American Birds, the Annual Summary of the Christmas Bird Count

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.

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.

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.