Please register to take part in the field or at home
The Calgary CBC will be on Sunday December 15. We need birders to take part out in the field counting birds, as well as Feeder Watchers counting in their yards. All participants, whether new or returning birders, must register so we have up-to-date contact information, and, for Feeder Watchers, correct addresses.
Redpoll (at the time, Common Redpoll) taken by Lou Zaganelli on the 2023 Count.
Here is everything you need to know about the Christmas Bird Count, from organizer Matt Wallace:
I am inviting you to take part in the upcoming 2024 Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC) happening on December 15!
As you likely know, the CBC is the longest-running citizen science project which began in the year 1900 as a way to encourage people to appreciate birds while helping to conserve them through data collection. The Calgary event began in 1952 and is one of the largest CBC events in Western Canada with nearly 400 people participating annually.
Consider this event to be the annual census of our winter birds in Calgary! It requires lots of people and effort to conduct this event, so we are always looking for birders of all experiences and abilities to take part. We really aim to use this event as a way to build up our community of nature enthusiasts and would love for you to share the event information with your friends, family, colleagues, and community.
We have 38 circle sections and assign people to survey designated sections. All birds are identified and counted, and it usually runs the entire day depending on our participant’s availability. Bird submissions are made via eBird and shared with our CBC Compiler account. We also accept field templates from people who prefer to use them.We have section leaders who work with their groups to determine meeting locations, targeted areas, summarize effort data, and submit it back to our compilation team. We are looking for both field participants and field leaders (both returning and new).
Feeder Watchers (FWs):
People (individuals and families) observe birds visiting their yards and feeders for a minimum of 30 minutes on count day. FWs submit their data using a pre-formatted template which we provide. FWs are very important for our count as they help to fill in the data gaps where our field teams can’t access due to time or privacy. FWs must reside within the count circle, but we will confirm your address to ensure you are eligible to participate.
Data Entry/ Analysis:
Anyone interested in helping us to compile data is welcome! I often receive hundreds of emails with data templates, photos, and stories of the CBC. I manage but would love to have an assistant to help with this!
We continue to expand on our ways of showcasing the hard work of our volunteers. We have approximately 20 years of data (30 binders or so) which includes the detailed “section data” for the Calgary count. Yes, we submit all of the cumulative count “Circle” data to Audubon each year, but the section data is of interest to us on a local scale for showing how changes in our landscape and may influence bird populations.We would like to get all of this data entered prior to the 2024 count so that we can provide some additional infographics and analysis at the results presentation in January 2025.
In addition to the data entry, we would love anyone with skills in GIS and data visualization to join our compilation team in producing the final report (for media and the community).
So, all that’s left to do is register so I have your contact information, and we will be in touch soon! We look forward to you joining our CBC and thank you! Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions citynatureyyc@gmail.com.
Results of the January 1, 2024 Fish Creek Park Count.
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
The annual half-day bird count in Fish Creek Park was a lot of fun and a great success again this New Year’s Day. We had a high number of species, with high counts for several, and some new species for the count. It was another mild day, as it had been for pretty much the whole winter up to then.
Sunrise in Fish Creek Park, January 1, 2024. Photo by Matt Wallace.
Forty-three birders went out to eight sections of the park. We found a total of 42 species, up from the ten-year average of 35. There were two new species not recorded before (Cackling Goose and Greater Scaup), and record high counts for six others.
Cackling Goose
10
Canada Goose
2,321
Trumpeter Swan
3
Tundra Swan
4
American Wigeon
7
Mallard
771
Northern Pintail
1
Green-winged Teal
4
Redhead
2
Greater Scaup
1
Bufflehead
179
Common Goldeneye
920
Barrow’s Goldeneye
13
Common Merganser
27
Ring-necked Pheasant
2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
17
Sharp-shinned Hawk
3
Bald Eagle
12
Great Horned Owl
2
Belted Kingfisher
1
Downy Woodpecker
31
Hairy Woodpecker
11
Pileated Woodpecker
5
Northern Flicker
53
Merlin
4
Northern Shrike
1
Blue Jay
5
Black-billed Magpie
133
American Crow
2
Common Raven
86
Black-capped Chickadee
219
Mountain Chickadee
7
Boreal Chickadee
11
White-breasted Nuthatch
42
Red-breasted Nuthatch
33
Townsend’s Solitaire
2
American Robin
1
Bohemian Waxwing
277
House Sparrow
78
Pine Grosbeak
12
House Finch
20
Dark-eyed Junco
1
Our group covered the Hull’s Wood/Sikome Lake/Boat Launch areas. Matt Wallace took some great photos of our day.
