Christmas Bird Counts
Updated January 2025
For current results scroll past maps below. For historical results follow this link: Previous CBC Results
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
Upcoming counts:
December 2025: Jaffray-Wardner count
December 2025: Cranbrook count
January 2026: Kimberley count
December 2025: Jaffray-Wardner count
December 2025: Cranbrook count
January 2026: Kimberley count
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
|
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
|
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
Canada Jay, Helga K photo
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 |
|
Our "circles"
Cranbrook CBC Circle
Kimberley CBC Circle
Jaffray CBC Circle
Count #125 / #4 Jaffray-Wardner CBC
By Daryl Calder and Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-01-20
The Jaffray - Wardner Christmas Bird Count is always held during the earliest day or two of the official Audubon count period which is 10 days either side of Christmas.
Having the Jaffray-Wardner count at the beginning of count season helps spread out the work of organizing, conducting, listing and summarizing the three counts hosted by the Rocky Mountain Naturalists.
Also, this early date maximizes the 'spectrum' of birding opportunity in winter in our area. This recently established 'circle' was chosen, in part, because it represents some of the lowest elevation habitat and lowest latitude in the East Kootenay. The mid-December date, three weeks before the Kimberley count, may also represent the least wintery conditions of the three circles. The Jaffray-Wardner count, as expected from its lower elevation, unique habitats and earlier count date compared to our other 3 count circles, is also famous for having the highest number of Common Merganser (30 in 2023), Great Blue Heron (3 in 2022), Golden Eagle (3 in 2023), Bald Eagle (24 in 2024), and Belted Kingfisher (4 – this year and last).
Count day this year (December 14) was not bitterly cold nor particularly stormy. Four teams of around four members each, returned to their regular 'quadrants', benefitting from past experience.
During the year and especially during the weeks leading up to Count Day, “Early Morning Birding” groups visited parts of the 24 km diameter circle. This is a vast area – 452 square kilometers – and only a small fraction is readily accessible during the short daylight hours of December. Early Birders are experienced with the urgency required to maximize sightings at particular spots and get along to the next best area. It is a pleasure to team up with sensitive, skilled and curious birders.
As the sky gradually cleared after the morning snow flurries, striking views of the Rocky Mountains appeared. We are fortunate to enjoy fine Kootenay River landscapes, quiet backroads and a solid commitment to Citizen Science by the participants in the East Kootenay Christmas Bird Counts.
#125 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#4 - Jaffray-Wardner
Count code: BCJW
Count day: 14 Dec 2024
Count week: 11 Dec 2024 – 17 Dec 2024
44 species
- 40 species last year, average = 44.5, all species = 60
850 birds
- 1,635 last year, average 1,004
This was the 4th official count for the Jaffray-Wardner CBC.
Trends for Jaffray-Wardner are inaccurate because there is not enough data. There will be many “firsts” (first time on count) for the next few years but of note are Trumpeter Swan (1) which is the first time in any of the three Rocky Mountain Naturalist count circles, Killdeer (1) which as of this year, has now been seen in all 3 circles (Killdeer was seen for the first time on the Cranbrook count in 1999), and Pacific Wren (1) also the first time on any of our counts.
Mallard (95) – half of average so far
Eurasian Collared-Dove (6) – lowest number so far
Golden Eagle (3) – missed last year
Downy Woodpecker (4) – lowest number so far
By Daryl Calder and Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-01-20
The Jaffray - Wardner Christmas Bird Count is always held during the earliest day or two of the official Audubon count period which is 10 days either side of Christmas.
Having the Jaffray-Wardner count at the beginning of count season helps spread out the work of organizing, conducting, listing and summarizing the three counts hosted by the Rocky Mountain Naturalists.
Also, this early date maximizes the 'spectrum' of birding opportunity in winter in our area. This recently established 'circle' was chosen, in part, because it represents some of the lowest elevation habitat and lowest latitude in the East Kootenay. The mid-December date, three weeks before the Kimberley count, may also represent the least wintery conditions of the three circles. The Jaffray-Wardner count, as expected from its lower elevation, unique habitats and earlier count date compared to our other 3 count circles, is also famous for having the highest number of Common Merganser (30 in 2023), Great Blue Heron (3 in 2022), Golden Eagle (3 in 2023), Bald Eagle (24 in 2024), and Belted Kingfisher (4 – this year and last).
Count day this year (December 14) was not bitterly cold nor particularly stormy. Four teams of around four members each, returned to their regular 'quadrants', benefitting from past experience.
