American Birds, the Annual Summary of the Christmas Bird Count

Greg Lavaty

Le Conte's Sparrow seen on the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge in Texas on the Christmas Bird Count.

The annual summary of the Christmas Bird Count, American Birds, was published through to the 112th edition and contains the regional summaries for all of the counts conducted, as well as feature articles on a range of topics unique to the CBC. Features include coverage of the history of some long-running CBC circles, shifts in ranges uncovered by the CBC data and the challenges and fun encountered by individuals participating on the Christmas Bird Count.

Online printable copies of American Birds are available below back to the 102nd summary edition, with synopsis editions of the 98th to the 101st also available, and copies of the original Bird Lore publication from editions 1-23. Bird Lore was the original publication in which CBC data was reported in the early years of the count.

Downloadable Resources

Chronology of Christmas Bird Count publications

Annual Summaries

David Armer

The 112th Christmas Bird Count had the promise of being a season with plenty of Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) around, and the anticipation bore plentiful fruit as these magnificent birds moved southward in record number. The irruption was unusually widespread in geographic scope, but birders and CBC participants in Montana, where our cover subject was photographed, were treated to large numbers of Snowy Owls in that region.

American Birds 2011-2012, Summary of the 112th Christmas Bird Count

In addition to three wonderful feature articles that highlight the value of the Christmas Bird Count, American Birds contains an announcement of two important changes to the Christmas Bird count.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Guy L. Monty

Much of the anticipation we feel when setting out on Christmas Bird Counts is from the expectation of finding the unexpected, or for that matter any brightly colored avian gem during the early winter period. While the Townsend's Warbler (Setophaga townsendii) can be found in large numbers of CBCs along the West Coast, it is also found as a vagrant in the East. One particularly lovely aspect of this species is that, unlike many other warblers, adult males retain their bright plumage through the winter--as illustrated by this stunning male in a setting especially fitting for the holidy season.

American Birds 2010-2011, Summary of the 111th Christmas Bird Count

In this issue of American Birds you’ll find a series of feature articles that highlight many aspects of the Christmas Bird Count.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Nick Saunders

Whether the prediction is for a big irruption year or not, one of the hoped-for rewards for a day in the field on just about any Christmas Bird Count season across much of North America is the chance at encountering some "winter finches." Even in non-invasion seasons such as the 110th, crossbills are a real treat for observers in many locations continent-wide. One of the counts blessed with good numbers of Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) during the 110th count was Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where this individual was artfully portrayed.

American Birds 2009-2010, Summary of the 110th Christmas Bird Count

In keeping with the past several seasons, weather systems again were the big story for the 110^th CBC, especially on weekends and especially in the heavily CBC-laden Northeastern region.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Noah Strycker

Though penguins have been tallied on Christmas Bird Counts in or near southern South America over the past few seasons, they have been of species that breed on the mainland, not birds restricted to the ice of the Antarctic continent. During the 109th CBC Adelie Penguins (Pygoscelus adeliae) were tallied for the first time (in the hundreds of thousands!), their inclusion a result of the brand new count, the first ever in Antarctica, at Cape Crozier. Photo/Noah Strycker.

American Birds 2008-2009, Summary of the 109th Christmas Bird Count

Inclement weather once again played a major factor during the official count period, shaping the overall results of the 109th CBC season.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

John B. Spohrer, Jr.

Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii) are skulkers of the grasslands, and it is often difficult to appreciate the subtle beauty of such birds given how hard they are to see. Normally found on CBCs in the southwest and Mexico, this beautifully photographed example was one of the two found this season at Apalachicola Bay -St. Vincent N.W.R., Florida. Photo/John B. Spohrer, Jr.

American Birds 2007-2008, Summary of the 108th Christmas Bird Count

The 108th CBC season proved to be a challenging one for many observers weather-wise, but still all told a record high level of participation was reached.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Roy Halpin

The holiday season brings presents in many ways, and such gifts are usually wrapped in bright colors. Christmas Bird Count observers on the Econlockhatchee, Florida, CBC ended the year with a spectacular day for their count and turned up many exciting finds. But none was more stunning than this Vermillion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus), not only a holiday treat for participants but the first of this species ever found on the count since its inception in the 84th CBC. Photo/Roy Halpin

American Birds 2006-2007, Summary of the 107th Christmas Bird Count

The 107th CBC surpassed last season's record high level of participation, reaching an all-time high number of observers even as storms battered the central portions of the continent.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Photo by Steve Metz

Many catalysts draw us into the field on Christmas Bird Counts, and one of them is the change to find an exciting bird. One of the questions many observers have in mind each season is whether they will encounter a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), certainly one of the world's most spectacular birds of prey. The 106th CBC was a good one for Snowy Owl sightings, with good numbers found in many northern regions. However, the southernmost individual of the season was this Snowy, impeccably photographed on Oklahoma's Hula River Christmas Bird Count.

American Birds 2005-2006, Summary of the 106th Christmas Bird Count

The 106th CBC again had record-high number of counts included and participants involved, catalyzed by a good flight of wandering arctic Snowy Owls.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

John James Audubon

Snowy Egret artwork.

American Birds 2004-2005, Summary of the 105th Christmas Bird Count

Publication Reference:

American Birds 2004-2005, Summary of the 105th Christmas Bird Count

The 105th CBC smashed records across the boards--number of counts included, number of participants involved, and species totals in North America and the Tropics.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Photo by Arthur Morris

American Birds 2003-2004, Summary of the 104th Christmas Bird Count

Publication Reference:

American Birds 2003-2004, Summary of the 104th Christmas Bird Count

The 104th CBC was another eventful season-see all the details in American Birds.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Photo by Jay and Kevin McGowan

Highly intelligent, extremely social, sometimes maligned, and frequently misunderstood, the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is also one of the most common and widespread birds of North America. Studies have documented some startling similarities to human social behavior, including mutual grooming (called "allopreening"), as demonstrated by the adult and hatching year bird on the cover. Crows have been hard hit by the West Nile virus; ongoing studies, including many utilizing Christmas Bird Count data, help to document and understand the magnitude of the virus' impact.

American Birds 2002-2003, Summary of the 103rd Christmas Bird Count

Publication Reference:

American Birds 2002-2003, Summary of the 103rd Christmas Bird Count

The 103rd CBC was another record count—see all the details in American Birds.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Phil Jeffrey

Hummingbirds have become a real phenomenon on Christmas Bird Counts, both in their “expected” area of abundance along the Gulf Coast and in southern areas, and increasingly on far-flung CBCs to the north. This Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), an immature male, was attracted not by feeders but by late-blooming flowers, and spent the fall at Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers, New York, to be counted on the Bronx-Westchester, New York, CBC. Photo/Phil Jeffrey

American Birds 2001-2002, Summary of the 102nd Christmas Bird Count

The 102nd Christmas Bird Count was a resounding success—a record number of Counts were conducted, and another new record was set for n

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

Summaries of the Christmas Bird Count, years 98-101, and years 1-23, 30, 34, 38

The summaries of the Christmas Bird Count for years 98-101, the very first Christmas Bird Count report from the count in 1900, and the results from the 1st to the 23rd, 30, 34, 38th CBC.

Type: Page | From: National Audubon Society Birds

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