Fish Creek near the Bow River. Photo by Matt Wallace.We found a group of four overwintering Tundra Swans on the Bow. Photos by Matt Wallace.We also count mammals. This Porcupine was snoozing up in a tree. Photos by Matt Wallace.WAY up in a tree.Despite the Park Rules, someone has been leaving seeds for the birds. This Downy Woodpecker was so used to being fed that it kept comng to our hands briefly even though we had no food. Photo by Matt Wallace.We wanted to take a team photo, so Dan grabbed a few seeds so that the Downy would stay long enough to get in the photo too. Photo by Matt Wallace.
This count is not an official Christmas Bird Count, but it has a pretty long history now, and it is an important tool to monitor the long-term population trends in the park. If you want to learn more about the count in all areas of the park, come to Birds & Beers this Thursday, February 8, where the Count Organizer Jim Washbrook will present the results and answer questions.
Results of the Calgary and Priddis Christmas Bird Counts will also be presented at Birds & Beers. In case you missed it, here are some of the results from the Calgary Count, showing the species recorded and the numbers of each:
Next Thursday, February 8th, we will have another Birds & Beers meeting in Calgary. As usual, we meet in the big ballroom at the Royal Canadian Legion at 9202 Horton Road SW. The event starts at 5 pm.
A Black-billed Magpie seen by a Feeder Watcher on the 2023 Calgary Christmas Bird Count. Photo by Lou Zaganelli.
After some time for socializing, eating, and drinking, there will be a presentation on some of the recent Christmas Bird Counts that took place in the Calgary area. Matthew Wallace will present the results of the Calgary Count, Gavin McKinnon on the Priddis Count, and Jim Washbrook on the Fish Creek Park New Year’s Day Count. The presentation starts at about 7 pm.
A Common Redpoll seen on the Calgary Count. They have been scarce this winter here, but we had almost a hundred on the count. Photo by Lou Zaganelli.
Everyone is welcome at Birds & Beers! See you there!
We had really good results on the Calgary CBC on Sunday December 17. The weather was still very mild, and we had a lot of partcipation both in the field and at backyard feeders. The species total was 72, with an additional 2 Count Week species not seen on Count Day but seen on the three days before or after the count.
The first Cassin’s Finch ever seen on a Calgary CBC! Photo by Laura Bentley.
Below are the results as reported by Matt Wallace, the organizer of the count. First, watch a YouTube video with a quick summary. Next, the Summary Report has some details about the species counted on page one, and then a list of the birds on pages two and three. Just hover over the report and use the arrows at the bottom of the page to navigate there. Third, if you really want a lot of detail, and want to make your own graphs and so on, you can download the Results file. Finally, anyone can explore the eBird Trip Report, which includes all the checklists and photos submitted by our Field Teams.
_____________________________________________
From Matt:
Lara, Bob, and myself finally have all of the numbers tallied for the 72nd annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count! After a few days of enjoying the holidays ourselves, we’ve got the results ready for you to enjoy and explore!
Count Summary:
So, our total count this year was 35,833 birds! We had 72 species documented on count day with 2 more species found during count week. We added 3 new species to our 72 year list which included a Cassin’s Finch, Gray Catbird, and Western Grebe. Our “Count Week Birds” were a Yellow-rumped Warbler and Winter Wren.
Overall, our total bird count was way down from previous years but our species count was right on par with our 15-year average. Our low numbers are undoubtedly related to our low counts of Canada Goose, Mallard, and Bohemian Waxwings. It’s challenging to say exactly why this is but likely related to the warm temperatures we’ve experienced with very little ice on the river. When we have lots of ice on the river system there are few places for waterfowl to congregate. The Elbow and Bow do not freeze over entirely even in the coldest of winter so this is where they gather. When there is very little ice the birds are unlikely to congregate within the count circle. We heard little about dead birds from field teams this year but we know that avian flu has been a big issue the past few years. This may have contributed to our lower counts but really it is not clear at this time. As for our finches and waxwings, our numbers were below what we expected but again there is bountiful food for them currently in the boreal regions which again would not drive them towards or into our circle.