During the year and especially during the weeks leading up to Count Day, “Early Morning Birding” groups visited parts of the 24 km diameter circle. This is a vast area – 452 square kilometers – and only a small fraction is readily accessible during the short daylight hours of December. Early Birders are experienced with the urgency required to maximize sightings at particular spots and get along to the next best area. It is a pleasure to team up with sensitive, skilled and curious birders.
As the sky gradually cleared after the morning snow flurries, striking views of the Rocky Mountains appeared. We are fortunate to enjoy fine Kootenay River landscapes, quiet backroads and a solid commitment to Citizen Science by the participants in the East Kootenay Christmas Bird Counts.
#125 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#4 - Jaffray-Wardner
Count code: BCJW
Count day: 14 Dec 2024
Count week: 11 Dec 2024 – 17 Dec 2024
44 species
- 40 species last year, average = 44.5, all species = 60
850 birds
- 1,635 last year, average 1,004
This was the 4th official count for the Jaffray-Wardner CBC.
Trends for Jaffray-Wardner are inaccurate because there is not enough data. There will be many “firsts” (first time on count) for the next few years but of note are Trumpeter Swan (1) which is the first time in any of the three Rocky Mountain Naturalist count circles, Killdeer (1) which as of this year, has now been seen in all 3 circles (Killdeer was seen for the first time on the Cranbrook count in 1999), and Pacific Wren (1) also the first time on any of our counts.
Mallard (95) – half of average so far
Eurasian Collared-Dove (6) – lowest number so far
Golden Eagle (3) – missed last year
Downy Woodpecker (4) – lowest number so far
|
Sp_Nr |
Trend |
Species |
Indiv_Nr |
|
1 |
Canada Goose |
3 |
|
|
2 |
first |
Trumpeter Swan |
1 |
|
3 |
< avg |
Mallard |
95 |
|
4 |
max |
Bufflehead |
9 |
|
5 |
avg |
Common Goldeneye |
8 |
|
6 |
< avg |
Common Merganser |
1 |
|
duck sp. |
1 |
||
|
7 |
avg |
Wild Turkey |
63 |
|
8 |
Ruffed Grouse |
2 |
|
|
9 |
< avg |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
6 |
|
10 |
first |
Killdeer |
1 |
|
11 |
max |
Golden Eagle |
3 |
|
12 |
max |
Bald Eagle |
24 |
|
13 |
Northern Pygmy-owl |
2 |
|
|
14 |
Belted Kingfisher |
4 |
|
|
15 |
< avg |
Downy Woodpecker |
4 |
|
16 |
max |
Hairy Woodpecker |
8 |
|
17 |
Pileated Woodpecker |
1 |
|
|
18 |
avg |
Northern Flicker |
30 |
|
19 |
Northern Shrike |
1 |
|
|
20 |
first |
Canada Jay |
1 |
|
21 |
avg |
Steller's Jay |
9 |
|
22 |
< avg |
Blue Jay |
1 |
|
23 |
max |
Black-billed Magpie |
21 |
|
24 |
Clark's Nutcracker |
2 |
|
|
25 |
low |
American Crow |
16 |
|
26 |
max |
Common Raven |
148 |
|
27 |
max |
Black-capped Chickadee |
123 |
|
28 |
avg |
Mountain Chickadee |
47 |
|
chickadee sp. |
4 |
||
|
29 |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
2 |
|
|
30 |
avg |
Red-breasted nuthatch |
32 |
|
31 |
first |
Pacific Wren |
1 |
|
32 |
avg |
American Dipper |
2 |
|
33 |
European Starling |
3 |
|
|
34 |
avg |
Townsend's Solitaire |
25 |
|
35 |
< avg |
Bohemian Waxwing |
58 |
|
36 |
< avg |
House Sparrow |
5 |
|
37 |
< avg |
Evening Grosbeak |
12 |
|
38 |
avg |
Pine Grosbeak |
11 |
|
39 |
low |
House Finch |
4 |
|
40 |
avg |
Red Crossbill |
20 |
|
41 |
first |
Pine Siskin |
5 |
|
42 |
first |
American Goldfinch |
24 |
|
43 |
low |
Dark-eyed Junco |
2 |
|
44 |
avg |
Song Sparrow |
5 |
|
850 |
Bald Eagle - by Theckla S.
Count #125 / #27 Cranbrook and Kimberley Christmas Bird Count Results
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-01-15
The 27th annual Christmas Bird Counts for Cranbrook and Kimberley were held on 28 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, respectively.
The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running citizen science project in the world and data contributes much to our understanding of bird population trends and distribution.
Cranbrook CBC Results
#125 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#27 - Cranbrook
Count code: BCCB
Count day: 28 Dec 2024
Count week: 25 Dec 2024 – 31 Dec 2024
37 species
- plus 5 during count week
- 47 species last year, average = 44, all species = 100
1,635 birds
- 2,162 last year, average 2,541
This was the 27th official count for the Cranbrook CBC.
