Colorado Christmas Bird Counts Final Results (2023-2024)

[Brandon]

Hi all,

Colorado had 51 official Christmas Bird Counts conducted this past winter (December 14-January 5).  This year Colorado counts found 217 species on count day, plus two during count week.  The total birds counted was way up from last winter (763,932) compared to (669,780) in 2022-2023 (same number of counts). Quite a few count reached the 100+ species number on count day: Pueblo Reservoir (129), Penrose (118), Fort Collins (112), Colorado Springs (111), John Martin Reservoir (108), Boulder (107), North JeffCo (102), Denver (101), and Loveland (101). Another six counts made it to the 90-99 species range. Crook in north eastern Colorado, counted the most birds (111,274), thanks to the large number of Snow Geese). There were a lot of highlights, Colorado's first Christmas Bird Count record, of Pomarine Jaeger at Pueblo Reservoir, also a first for count week for any Colorado CBC, was a Laughing Gull there as well. A few other CBRC review species were reported: Mexican Duck, Yellow-billed Loon, Pacific Wren, and Eastern Towhee. A surprising seven species of shorebirds were found, Dunlin on two counts and Long-billed Dowitchers on one count. Blue-winged Teal, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Franklin's Gull, Chipping Sparrow are all quite rare in winter in Colorado. There's always some interesting water birds this year: Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, plus feral Mute Swans, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Ducks, Red-throated Loon and Pacific Loons, Red-necked Grebe, Short-billed, Glaucous and Great Black-backed Gulls. It was nice that White-tailed Ptarmigan, Dusky and Sharp-tailed Grouse, Gunnison Sage-Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chickens were all found on a Christmas Bird Count in Colorado this past winter. Nine species of owls were found. All three species of regular sapsuckers were found, six Yellow-bellied, four Red-naped, and three Williamson's. The Phoebe show was a bit crazy, 109 Say's Phoebes, six Black Phoebes, two Eastern Phoebes! There were 21 Winter Wrens, one Carolina Wren, eight Hermit Thrush, one Varied Thrush, six Gray Catbirds, one Brown Thrasher, one Sage Thrasher, and four Northern Mockingbirds. Only Steamboat Springs found Bohemian Waxwings (19), and only Fort Collins found a Common Redpoll on count day. Chestnut-collared and Thick-billed Longspurs were found, neither are regular in winter in Colorado, and two Snow Buntings as well. The warblers were surprising, eight species were found. Black-and-white, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Black-throated Blue, two Pines, Yellow-throated, and a count week Common Yellowthroat, along with 236 Yellow-rumped Warblers. A few other sparrows of note: a Field, two Fox, 23 Harris's, 10 White-throated, Savannah on three counts, 24 Lincoln's, and 29 Swamp. Three Pine Grosbeaks wandered to Weldona-Fort Morgan on the eastern plains. My full summary has been sent to National Audubon and will be on their website at some point.

Thanks to all the compilers, participants, and feeder watchers who have helped with Colorado Christmas Bird Counts this past winter, and other past winters.

Brandon Percival

Colorado CBC Regional Editor
Pueblo West, CO

[linda hodges]

Thank you for taking the time and energy to compile and share this with us, Brandon. It's always interesting to see which species' numbers are increasing and which are new to the count.

Did you happen to notice what species' numbers, if any, were down significantly this year? Or missing altogether?

Again, your work is truly appreciated,

Linda

Linda Hodges

Colorado Springs

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