Overall, we are really pleased with how the count went this year despite having lower numbers of birds. We heard from lots of people that they enjoyed their day exploring new areas of the city and getting to meet new birders. We had 16 brand new birders (less than one year of birding) and 74 participants who had never taken part in a CBC before! We also had several participants that were participating for their third or fourth decade! Just amazing to see the age range (4-99 years), diversity of skill levels, and support that our Calgary birding community brings together! Thank you for all of your hard work and we should all celebrate what we accomplished as a community!
Below are some ways you can explore the results in further in detail:
1) Results Video: If you’d like a quick recap of the event you can now view the Results video on YouTube. https://youtu.be/EgwSl1iEp6Y (see above). Please feel free to share and we’d love for a few likes and subscribers! If you submitted some photos, you’re likely to find a mention. We also had to cherry-pick a few photos from our eBird Trip Report but have credited each photographer. If you’re still sitting on some photos or videos from count day, please send these along so we can use them in our results presentation in January.
2) Summary Report (.PDF): This is a brief summary of all of the bird and effort data we collected showing the final results and a few graphs of how far we’ve come over the years.
3) Bonus: Results Excel File: This is a detailed snapshot of our “behind the scenes” work which Lara has masterfully crafted for our count circle the past three years. Feel free to explore this at your own leisure if you’re a data nerd like us! This may be a bit more technical than some people would like but I figured a few people may be interested in seeing it anyways. Download the file to explore it.
A few tips for this file:
Use the tabs at the bottom of the page. There are really only a few tabs to be concerned with here (Graphs, Analysis, and Report). Look for any bold red text to help you understand how to investigate the data:
Graphs Tab:
In cells A3 (species) and A37 (Family) you can enter any species we’ve ever had on the Calgary count to produce immediate graphs. You must type the exact spelling of the species you would like to review. If your graphs are appearing empty, the spelling is likely off. If you are unsure of the spelling you can copy and paste the names of the birds found in the “Report” tab. You can then hover your mouse over the graphs to see the numbers for each year.
Analysis Tab:
In Row 7 you can use the drop down filters to explore things like News species, Record Highs, Record Lows, and comparisons between our yearly averages for each species.
Report Tab:
This tab is essentially what you see in the Summary Report File.
The 2024 Calgary CBC will take place on December 22, 2024! I’ve gone ahead and set up the registration form for next year in the case you wanted to register in advance. Just a note that this form will be online throughout the year so there is no rush to get it filled out. We will be sending out reminders and information September-December 2024. https://forms.gle/wBcfCRD4sqFpQ8qq9
One thing that isn’t displayed on our spreadsheets is the number of NEW birders/ participants we had this year (see comments above). This is one of the reasons why we are using a registration form – simply because we want to keep the CBC as accessible as possible!
We are working with Nature Calgary to organize a CBC 2023 event presentation in January and will send out an invitation to all 2023 participants to join the event and do a more in-depth analysis of our results this year!
You may also know that I assist with organizing other citizen science events throughout the year including the Calgary City Nature Challenge, Bioblitzes, Biodiversity Challenge, National Moth Week, and various other bird counts! Most of these are shared on my social media pages (@ CityNatureYYC) on Instagram, Twitter (X), and Facebook. If you’re keen on participating in other events, give these pages a follow so you’re up to date on what is happening around Calgary and Southern Alberta! I also reshare any photos or videos people post so if you’re out on your own, tag me and I’ll reshare your nature stuff!
Thank you very much to all participants and we look forward to having you back next year! I hope you all had a great time and are enjoying your holidays.
More Birders Needed For the Calgary Christmas Bird Count.
Many of our regulars are away or busy with other events this year, so we have a bit of a shortage of birders to help with the count, which is next Sunday. We can use experienced birders who could lead the effort in a section of the city, or help with a field team in a section. Even if you are a novice birder you can help assist a field team. The more eyes the better! Plus we are always looking for more people to count birds at their backyard feeders. That can take as little as 30 minutes.
House Finch. A common backyard bird, but they all need counting! Photo by Bob Lefebvre.