Fewer birds of fewer species were recorded on count day. Field counters and feeder watchers both noticed this, in fact, a couple of feeder watchers had NO birds all day, so birding was indeed slow!
The weather was unusually pleasant, just like last year, with little to no wind and temperatures warm at around freezing. But last year we got 10 more species. Moyie Lake was completely open; snow cover was average, ranging from 0 to 45 cm.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking numbered 18 birders and friends, with several being new birders. They walked 13 km and drove 282 km – a bit less than last year. Eight feeder watchers reported 16 species and counted 180 birds.
Teamwork
This year, 6 species were seen by only one team. The South Cranbrook team got our only Northern Pygmy-Owl (1). The Jimsmith-Moyie team saw American Wigeon (6), which have only been seen on the count five other times. The New Lake-Old Wycliffe team got our only White-breasted Nuthatch (1) and Pine Grosbeak (1). The North Cranbrook team saw Green-winged Teal (2), a species not seen on the count since 2020. This is also the only team to get crossbills: they saw three Red Crossbills, a very low number considering the average is 54 and the maximum was 241 back in 2000. This species breeds any time of year depending on availability of food so, given the mild weather, hopefully they are spread out in the uplands happily making more crossbills.
Missed Species
A significant number (11) of regularly recorded species were absent on count day as well as during count week (3 days before or after count day). Of the 11 species missed, only Great Blue Heron was seen during count week. The other 10 regular species not seen were the following:
American Goldfinch (0)– missed for the third year in a row.
Belted Kingfisher (0) – which has been on 12 of the 27 counts.
Mourning Dove (0) – sightings of which are hit-or-miss anyway but they were very regular in the 2000s.
Common Merganser (0) – which has been seen on 8 of the most recent counts.
Merlin (0) – missed for the first time in 9 years.
Common Redpoll (0) – which was on the previous three counts and has been on 18 of 27 counts. Common Redpoll and Hoary Redpoll have been combined (aka “lumped”) to one species called simply “Redpoll”.
Evening Grosbeak (0) – 6 were recorded last year and it has been on 19 of 27 counts.
Canada Jay (0) – missed for only the second time in 27 years.
Red-tailed Hawk (0) – 3 were seen last year on count day.
American Robin (0) – 2 were seen on count day last year; they have been on 17 of the 27 counts; Kimberley recorded 17 robins on their count the following week.
New Or Unusual Species
None for the Cranbrook count this year.
Low Numbers
Particularly low numbers were seen for many of the winter feeder species. Eurasian Collared-Dove (4) numbers peaked on the 2021 count at 44 birds. House Sparrow (13) average 50 so 13 is quite low. Pine Grosbeak (1) numbers are never consistent but last year above average numbers (53) were counted. Red Crossbill (3) had low numbers for the second year in a row. Dark-eyed Junco (4) – average 19. Pine Siskin (11) numbers were very low this year and last year but they were missed altogether on the two counts before that; the last time Pine Siskin had good numbers was 185 on the 2020 count.
Bohemian Waxwing (79) numbers have been low for the past three counts but good numbers were seen on the Kimberley count.
High Numbers
An encouraging high number of Clark's Nutcracker (37) were seen; this was the most for them since 2013 when 34 were recorded.
Winter species
Other than the winter feeder species mentioned above, the two other species are worth mentioning: Northern Pygmy-Owl (1) and Northern Shrike (2); both showing an average number.
Year-round species
Of the species here year-round, most had average or close to average numbers. Count numbers of special note: House Finch (359), which had the highest number since 2004, Northern Flicker (38) – not as many as last year (45) but still a high number, and good numbers of Blue Jay (35) – only 15 were seen last year.
Introduced species
Low numbers of Eurasian Collared-Dove (4) and House Sparrow (13) were seen. Rock Pigeon (102) numbers were below average and may be trending downward since 1998. European Starling (17) numbers were also below average.
Numerous species
Bohemian Waxwing (79) numbers were low again. Common Raven (202) was again a bit below average. There was an average number of Mallard (214) and American Crow (88).
Summer species
As usual, a few individuals of “summer” species (more abundant in summer) decided to over-winter here. Last year, 10 of these species were seen but this year only 3, and they were all ducks: American Wigeon (6) – which is a new maximum number of them, Green-winged Teal (2), and Common Goldeneye (38).
Count Week
Besides the Great-Blue Heron seen before the count, species recorded in the area either 3 days before or 3 days after count day were Canada Goose, Rough-legged Hawk, Common Loon, and Horned Grebe. The latter two species were seen on iceless, open Moyie Lake.
