EDMONTON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
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  • Home
  • Participate
  • Zone Maps
  • How to Count
  • Winter Birds
  • Send in your numbers!
  • Results #123
  • Captains Resources

Results from the Count

  Edmonton has been continuously participating
​in this citizen science project   since 1955.
Edmonton holds the all-time record for number of participants!
And we're the Black-capped Chickadee capital of Canada.
Our World records:
PARTICIPATION World Record = 1288      (1987) Edmonton, AB
Boreal Owl = 8 in 2005 
Black-billed Magpie = 3,447 in 2020
Bohemian Waxwing = 35,298 in 2005
 Our   Canadian Records
Downy Woodpecker = 568 in 2015
Blue Jay = 1,598 in 1988
Black-capped Chickadee = 6,239 in 2003
Note:    Canadian and World record updates become available in the following  year’s report. 
The Audubon website allows you to  search for  results by year and for any specific count including Edmonton.   Historical Results ​

Audubon Count Year #123 for December 2022 and January 2023
2022 Edmonton  Christmas  Bird Count   Final Results
​Edmonton's Count was held Sunday, December 18th, 2022. The weather was a bit challenging; both birds and bush beaters spent time sheltering from the cold, snowy       conditions! Zone captains organized folks to survey their zones with less time  spent walking, and more  time than usual driving during surveys.   The temperature hovered around minus 20 and   the overcast, snowy day didn't provide the best visibility. Photos provided by participants reflect the conditions they experienced,  however, thanks to everyone's efforts, we had another successful count and recorded only  one less species than last year!
Picture
Dark-eyed Junco, Zone 4 by Bob Bowhay
Picture
Barred Owl in the count circle by Berta Beltran
Highlights for December 18, 2022: 
  • Almost all zones recorded   Northern Flicker   as several   overwintered in Edmonton, rather than heading further south.
  • The number of cavity nesting birds such as    woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees    are strong,  and those birds must be able to find a   good number of   suitable trees including    dead limbs and snags.  
  • Responding to Count historian, Geoff Holroyd's  challenge    to watch carefully for  Purple Finch, two    of our feeder watchers each reported a Purple Finch along with reasons the birds weren't their usual House Finches.
  • Participants found 40 of the 43 "A List" (expected species), as well as 7  additional species from the "B list" of  difficult birds for a total of 47 species!
Picture
Cedar Waxwing, Zone 4 by Bob Bowhay
Picture
Northern Goshawk, Zone 1 by Vivek Dabral
Also notable:​ 
  •  There was some open water on the river.  Hundreds of ducks were present and    attracted  eagles   ( ducks are a food source).
  • Flocks of winter finches such as  redpolls, grosbeaks and crossbills   did not move into the area in time for the Count. They were found only in very small numbers in a few zones.
  • Reduced numbers of finches and waxwings in the area, as well as fewer pigeons and house sparrows counted,    led to the  number of individual birds  being  less than last year.  Zone 4 did find a nice little flock of Cedar Waxwings!
  • Our ABC list of expected, difficult and rare bird species has been updated. After several years of Canada Goose sightings, the species has moved up to the A list ( although it wasn't seen this Count).  Boreal Owl, Hoary Redpoll and Snow Bunting are no longer expected and have all moved down to the B list. Ring-necked Pheasant has  dropped to C list status. 
Picture
Common Goldeneye, Goldbar area, by Alfred Scott
Picture
Bald Eagle, Goldbar area, by Alfred Scott
​​Participation and total numbers:
​# of Bush beaters: 187
# of Feeder watchers:  235
Total Participants: 446
 Total # of Birds:   14349 
Total Species:  47
​
​Results compiled by:

Ann Carter, Event coordinator
Statistics by:
​
Geoff Holroyd, Count historian
Count historian, Geoff Holroyd notes that our participation numbers remain strong, and far beyond those of any other count. We hope to maintain this  tradition for Edmonton! Thanks to everyone who participates!  Geoff also notes that our number of species has hovered just under 50 for several years. Can we push through to the 50 species mark? 
Picture
Rock Pigeon by Berta Beltran. One zone missed it!
Picture
Black-billed Magpie by Emily Gorda. They're everywhere!

“A List”  Expected Bird Species:    40 out of 43 species    
 ​Canada Goose  ZERO (1st year on the A list)
Mallard  480
Common Goldeneye  159  
Ruffed Grouse ZERO for the 4th year in a row
Gray Partridge  35
Rock Pigeon  703
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk   1
Northern Goshawk  3
Bald Eagle  6
Great Horned Owl  9
N. Saw-whet Owl 3 
Three-toed Woodpecker ZERO (cw last year)
Downy Woodpecker  351
Hairy Woodpecker  52
Pileated Woodpecker  57
Northern Flicker  65
Merlin  5
Northern Shrike  2
Blue Jay  320
Black-billed Magpie  1988
American Crow  60
Common Raven  394

"A List"    continued
Black-capped Chickadee 2125

Boreal Chickadee  10
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2

Red-breasted Nuthatch  426
White-breasted Nuthatch  173
Brown Creeper  8
European Starling  50

Townsend's Solitaire  5
American Robin  25
Bohemian Waxwing  403 (2084 last year)
Cedar Waxwing  38
House Sparrow  4748
Pine Grosbeak  43    (145 last year)

House Finch  1073     (1709 last year, 1240 in '20, 853 in '19)
Purple Finch  2    (ZERO   last year)   
Common Redpoll  49    (1314 last year)
White-winged Crossbill  7    (80 last year)
Pine Siskin  8    (87 last year)
Dark-eyed Junco  440    (119 last year)
White-throated Sparrow  3

"B List”  Difficult To Find     Bird Species:   Total of 7 species  
 Common Merganser 2         Zone 7
Barred Owl 1           Count circle
Boreal Owl 1           Zone 1   (just moved from A list)

Black-backed Woodpecker 1        Zone 3
Red Crossbill 10        Zone 2
American Goldfinch 1      Zone 12
White-crowned Sparrow 1       Zone 2
“C List”  Rare Species:  Total of 0 species (0 individuals)
None
File with details of all zone specific numbers   2022.dec.18.results.by.zone.xlsx
Report from last year VIEW HERE
Picture
Red-breasted Nuthatch counted in Whitemud Ravine by Wayne Oakes

Banner photo: Immature Bald Eagle  by A. Carter
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