You can register to participate in the count at this page. You may use this form even if you just want more information and may not take part this year. If you have any questions, you can email me at birdscalgary@gmail.com.
Thanks for helping out in this long-running Citizen Science project!
The Calgary CBC will take place on Sunday December 17. If you want to take part either as part of a Field Team or as a backyard Feeder Watcher, please fill out the registration form. People who particpated last year will have already received this by email. Please only register once!
CBC Coordinator Matthew Wallace has created a CBC2023 Registration Form for all participants to fill out. We know that it’s a bit of a pain to have to fill this out annually. However, it drastically reduces the number of emails Matt receives and helps him to keep all of the information better organized (and updated if there are changes to your contact information). Please feel free to share the form with anyone you know who may be interested in taking part! The form is for ALL participants (Field Teams and Feeder Watchers).
Note that to be a Feeder Watcher, recording birds in your yard, you have to live within the Count Circle, which does not include the entire city. We will inform you if you resgister as a Feeder Watcher and your address lies outside the circle.
Great Horned Owl photographed by Matthew Wallace on last year’s Calgary CBC. December 19, 2021, Tsuut’ina Nation, Calgary.
Below is more information about the count from Matt Wallace:
Calgary Count Day: Sunday, December 17, 2023
As you know, we have two divisions for people to participate. Field Teams and Feeder Watchers. Both are critical roles for us to be able to get adequate coverage of the circle area. Below is a brief summary of the roles. I also want to thank both Lara Fitzpatrick and Bob Lefebvre for agreeing to assist with compilation of all of your data submissions!
Field Teams: Field Teams are composed of a circle Section Leader and section teams which help to survey a specific region of the circle. Leaders are generally carried forward from previous years but we often require a handful of NEW leaders to assist in circle areas which are unable to participate in any given year. The teams of volunteers communicate with their leaders to find out where they will survey. Sometimes this is as a group and other times teams are split up to cover their section. Each year we try our best to get everyone who has expressed interest in joining field teams out in the field and in an area of the city that they are interested in (BUT this is not always possible due to having too many people in one section and not others). Participants who are assigned to teams will be contacted by their Section Leaders to coordinate meeting locations or objectives (i.e. areas to search) in early December. Any late registrations will be offered spots where we are lacking participants. Trust me when I say we’ll do our best to get you in a zone that’s interesting but please have an open mind and be willing to travel if needed.
Field Team Data Submission: Once again, we are using eBird to submit our information: bird data (All birds identified and counted). Effort Data is collected by the section leaders for the entire team and is submitted via email using a template.
On the form this year I included a “Comments” section where you can express any interest in potentially being a new field leader.
Feeder Watchers:
FWs are responsible for counting birds at their properties on count day (Dec. 17). Feeder Watchers must reside or be participating at a residence within the count circle for us to be able to use the data. The minimum time required for counting birds is 30 minutes over the course of the day. This can be as a single session or broken up at various times throughout the day. Counting for longer than 30 minutes is encouraged! There is a specific methodology into how birds are counted as an FW. So if you register to be an FW, we will send out instructions into how this works prior to the count.
Feeder Watcher Data Submission: FW data is collected using templates and submitted back via email.
Count Week (December 14-20):
The CBC is essentially a census of all of the birds within our area. Occasionally, we can miss a couple rare birds so count week is an opportunity to scout locations and pick up any birds we may have missed. If you see any interesting birds during this period, please email me directly [citynatureyyc@gmail.com] so that we can include them as “Count Week” birds or notify section leaders to try and find them on count day!
I recently posted about the Calgary Christmas Bird Count, which is a week from today, on Sunday December 18th. Birders, like everyone else, have a lot of committments at this time of year, and we find ourselves a little short of help on some of the field routes. In particular, we need a few people who are good birders and also quite fit, who are able to do long walk through some difficult terrain. One such area is the Paskapoo Slopes near Canada Olympic Park, which has many deep ravines. Last year there was a Barred Owl at the west end of that area, but we missed it! We also need help in the Edgemont Ravines, and possibly in East Calgary at Elliston Park and area (Elliston is not as challenging of a walk). These are all good areas, so you might find something special!
Barred Owl, photographed on Count Day in 2021 near Cougar Ridge. We didn’t know about it until long after the count. Photo by Orlando Pastran, courtesy of Joachim Bertrands.