By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2025-01-15
The 27th annual Christmas Bird Counts for Cranbrook and Kimberley were held on 28 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, respectively.
The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running citizen science project in the world and data contributes much to our understanding of bird population trends and distribution.
Cranbrook CBC Results
#125 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#27 - Cranbrook
Count code: BCCB
Count day: 28 Dec 2024
Count week: 25 Dec 2024 – 31 Dec 2024
37 species
- plus 5 during count week
- 47 species last year, average = 44, all species = 100
1,635 birds
- 2,162 last year, average 2,541
This was the 27th official count for the Cranbrook CBC.
Fewer birds of fewer species were recorded on count day. Field counters and feeder watchers both noticed this, in fact, a couple of feeder watchers had NO birds all day, so birding was indeed slow!
The weather was unusually pleasant, just like last year, with little to no wind and temperatures warm at around freezing. But last year we got 10 more species. Moyie Lake was completely open; snow cover was average, ranging from 0 to 45 cm.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking numbered 18 birders and friends, with several being new birders. They walked 13 km and drove 282 km – a bit less than last year. Eight feeder watchers reported 16 species and counted 180 birds.
Teamwork
This year, 6 species were seen by only one team. The South Cranbrook team got our only Northern Pygmy-Owl (1). The Jimsmith-Moyie team saw American Wigeon (6), which have only been seen on the count five other times. The New Lake-Old Wycliffe team got our only White-breasted Nuthatch (1) and Pine Grosbeak (1). The North Cranbrook team saw Green-winged Teal (2), a species not seen on the count since 2020. This is also the only team to get crossbills: they saw three Red Crossbills, a very low number considering the average is 54 and the maximum was 241 back in 2000. This species breeds any time of year depending on availability of food so, given the mild weather, hopefully they are spread out in the uplands happily making more crossbills.
Missed Species
A significant number (11) of regularly recorded species were absent on count day as well as during count week (3 days before or after count day). Of the 11 species missed, only Great Blue Heron was seen during count week. The other 10 regular species not seen were the following:
American Goldfinch (0)– missed for the third year in a row.
Belted Kingfisher (0) – which has been on 12 of the 27 counts.
Mourning Dove (0) – sightings of which are hit-or-miss anyway but they were very regular in the 2000s.
Common Merganser (0) – which has been seen on 8 of the most recent counts.
Merlin (0) – missed for the first time in 9 years.
Common Redpoll (0) – which was on the previous three counts and has been on 18 of 27 counts. Common Redpoll and Hoary Redpoll have been combined (aka “lumped”) to one species called simply “Redpoll”.
Evening Grosbeak (0) – 6 were recorded last year and it has been on 19 of 27 counts.
Canada Jay (0) – missed for only the second time in 27 years.
Red-tailed Hawk (0) – 3 were seen last year on count day.
American Robin (0) – 2 were seen on count day last year; they have been on 17 of the 27 counts; Kimberley recorded 17 robins on their count the following week.
New Or Unusual Species
None for the Cranbrook count this year.
Low Numbers
Particularly low numbers were seen for many of the winter feeder species. Eurasian Collared-Dove (4) numbers peaked on the 2021 count at 44 birds. House Sparrow (13) average 50 so 13 is quite low. Pine Grosbeak (1) numbers are never consistent but last year above average numbers (53) were counted. Red Crossbill (3) had low numbers for the second year in a row. Dark-eyed Junco (4) – average 19. Pine Siskin (11) numbers were very low this year and last year but they were missed altogether on the two counts before that; the last time Pine Siskin had good numbers was 185 on the 2020 count.
Bohemian Waxwing (79) numbers have been low for the past three counts but good numbers were seen on the Kimberley count.
High Numbers
An encouraging high number of Clark's Nutcracker (37) were seen; this was the most for them since 2013 when 34 were recorded.
Winter species
Other than the winter feeder species mentioned above, the two other species are worth mentioning: Northern Pygmy-Owl (1) and Northern Shrike (2); both showing an average number.
Year-round species
Of the species here year-round, most had average or close to average numbers. Count numbers of special note: House Finch (359), which had the highest number since 2004, Northern Flicker (38) – not as many as last year (45) but still a high number, and good numbers of Blue Jay (35) – only 15 were seen last year.
Introduced species
Low numbers of Eurasian Collared-Dove (4) and House Sparrow (13) were seen. Rock Pigeon (102) numbers were below average and may be trending downward since 1998. European Starling (17) numbers were also below average.
