 |
low |
Townsend's Solitaire |
6 |
|
39 |
max |
American Robin |
56 |
|
40 |
low |
Bohemian Waxwing |
3 |
|
41 |
low |
House Sparrow |
6 |
|
42 |
< avg |
Evening Grosbeak |
11 |
|
43 |
< avg |
House Finch |
11 |
|
44 |
avg |
Cassin's Finch |
2 |
|
45 |
> avg |
Red Crossbill |
55 |
|
46 |
max |
Pine Siskin |
136 |
|
47 |
< avg |
American Goldfinch |
12 |
|
48 |
avg |
Dark-eyed Junco |
39 |
|
49 |
> avg |
Song Sparrow |
12 |
|
50 |
first |
Red-winged Blackbird |
1 |
Bald Eagle - by Theckla S.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, December 2022, Green Bay - H. Knote photo
The Importance of Participation
When it comes to how many birds get counted, the number of people counting out there in the field and at feeders makes a difference.
The chart above shows the participation in the Cranbrook Christmas Bird Count for the past 24 years compared to number of individual birds counted and the day's maximum temperature.
Only the common everyday species that are resident here in the winter are included in the number of individual birds = non-irruptive. The "irruptive" species such as Bohemian Waxwing, and Common Redpoll are not included because their numbers fluctuate widely from year to year.
The more people counting, the more birds get counted. Temperature doesn't seem to have a consistent effect on how many birds there are to be counted, nor on how many people brave winter to participate. Weather, as in "is it snowing", likely had a big effect yesterday; this is the first count in a long time that we had to do during a snow storm.
Only the common everyday species that are resident here in the winter are included in the number of individual birds = non-irruptive. The "irruptive" species such as Bohemian Waxwing, and Common Redpoll are not included because their numbers fluctuate widely from year to year.
The more people counting, the more birds get counted. Temperature doesn't seem to have a consistent effect on how many birds there are to be counted, nor on how many people brave winter to participate. Weather, as in "is it snowing", likely had a big effect yesterday; this is the first count in a long time that we had to do during a snow storm.