If you are not up to a long difficult route, or are less experienced, you are still welcome to help out in the field. You will be placed on a team with experienced birders.
For those of you who can’t make it out in the field but watch birds in your yard, we will take as many Feeder Watchers as we can get! We are particularly short in the NE quadrant of the city. Feeder-Watching does not require a long time commitment and can be done in as little as fifteen minutes, or in intervals during the day. Of course, to take part you must live within the count circle.
The Calgary Christmas Bird Count Circle, from Google Earth. Look at all the green space we have to cover!
If you would like to participate this year, or even if you just want more information or may want to take part next year, please fill out the registration form and we will be in contact with you.
Calgary’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) takes place on Sunday December 18, 2022! CBC began in 1900 and is the world’s longest-running citizen science event. The count has been going on in Calgary since 1952 and is a valuable resource for understanding species and population trends of birds found in Calgary and around the world.
Matthew Wallace will once again be organizing the count and compiling the results. Lara Fitzpatrick and I will assist once again.
Please take a minute to fill out the Registration form here. Unless you are a Feeder Watcher who has already been assigned to a FW Captain, we are asking everyone to register, even if you have participated last year or in many past years. This helps to ensure we have the correct and most up-to-date contact information for each person and reduces the thousands of emails down to a more manageable size. It also helps Matthew to organize the required participant information that is submitted to Audubon and confirm that feeder watcher residences are within the count circle.
Calgary CBC Circle, from Google Earth.
Completing the form will ensure that you will receive information that will follow in the next few days. The form is required for both feeder watchers and field participants. It can be shared with anyone who may wish to take part this year. Please share widely. If you are not sure that you can participate, or if you would like more information about the count, please fill out the form so we can contact you.
Great Horned Owl photographed by Matthew Wallace on last year’s Calgary CBC. December 19, 2021, Tsuut’ina Nation, Calgary.
Count Week Birds: If you come across any interesting birds during count week (December 15-21), please send information to citynatureyyc@gmail.com including any notes, counts, or photos you may have.
The counting and correcting is done, and here are the final results of the 2021 Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC). I helped out with the Feeder watchers again this year. Matthew Wallace coordinated the count and finalized the results. Lara Fitzpatrick created the spreadsheets that organized the data. It was a fun learning experience for us, and many emails were exchanged and many hours spent in Zoom meetings.
First, watch this summary video of the count results presented by Matthew:
The 2021 count was held on Sunday December 19. The temperature ranged from about -13 C to -10 C, with some light snow and winds of 10 to 20 kph. So the conditions were pretty good.
We had good participation this year, with 136 people out in the field (pretty much as many as we could manage with Covid protocols and the number of leaders we had) and 177 Feeder Watchers counting in their yards at 125 addresses (we can definitely add more Feeder Watchers).
Bohemian Waxwings seen on the 2021 Calgary CBC. Photo by Arthur Wieckowski
The final total on count day was 73 species, plus another four species seen during Count Week (December 16-22) but missed on Count Day. The total number of individual birds recorded was 71,468. (All numbers have been corrected to account for possible double-counting.)