Numerous species
Bohemian Waxwing (79) numbers were low again. Common Raven (202) was again a bit below average. There was an average number of Mallard (214) and American Crow (88).
Summer species
As usual, a few individuals of “summer” species (more abundant in summer) decided to over-winter here. Last year, 10 of these species were seen but this year only 3, and they were all ducks: American Wigeon (6) – which is a new maximum number of them, Green-winged Teal (2), and Common Goldeneye (38).
Count Week
Besides the Great-Blue Heron seen before the count, species recorded in the area either 3 days before or 3 days after count day were Canada Goose, Rough-legged Hawk, Common Loon, and Horned Grebe. The latter two species were seen on iceless, open Moyie Lake.
|
#125 / 27 Cranbrook CBC
Results 28 Dec 2024 |
|||
|
Sp # |
Trend |
Species |
|
|
cw |
Canada Goose |
||
|
1 |
max |
American Wigeon |
6 |
|
2 |
avg |
Mallard |
214 |
|
3 |
avg |
Green-winged Teal |
2 |
|
4 |
> avg |
Common Goldeneye |
38 |
|
5 |
avg |
Ruffed Grouse |
2 |
|
6 |
avg |
Wild Turkey |
19 |
|
cw |
Common Loon |
||
|
cw |
Horned Grebe |
||
|
cw |
Great Blue Heron |
||
|
7 |
avg |
Bald Eagle |
4 |
|
cw |
Rough-legged Hawk |
||
|
8 |
< avg |
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) |
102 |
|
9 |
low |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
4 |
|
10 |
avg |
Northern Pygmy-Owl |
1 |
|
11 |
> avg |
Downy Woodpecker |
22 |
|
12 |
avg |
Hairy Woodpecker |
10 |
|
13 |
> avg |
Northern Flicker |
38 |
|
14 |
avg |
Pileated Woodpecker |
5 |
|
15 |
avg |
Northern Shrike |
2 |
|
16 |
< avg |
Steller's Jay |
3 |
|
17 |
> avg |
Blue Jay |
35 |
|
18 |
> avg |
Black-billed Magpie |
5 |
|
19 |
high |
Clark's Nutcracker |
37 |
|
20 |
avg |
American Crow |
88 |
|
21 |
< avg |
Common Raven |
202 |
|
22 |
avg |
Black-capped Chickadee |
108 |
|
23 |
avg |
Mountain Chickadee |
119 |
|
chickadee sp. |
10 |
||
|
24 |
< avg |
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
34 |
|
25 |
avg |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
1 |
|
26 |
avg |
Brown Creeper |
1 |
|
27 |
avg |
American Dipper |
7 |
|
28 |
> avg |
Townsend's Solitaire |
19 |
|
29 |
< avg |
European Starling |
17 |
|
30 |
low |
Bohemian Waxwing |
79 |
|
31 |
low |
Dark-eyed Junco |
4 |
|
32 |
avg |
Song Sparrow |
10 |
|
33 |
low |
Pine Grosbeak |
1 |
|
34 |
high |
House Finch |
359 |
|
35 |
low |
Red Crossbill |
3 |
|
36 |
low |
Pine Siskin |
11 |
|
37 |
low |
House Sparrow |
13 |
Kimberley CBC Results
#125 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#27 - Kimberley
Count code: BCKB
Count day: 04 Jan 2025
Count week: 01 Jan 2025 – 07 Jan 2025
47 species
- plus 3 during count week
- 46 species last year, average 43, all years 83 different species
2,372 birds
-2,194 last year, average 2,331
This was the 27th official count for the Kimberley CBC.
The special thing about this year’s count was that there were six new records for highest number on one count (see New Maximums section below).
The weather, as was Cranbrook’s, was unusually pleasant with little to no wind, temperatures just below zero, and no precipitation. The snow cover was typical for this time of year with a maximum of 35 cm. The roads were in good condition; in previous years, after a recent snowfall, the side roads were not yet cleared by count day, it being the holiday season.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking, numbered 17 birders and friends and they travelled 323 km driving, walking, or cross-country skiing spending almost 35 hours counting in total. One sleepless counter heard a Northern Pygmy-Owl during the wee hours of the morning – definitely countable. There were five feeder watchers spending about 8 hours paying attention to their or their neighbours’ feeders.
