This Year’s Christmas Bird Count Showed More Bird Species Than In Prior Years, Plus An Unexpected Bird Not Seen Before At This Season

Cliff Hagen, President of Protectors of Pine Oaks Woods, answered several questions about the Christmas Bird Count, held on Staten Island on December 16^th, or the Saturday before Christmas.

The bird count started because someone named Frank Chapman decided in 1900 that humans should be stewards of the birds instead of their killers, and while the tradition of the Christmas bird hunt has thankfully faded into history, the bird count lives on, becoming more popular with each passing year. How wonderful for the birds! I wonder if they remember….

Q– When did the bird count occur, and why is it done on this day? Does the day of the count have anything specifically to do with the birds themselves?

A- The Christmas bird count was on Saturday December 16^th, the week before Christmas. The Protectors try to do it the Saturday before Christmas.

It originally started on Christmas Day in 1900, to take the place of the annual Christmas bird hunt, which was popular at the time. On Staten Island, they do it the week before the holiday since most people spend the holiday itself with their families. It is done out of tradition during the Christmas season rather than having to do with the habits of the birds; it was started in 1900 (see below for the history of the tradition).

Frank Chapman decided, in the spirit of John James Audubon, not to kill birds anymore. Christmas was a big bird hunting season, where people tried to kill as many birds as they could. So as a naturalist, he asked why not go out and count all of the birds instead of killing them? The idea caught on, and has been done since then. The Christmas Bird Count has spread throughout the country; it is in all 50 states, as well as in Canada, South America, 20 foreign countries, and many Pacific islands.

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service,“The CBC began on Christmas Day, 1900. Previously, many families would have Christmas hunting competitions — known as side hunts — to see who could kill the most birds. Frank Chapman, an early Audubon officer, wanted to offer an alternative. The first count took place in  25 locations, from California to Canada, counting 90 different species.

“This idea clearly caught on. This was a time of growing awareness of bird conservation, culminating with the signing of the first Migratory Bird Treaty, so it came at the right time, and touched a chord with people. Today, there are thousands of bird circles, in all 50 states, and 20 foreign countries, with tens of thousands of participants. In 2021-’22, almost 43 million birds were tallied!”

Q- How many bird species and individual birds were counted?

A-There were 120 different species identified. They are always looking for new people to help out and get involved with the bird count.  For those interested in participating,  you can sign up next year at their website. The  2023 totals showed 24,680 individual birds.

Q- Was this higher than in previous years?

A-It was better than usual, but not the best we have ever had. It was a good year. In 2022, we had almost 27,000 individual birds but only 116 species. Year before that,  in 2021, we had 118 species and just over 25,000 individual birds. It’s been a fairly consistent number over the years.

There are a lot of birds that are here on Staten Island throughout the year, such as bluejays and robins, but the robins that are here now are actually from Canada. This is where they overwinter, as NYC is warmer than Canada, though we humans wouldn’t consider it “warm.”

They are here for the winter, as it’s warmer for them. The bluejays, cardinals, and robins we see in the winter are often from Canada, whereas the birds that are here in the summer tend to be from further south, so even though there are bluejays, cardinals, and robins all year-round, the bluejays, for example, that we see now may be from Canada, but during the summer the birds we’ll see will go further south in the winter, so they are presently at their overwintering locations.

Q– Were there any species that have never been seen before on the island?

A- They have never seen a yellow warbler during this season, though they are common in the summer. They usually come in April through September, and they nest all over Staten island, but there was one in December this year:  that was a first.

Yellow warbler. Image Credit – Patrice Bouchard

Q– Were there any species thought to be extinct that were found?

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A-They wish they could find an extinct species of bird. The yellow warbler was completely unexpected, but most are expected.

Q- What kind of volunteering work do you need local residents to help with? 

A-Protectors of Pine Oak Woods is always open to volunteer support. Every third Saturday, they host the Forest Restoration Workshop. Generally the two people who organize it, they identify a location within the greenbelt that needs our support, then they remove invasive species of plants, trees, vines, and grasses. Then, at the appropriate time of season, they will plant native plants.

This occurs on the third Saturday of every month. They offer the credit for students needing community service. Interested persons don’t need to register; it is on their website siprotectors.org. click the events button where the walks are shown. The next one is March 16th along the Latourette Park bike path. People will meet at the Field of Dreams across from Costco.

Banner Image: John James Audubon illustration of a variety of birds. Image Credit – Boston Public Library