Field Observers
Feeder Watchers
70 species
36 species
65,640 birds
5,828 birds
Great Horned Owl, December 19, 2021, Tsuut’ina Nation, Calgary. Photo by Matthew Wallace
Below is the bird list and the number of each species reported:
Cackling Goose
4
Canada Goose
18,954
Trumpeter Swan
5
Tundra Swan
1
Wood Duck
3
Gadwall
1
Mallard
17,251
Green-winged Teal
1
Canvasback
2
Redhead
18
Ring-necked Duck
5
Greater Scaup
2
Lesser Scaup
5
Harlequin Duck
4
Bufflehead
144
Common Goldeneye
554
Barrow’s Goldeneye
3
Hooded Merganser
2
Common Merganser
86
Ruddy Duck
1
Sharp-tailed Grouse
3
Gray Partridge
58
Ring-necked Pheasant
11
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
1,450
Eurasian Collared-Dove
2
American Coot
1
Wilson’s Snipe
1
Sharp-shinned Hawk
4
Northern Goshawk
6
Bald Eagle
55
Rough-legged Hawk
6
Great Horned Owl
9
Snowy Owl
1
Northern Saw-whet Owl
1
Belted Kingfisher
3
American Three-toed Woodpecker
2
Downy Woodpecker
264
Hairy Woodpecker
41
Pileated Woodpecker
4
Northern Flicker
419
Merlin
24
Gyrfalcon
1
Northern Shrike
8
Blue Jay
138
Black-billed Magpie
2,529
American Crow
65
Common Raven
649
Black-capped Chickadee
2,218
Mountain Chickadee
7
Boreal Chickadee
7
Golden-crowned Kinglet
2
Red-breasted Nuthatch
199
White-breasted Nuthatch
114
Brown Creeper
17
American Dipper
3
European Starling
326
Townsend’s Solitaire
18
American Robin
82
Bohemian Waxwing
15,676
Cedar Waxwing
11
House Sparrow
7,394
Pine Grosbeak
79
House Finch
2,015
Common Redpoll
294
Hoary Redpoll
2
White-winged Crossbill
41
Pine Siskin
50
American Tree Sparrow
3
Fox Sparrow
1
Dark-eyed Junco
91
White-crowned Sparrow
1
White-throated Sparrow
9
Song Sparrow
2
Other: Sp./Slash/Hybrid
5
The four Count Week birds were Varied Thrush (a continuing backyard bird that failed to show on Count Day), a Killdeer seen in Griffiths Wood Park, a Prairie Falcon seen in the east end on December 18th, and a Greater White-fronted Goose reported and photographed on the Elbow River at Sandy Beach, also on December 18.
Some of the notable birds this year were the two swan species and the Ruddy Duck (all continuing at Carburn Park), the three Sharp-tailed Grouse seen in the Tsuut’ina Nation in the SW, a Wilson’s Snipe and Snowy Owl at Carburn, a White-crowned Sparrow in the Weaselhead, and a Gyrfalcon.
We also had one species that had never been reported in the 69 previous Calgary counts – a Fox Sparrow in the yard of one of our Feeder watchers. This brings our cumulative total of all species reported on Calgary CBC’s to 143.
Fox Sparrow, Calgary. Photo by Bob Lefebvre
Matt Wallace, the count coordinator, has used the data to create some very interesting maps. (The maps below, and many more, will be posted on the Nature Calgary site when they are all complete.)
The Count Circle is divided into Sections, and here you can see how many species were found in each Section, and how the geography of the city influences species density.
Number of Species seen in each Section.
Due to the open water here, we get a lot of Mallards and Canada Geese overwintering. We also often have big flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in the winter. As a result, we tend to get really high numbers of total individual birds reported. This year, 71,468 individual birds were counted. This is one of the highest totals (and possibly the highest) of any of the CBC’s in Canada this year. It is far higher than the totals for the Edmonton or Toronto counts, for example.
Total number of individual birds seen in each Section.
Below is a map that shows all the Feeder Watcher addresses (the white dots). Some areas have quite a few, but we can definitely use more!
Distribution of Feeder Watcher addresses within the Count Circle.
A Black-capped Chickadee photographed by a Feeder Watcher, Calgary, December 19, 2021. Photo by Raman Brar
It’s interesting to look at some individual species. Bald Eagles:
The 55 Bald Eagles reported on the Calgary CBC.
Bald Eagle, Calgary, December 19, 2021. Photo by Arthur Wieckowski
The Eagles are concentrated along the lower stretches of the Bow River, where they feed mostly on sick or injured Mallards.
Here is the Mallard map:
Mallards on the Calgary CBC.
Note how closely the Mallard distribution mirrors that of Bald Eagles. Mallards rest on the river, and go out to farmer’s fields to feed. There was also a huge concentration of 6,000 birds in the bit of open water at the northeast corner of Elliston Lake. Perhaps this is a safe place for them to rest, where there are fewer eagles around to prey on them than along the Bow.
The Canada Goose numbers were even higher than the Mallard numbers, with a similar distribution.
Canada Goose distribution on the Calgary CBC.
Black-billed Magpies are probably the most visible bird in Calgary, as they are found in all habitats and are very vocal. Many residents find them too aggressive and noisy to be likeable, but they are fascinating, beautiful, and intelligent birds. Like other urbanophiles (American Crows, House Sparrows, House Finches, and Rock Pigeons for example), they are doing very well in the urban environment.
Black-billed Magpie distribution.