Teamwork
This year, a whopping 14 species were unique to one team. The Wasa team got our only Golden Eagle (1) and our first ever Killdeer (1), a species also seen on the Jaffray-Wardner count for the first time. One of the parties on the Meadowbrook team got the only and first ever American Goshawk (1) (previously called Northern Goshawk), American Three-toed Woodpecker (1), Canada Jay (3), and Cassin’s Finch (2). The Kimberley/Marysville team got our only Merlin (1), Golden-crowned Kinglet (1), a flock of American Robin (17), Evening Grosbeak (7), Red Crossbill (3), and the first ever White-throated Sparrow (1). The Wycliffe team managed to snag the only and first ever Bufflehead (4) which were on the Saint Mary’s River at St. Eugene Mission, Snow Bunting (80), which are reliably at Pine Butte Ranch at this time of year but not always seen on count day, and bonus Horned Lark (2).
Missed Species
Although a total of 84 different species have been seen over the past 27 years, they are not always the same species, of course. This year, notable misses include the following:
American Goldfinch (0) – missed for the first time in 7 years and also absent on the Cranbrook count.
Redpoll (0) – previously called Common Redpoll, this species now also includes Hoary Redpoll. A flock frequented Theckla’s feeder in Swan sub, Kimberley, earlier in the winter but had moved on by count day so were not seen.
American Tree Sparrow (0) – missed for the third year in a row. Individuals of this species often take up residence at a single feeder to spend the winter, like one did in my yard in January 2024.
Common Merganser – none were found but this species has been seen on the previous two counts.
New Or Unusual Species
There were 4 new-to-the-count species this year. New on the Kimberley count were White-throated Sparrow (1) seen by some of the Kimberley/Marysville team, Bufflehead (4) seen by the Wycliffe team, American Goshawk (1) seen by some of the Meadowbrook team, and Killdeer (1) seen by the Wasa team. Unusual or not-common species were Golden Eagle (1) which has been on 8 of 27 counts, a single Merlin (1) – the first one in ten years, and Horned Lark (2) – only the third time this species has been recorded on count day in the 27 years of the count.
Low Numbers
Low numbers were seen for a few feeder species. Only seven Evening Grosbeak (7) were found but they were missed the previous two years. They have been on 23 of our 27 counts. Cassin's Finch (2) has been on less than half of the Kimberley's 27 counts. Red Crossbill (3) had dismally low numbers for the second year in a row.
New Maximums
Records for greatest number of individuals of one species were set for six species.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (165) whose previous max was 152 in Jan. 2022.
Mallard (49) whose numbers have been increasing since 2019.
Northern Pygmy-Owl (9) which is great because they were absent on count day the previous 3 counts.
Bald Eagle (20) – beating last year's new max by one. There were also high numbers of them on the Jaffray-Wardner CBC.
Mountain Chickadee (220). The previous maximum was 188 in January of 2022.
American Dipper (8) which were nice to get after low counts the previous three years.
Other than the above, no other species had especially high numbers.
Winter species
A decent number of Clark's Nutcracker (85) were seen for the second year in a row. Pine Grosbeak (55) numbers were much better than Cranbrook’s count so maybe they have come up to the slightly higher elevation around Kimberley this year. Evening Grosbeak (7) numbers were low but they were missed the previous two years. They have been on 23 of Kimberley’s 27 counts. Cassin's Finch (2) have been on 11 of Kimberley's 27 counts. Red Crossbill (3) had dismally low numbers for the second year in a row. Snow Bunting (80) are seen either a few at a time or in flocks of 80 to 90 so it was nice for the field counters to get the large flock this year especially since this species was missed last year. They have been on 15 of 27 counts.
Year-round species
Species here year-round all had close to average numbers with a couple of exceptions to note. Dark-eyed Junco (7) numbers were below average this year and last year. Downy Woodpecker (27) numbers were above average this year which is good since they had low numbers the previous two counts. Pine Siskin (96) numbers were average but they were missed completely on the previous three counts. The first Merlin (1) in ten years was seen on the count. They have been on 8 of 27 counts.
Of special note is the possible northward spread of Pygmy Nuthatch. In summer, they are common around Wasa and Wycliffe. This year, one was seen along Moan Road at the south end of Skookumchuck Prairie. Since this species lives in clades of one or more family groups occupying the same territory year-round, it is likely more will be seen on the Prairie.
Introduced species
The three introduced species seen on the count, Eurasian Collared-Dove (18), European Starling (10), House Sparrow (23), all had average numbers.
Numerous species
Of the species that are usually quite numerous, American Crow (51), Common Raven (128), and Bohemian Waxwing (735), all had average numbers. Waxwings numbers have been low the past 10 years so an average number was nice to get.
Summer species
Contrary to popular belief, a few American Robins (17) usually try to tough it out as far north as possible and seventeen were seen in Kimberley.
Count Week
Species missed on count day but seen during count week were Brown Creeper (0) seen in the Kimberley Nature Park, Belted Kingfisher (0) seen on the Kimberley count side of the river at St. Eugene Mission, and Mourning Dove (0) seen along the Mark Creek Trail.
