113th CBC Louisiana Regional Summary

By Erik I. Johnson

During the 113^th CBC, 389 observers and 85 feeder watchers spent 1346 party hours from 21 reported counts in Louisiana.  A total of 254 species was found, plus one additional count week species (Summer Tanager) – nine species fewer than last year, perhaps due to 78% of party hours tallied compared to last year.  Observers hoped to repeat last year’s record Green-tailed Towhee invasion, but unfortunately none were found.  In contrast, Say’s Phoebe numbers continue to grow with 13 being reported from five counts, including two birds in New Orleans, nearly doubling all previous 17 birds found during LA CBCs.

Once again, the Sabine count in southwestern Louisiana found the most species with 166, but still remains below pre-Hurricane Rita (2005) and Hurricane Ike (2008) levels.  A few other counts in south Louisiana cleared the 150 species mark, Including Lacassine N.W.R.-Thornwell (160), Sweet Lake-Cameron Prairie N.W.R. (154), White Lake (152).  Baton Rouge with 150 species and New Orleans with 149 species both grew their city lists from last year.  The largest species list in north Louisiana went to Bossier-Caddo-Bienville with 126 species.

The most remarkable record found during this CBC season was a photographed Mountain Plover on the Lacassine N.W.R.-Thornwell CBC, representing a first state record.  Other exciting vagrants included a Cinnamon Teal at Sweet Lake-Cameron N.W.R. and a Brown-crested Flycatcher at New Orleans.  A seen-only Black Rail along the edge of Spanish Lake in Baton Rouge would be exceptional anywhere, and particularly so in the southern interior part of the state.  Some out-of-season highlights from south Louisiana included 64 Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Wood Stork, Wilson’s Phalarope, Black Tern, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Barn Swallow, and two Least Flycatchers.  A respectable 14 species of warblers were found, highlighted by a MacGillivray’s Warbler in Venice and a stake-out Black-throated Gray Warbler on Grand Isle.  Other rare “winter warblers” had good counts, with one American Redstart on each of four counts perhaps being the most unusual, but also six Yellow-throated Warblers, two Prairie Warblers, two Northern Waterthrushes, and a remarkable 80 Wilson’s Warblers on 14 counts. 

Several western vagrant songbirds are continuing a pattern of low, but regular occurrence, such as a Great Kiskadee at White Lake, four Ash-throated Flycatchers, four Western Kingbirds, six Cave Swallows, three Spotted Towhees, two Western Tanagers, three Clay-colored Sparrows, 13 Harris’s Sparrows, and 15 Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

Several short-distance migrants were in particularly high numbers this winter.  Like in many states across the southeast, the winter was punctuated by a Red-breasted Nuthatch invasion.  In this record-breaking year, 163 birds were reported from 17 counts; this represents the highest CBC count ever in Louisiana and the third highest after correcting for effort (0.12 birds/party-hour), just short of two counts 32 and 35 years ago and 6.1 times higher than the previous 10-year average.  It was also an above-average year for Pine Siskin; with 231 birds reported from six counts, this represented the 2^nd highest tally ever and after correcting for effort (0.17 birds/party-hour), the 5^th highest count in the last 30 years.  This was also an impressive year for White-crowned Sparrows, particularly in southwestern Louisiana circles, with >400 birds reported from the White Lake, Sabine N.W.R., Johnson’s Bayou, and Creole counts.  The total of 2711 birds more than doubled any previous count.  Observers often noted that a very large percentage of these were in 1^st winter plumage, suggesting a productive breeding season, at least for populations that migrate to Louisiana.

Thanks to all who participated in counts and submitted data.  Your hard work provides valuable insights into population trends for many species that would otherwise go unmonitored.