The total number of Magpies reported on the CBC continues on a long-term upward climb:
As in the Magpie example above, we can use the CBC data to produce graphs of long-term trends of the overall results and of the numbers of individual species. The next graph shows that the number of participants and party-hours has steadily increased over time, as has the total number of birds recorded, but the number of species seen each year has plateaued.
The 73 species we had this year is the third-highest total ever, but it is line with a pretty flat graph since the mid-1980’s:
Below is an interesting graph that shows the number of Sharp-tailed Grouse reported. We had three this year, and three in 2016. But that’s it for the last twenty-plus years. They used to be found on Nose Hill and other areas at the city’s edge. But Nose Hill is now surrounded by development and the city has expanded to most edges of the Count Circle.
Sharp-tailed Grouse, Tsuut’ina Nation, Calgary, December 21, 2021. Photo by Chris Durtnall
The results of the Calgary Count and several other nearby CBC’s were presented at the January meeting of Nature Calgary’s Bird Study Group. The meeting was recorded, and a replay will soon be available on the Nature Calgary site here.
The next Calgary CBC will be on Sunday December 18, 2022. If you haven’t taken part before and are interested in participating, either as a Field Observer or a Feeder Watcher, email me at birdscalgary[at]gmail.com.
Many thanks to Matt Wallace for all his hard work in organizing the count and producing the maps, to Lara Fitzpatrick, who created the spreadsheets that captured all the data, and to the photographers.
Here is a link to an article about the Calgary Count results on CBC news, including a video interview.
Be sure to subscribe to Matthew’s Citizen Blitz channel on YouTube to keep informed about upcoming citizen science events in Calgary – and to see more great nature videos!. You can also follow him on Twitter (atcitynatureyyc) and on Instagram (atcitizenblitz).
Here are the preliminary results of the 70th annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC) which was held on December 19. Over 300 people participated this year – 136 field surveyors and 173 feeder watchers at 123 addresses. The current totals are 72 species (plus an additional two species seen during count week), and 75,917 individual birds.
(A previous version of this post had 326 field surveyors. That was an error, and the number has been corrected.)
Rough-legged Hawk. Five were recorded on this count. Photo by Bob Lefebvre during the 2011 Calgary CBC.
These numbers are slightly higher than last year. The species total is higher than the long-term average of about 66. There are still some adjustments to be made to the numbers and the possibility of adding another species to the total.
For those interested in hearing all the details of this count, Matt Wallace will be speaking on the Nature Calgary Bird Study Group Zoom presentation on Wednesday January 12, along with the compilers of several of the other local CBC’s (and possibly even the Edmonton count!). Nature Calgary members should receive a link to this meeting by email. If you would like to become a Nature Calgary member, see this page.
Common Redpoll. Almost 300 were reported on the Calgary CBC, as well as two Hoary Redpolls. Photo by Bob Lefebvre
Below is a more complete summary of the day, by Matt Wallace:
The 70th annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count took place on December 19. We had a highly successful year and I wanted to share the tentative numbers with you all.
Before jumping into the details I want to thank everyone who participated this year and acknowledge the outstanding efforts that were put in. The legacy and continuation of this count would not be possible without everyone’s contributions and appreciation for the natural world. Thank you to all of the participants and especially our section captains for accommodating the many new birders that joined in on the count. Thank you to TsuuT’ina Nation for allowing us the opportunity to visit your land on count day. I also want to give a special shout out to Lara Fitzpatrick and Bob Lefebvre for their superhuman coordination and data entry powers. They were both calm, cool, and enthusiastic about ensuring the collection of data and experience for participants was accessible and fun. Thank you to all!
Note: These are the tentative numbers (without adjustments) received on count day.
Weather:
A relatively mild day for Calgary in December compared to previous years with temperatures in the -20s. Light winds (~10-15 km/hr) began in the afternoon.
Date
Max Temp.
Min Temp.
Dec 19 2021
‑10.1 °C
‑13.4 °C
Circle Sections and Participants
The Calgary Circle was divided into 38 sections this year. This is consistent with previous years as “subsections” were created for teams to survey within an official section of the circle. We now have an up-to-date digital map that includes all subsections. Participants were able to use the map in the field by saving it to their phone. This helped to ensure they were surveying within the circle boundaries and correct sections that they were assigned to. The Circle Section Map can be viewed here.