#125 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada
#27 - Kimberley
Count code: BCKB
Count day: 04 Jan 2025
Count week: 01 Jan 2025 – 07 Jan 2025
47 species
- plus 3 during count week
- 46 species last year, average 43, all years 83 different species
2,372 birds
-2,194 last year, average 2,331
This was the 27th official count for the Kimberley CBC.
The special thing about this year’s count was that there were six new records for highest number on one count (see New Maximums section below).
The weather, as was Cranbrook’s, was unusually pleasant with little to no wind, temperatures just below zero, and no precipitation. The snow cover was typical for this time of year with a maximum of 35 cm. The roads were in good condition; in previous years, after a recent snowfall, the side roads were not yet cleared by count day, it being the holiday season.
The counters: People going out into the field driving or walking, numbered 17 birders and friends and they travelled 323 km driving, walking, or cross-country skiing spending almost 35 hours counting in total. One sleepless counter heard a Northern Pygmy-Owl during the wee hours of the morning – definitely countable. There were five feeder watchers spending about 8 hours paying attention to their or their neighbours’ feeders.
Teamwork
This year, a whopping 14 species were unique to one team. The Wasa team got our only Golden Eagle (1) and our first ever Killdeer (1), a species also seen on the Jaffray-Wardner count for the first time. One of the parties on the Meadowbrook team got the only and first ever American Goshawk (1) (previously called Northern Goshawk), American Three-toed Woodpecker (1), Canada Jay (3), and Cassin’s Finch (2). The Kimberley/Marysville team got our only Merlin (1), Golden-crowned Kinglet (1), a flock of American Robin (17), Evening Grosbeak (7), Red Crossbill (3), and the first ever White-throated Sparrow (1). The Wycliffe team managed to snag the only and first ever Bufflehead (4) which were on the Saint Mary’s River at St. Eugene Mission, Snow Bunting (80), which are reliably at Pine Butte Ranch at this time of year but not always seen on count day, and bonus Horned Lark (2).
Missed Species
Although a total of 84 different species have been seen over the past 27 years, they are not always the same species, of course. This year, notable misses include the following:
American Goldfinch (0) – missed for the first time in 7 years and also absent on the Cranbrook count.
Redpoll (0) – previously called Common Redpoll, this species now also includes Hoary Redpoll. A flock frequented Theckla’s feeder in Swan sub, Kimberley, earlier in the winter but had moved on by count day so were not seen.
American Tree Sparrow (0) – missed for the third year in a row. Individuals of this species often take up residence at a single feeder to spend the winter, like one did in my yard in January 2024.
Common Merganser – none were found but this species has been seen on the previous two counts.
New Or Unusual Species
There were 4 new-to-the-count species this year. New on the Kimberley count were White-throated Sparrow (1) seen by some of the Kimberley/Marysville team, Bufflehead (4) seen by the Wycliffe team, American Goshawk (1) seen by some of the Meadowbrook team, and Killdeer (1) seen by the Wasa team. Unusual or not-common species were Golden Eagle (1) which has been on 8 of 27 counts, a single Merlin (1) – the first one in ten years, and Horned Lark (2) – only the third time this species has been recorded on count day in the 27 years of the count.
Low Numbers
Low numbers were seen for a few feeder species. Only seven Evening Grosbeak (7) were found but they were missed the previous two years. They have been on 23 of our 27 counts. Cassin's Finch (2) has been on less than half of the Kimberley's 27 counts. Red Crossbill (3) had dismally low numbers for the second year in a row.
New Maximums
Records for greatest number of individuals of one species were set for six species.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (165) whose previous max was 152 in Jan. 2022.
Mallard (49) whose numbers have been increasing since 2019.
Northern Pygmy-Owl (9) which is great because they were absent on count day the previous 3 counts.
Bald Eagle (20) – beating last year's new max by one. There were also high numbers of them on the Jaffray-Wardner CBC.
Mountain Chickadee (220). The previous maximum was 188 in January of 2022.
American Dipper (8) which were nice to get after low counts the previous three years.
Other than the above, no other species had especially high numbers.
Winter species
A decent number of Clark's Nutcracker (85) were seen for the second year in a row. Pine Grosbeak (55) numbers were much better than Cranbrook’s count so maybe they have come up to the slightly higher elevation around Kimberley this year. Evening Grosbeak (7) numbers were low but they were missed the previous two years. They have been on 23 of Kimberley’s 27 counts. Cassin's Finch (2) have been on 11 of Kimberley's 27 counts. Red Crossbill (3) had dismally low numbers for the second year in a row. Snow Bunting (80) are seen either a few at a time or in flocks of 80 to 90 so it was nice for the field counters to get the large flock this year especially since this species was missed last year. They have been on 15 of 27 counts.
