Photo courtesy Shelley-Anne and John Goulet.
Central Alberta birders recorded an increase of species spotted in the region during the annual Christmas Bird Count, with a few surprises.
On Dec. 22, 2024, 81 participants from the Red Deer River Naturalists recorded 49 species, and 3,988 individual birds.
An additional 21 birds were counted during the count week, bumping the total to 4,009 birds recorded.
In 2023, 37 species were identified, with 5,760 birds.
Photo courtesy Shelley-Anne and John Goulet.
Shelley-Anne Goulet, Central Alberta bird count compiler attributed the species increase to the mild winter.
“There were a few birds we noticed that although it's not uncommon they stay for the winter, there were more of them,” she said.
Adding that, a white-throated sparrow was spotted, that should have migrated in the fall.
“If the food source is abundant and we have a mild winter, some birds will stay,” Goulet said.
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A surprise for counters was a killdeer that shouldn’t have been in the region at all, and a group of 65 robins.
“It's not uncommon to have a few robins around, but that many seemed quite different,” Goulet said.
This year, there was an influx of sparrows, with a total of 469 recorded. Due to the high number of sparrows, more hawks have been seen in the area.
“The sharp-shinned hawk is starting to come into the cities, and they're feasting on the house sparrows,” Goulet said. “If there's a food source, they find it.”
A sharp-shinned hawk hasn’t been recorded in a count since 2017.
Photo courtesy Shelley-Anne and John Goulet.
The data collected from the count will be submitted to Birds Canada and be used to research migration trends and bird populations.
“It will help see our impact on the environment, and what we’re doing to the birds,” Goulet said. “We have to coexist, but some are losing their habitat. It’s quite sad because they all contribute to the ecosystem.”
Goulet is hopeful that more Central Albertans will be interested in learning about nature, by joining the Red Deer River Naturalists for nature walks and future counts.
Here are the full results from the count:
Canada Geese - 101
Mallard Ducks - 343
Lesser Scaup Ducks - 2
Common Goldeneye Ducks - 86
Bufflehead Ducks - 1
Common Merganser Ducks - 16
Ruffed Grouse - 3
Sharp Tailed Grouse - (5cw)
Gray Partridge - 72 plus (8cw)
Rock Pigeon - 347
Eurasian Collared Dove - 6 plus (2cw)
Mourning Dove - 1
Northern Goshawk - (1cw)
Bald Eagle - 9
Sharp Shinned Hawk - 2 plus (1cw)
Great Horned Owl - 3
Great Gray Owl - 2
Downey Woodpecker - 59
Hairy Woodpecker - 18
Northern Flicker - 22
Pileated Woodpecker - 11
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker - 2
Merlin - 1 plus (1cw)
Northern Shrike - 1 plus (1cw)
Canada Jay - 8
Blue Jay - 67
Black Billed Magpie - 231
American Crow - 15
Common Raven - 137
Black Capped Chickadee - 654
Boreal Chickadee - 26
Bohemian Waxwing - 445
Cedar Waxwing - 9
Red-Breasted Nuthatch - 97
White-Breasted Nuthatch - 62
Brown Creeper - 1
American Robin - 10
House Sparrow - 469
Pine Grosbeak - 10
House Finch - 55
Purple Finch - 3
Common Redpoll - 33
Hoary Redpoll - 5
White-Winged Crossbill - 13
Pine Sisken - 3
Snow Bunting - 485 plus (2cw)
Dark eyed Junco - 15
Horned Lark - 24
American Tree Sparrow - 2
Sparrow species (not known what type) - 1
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