Year-round species
Species here year-round all had close to average numbers with a couple of exceptions to note. Dark-eyed Junco (7) numbers were below average this year and last year. Downy Woodpecker (27) numbers were above average this year which is good since they had low numbers the previous two counts. Pine Siskin (96) numbers were average but they were missed completely on the previous three counts. The first Merlin (1) in ten years was seen on the count. They have been on 8 of 27 counts.
Of special note is the possible northward spread of Pygmy Nuthatch. In summer, they are common around Wasa and Wycliffe. This year, one was seen along Moan Road at the south end of Skookumchuck Prairie. Since this species lives in clades of one or more family groups occupying the same territory year-round, it is likely more will be seen on the Prairie.
Introduced species
The three introduced species seen on the count, Eurasian Collared-Dove (18), European Starling (10), House Sparrow (23), all had average numbers.
Numerous species
Of the species that are usually quite numerous, American Crow (51), Common Raven (128), and Bohemian Waxwing (735), all had average numbers. Waxwings numbers have been low the past 10 years so an average number was nice to get.
Summer species
Contrary to popular belief, a few American Robins (17) usually try to tough it out as far north as possible and seventeen were seen in Kimberley.
Count Week
Species missed on count day but seen during count week were Brown Creeper (0) seen in the Kimberley Nature Park, Belted Kingfisher (0) seen on the Kimberley count side of the river at St. Eugene Mission, and Mourning Dove (0) seen along the Mark Creek Trail.
|
#125 / 27 Kimberley CBC Results 04 Jan 2025 |
|||
|
Sp # |
Trend |
Species |
Nr |
|
1 |
max |
Mallard |
49 |
|
2 |
first |
Bufflehead |
4 |
|
3 |
> avg |
Common Goldeneye |
38 |
|
4 |
avg |
Wild Turkey |
41 |
|
5 |
unusual |
Golden Eagle |
1 |
|
6 |
first |
American Goshawk |
1 |
|
7 |
max |
Bald Eagle |
20 |
|
8 |
first |
Killdeer |
1 |
|
9 |
max |
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) |
165 |
|
10 |
avg |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
18 |
|
cw |
Mourning Dove |
||
|
11 |
max |
Northern Pygmy-Owl |
9 |
|
cw |
Belted Kingfisher |
||
|
12 |
> avg |
Downy Woodpecker |
27 |
|
13 |
avg |
Hairy Woodpecker |
19 |
|
14 |
avg |
American Three-toed Woodpecker |
1 |
|
15 |
> avg |
Northern Flicker |
39 |
|
16 |
avg |
Pileated Woodpecker |
6 |
|
17 |
unusual |
Merlin |
1 |
|
18 |
avg |
Canada Jay |
3 |
|
19 |
avg |
Steller's Jay |
8 |
|
20 |
< avg |
Blue Jay |
14 |
|
21 |
avg |
Black-billed Magpie |
11 |
|
22 |
> avg |
Clark's Nutcracker |
85 |
|
23 |
> avg |
American Crow |
51 |
|
24 |
avg |
Common Raven |
128 |
|
25 |
avg |
Horned Lark |
2 |
|
26 |
avg |
Black-capped Chickadee |
121 |
|
27 |
max |
Mountain Chickadee |
220 |
|
chickadee sp. |
19 |
||
|
28 |
< avg |
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
31 |
|
29 |
avg |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
2 |
|
30 |
avg |
Pygmy Nuthatch |
2 |
|
cw |
Brown Creeper |
||
|
31 |
max |
American Dipper |
8 |
|
32 |
avg |
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
1 |
|
33 |
> avg |
Townsend's Solitaire |
14 |
|
34 |
> avg |
American Robin |
17 |
|
35 |
avg |
European Starling |
10 |
|
36 |
avg |
Bohemian Waxwing |
735 |
|
37 |
> avg |
Snow Bunting |
80 |
|
38 |
< avg |
Dark-eyed Junco |
7 |
|
39 |
First |
White-throated Sparrow |
1 |
|
40 |
avg |
Song Sparrow |
5 |
|
41 |
low |
Evening Grosbeak |
7 |
|
42 |
avg |
Pine Grosbeak |
55 |
|
43 |
> avg |
House Finch |
171 |
|
44 |
low |
Cassin's Finch |
2 |
|
45 |
low |
Red Crossbill |
3 |
|
46 |
avg |
Pine Siskin |
96 |
|
47 |
avg |
House Sparrow |
23 |
|
2372 |
|||
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.