Participant numbers were strong with a total of 309 participants in total. There were a total of 123 Feeder Watcher residences with some households tag-teaming their yards throughout the day. On count day, a total of 136 people were in the field with many new birders joining the count for the first time. The number of field surveyors matches the average over the past 15 years (136). The field team hours were down from the record in 2020 (330) but we found more individual birds and more species than in 2020.
Number of Participants
Total
Field Surveyors
Feeder Watchers
309
136
173
Total Counting Hours
615
273
342
Field Surveyor Details
Total
Walking
Driving
Counting Hours
273
203
69
Distance Traveled (km)
1498
461
1,036
Birds Summary
This year we used two methods to obtain bird data from field teams. Participants could share their eBird checklist with an account we created specific for the CBC. Effort data, mammal sightings, and bird data (not submitted to eBird) were submitted by each section captain using the template.
All eBird checklists (98) shared during count day can be viewed in the eBird Trip Report here.
Count Results
Total
Count Week
Total Count – Species
72
2
Total Count – Individual Birds
75,917
Below is the summary of all species and individuals counted. Field teams counted a total of 68,115 individuals (70 species) and Feeder Watchers counted 7802 individuals (35 species). Notable species and records are highlighted in yellow. Calgary count data has been collected since 1952.
(Use slider at bottom to reveal more columns.)
SPECIES COUNTED
2021 Count
10-yr Average
2021 vs. 10-yr Avg
% of Years Reported Since 2011
% of Years Reported Since 1952
Record High Count
Record High Year
Notes and Comments
Cackling Goose
4
12
-66%
80%
17%
139
2004
Canada Goose
23,967
12,902
86%
100%
74%
27,452
2004
Trumpeter Swan
5
1
456%
30%
12%
5
2017/2021
Tie for Record
Tundra Swan
1
900%
10%
6%
1
1991/2021
Tie for Record
Wood Duck
3
3
7%
80%
42%
40
2007
Gadwall
1
1
0%
50%
41%
29
1987
Mallard
17,323
11,356
53%
100%
100%
24,506
1992
Green-winged Teal
1
150%
20%
54%
9
1981
Canvasback
2
1
300%
30%
14%
2
1963/2021
Tie for Record
Redhead
18
13
37%
70%
45%
35
2020
Ring-necked Duck
5
2
213%
60%
19%
5
2019
Greater Scaup
2
1
300%
30%
14%
6
2007
Lesser Scaup
5
3
79%
80%
58%
14
1991
Harlequin Duck
4
1
264%
50%
38%
7
1989
Bufflehead
144
194
-26%
100%
72%
321
2015
Common Goldeneye
554
1,110
-50%
100%
99%
5,356
2007
Low Count Year
Barrow’s Goldeneye
3
10
-69%
100%
72%
25
2016
Hooded Merganser
2
3
-38%
90%
54%
8
1995
Common Merganser
86
80
7%
100%
99%
159
2017
Ruddy Duck
1
900%
10%
3%
1
2018/ 2021
Tie for Record
Sharp-tailed Grouse
3
900%
10%
39%
25
1986
Notable Sighting
Gray Partridge
58
66
-13%
100%
97%
276
1977
Ring-necked Pheasant
11
10
12%
100%
99%
124
1961
Rock Pigeon
1,417
1,992
-29%
100%
70%
4,611
2006
Eurasian Collared-Dove
2
26
-92%
80%
13%
63
2015
Low Count Year
American Coot
1
1
-9%
50%
22%
4
2018
Wilson’s Snipe
1
233%
10%
17%
3
2005
Notable Sighting
Sharp-shinned Hawk
4
6
-29%
90%
33%
10
2014
Northern Goshawk
6
4
46%
90%
74%
9
2019
Bald Eagle
69
33
110%
100%
80%
69
2021
Record Year
Rough-legged Hawk
5
7
-30%
100%
71%
17
2015
Great Horned Owl
9
7
30%
100%
84%
26
1991
Snowy Owl
1
–
–
0%
58%
15
1973
Notable Sighting
Northern Saw-whet Owl
1
1
25%
60%
25%
2
2005
Belted Kingfisher
3
2
36%
100%
72%
9
1988
American Three-toed Woodpecker
2
1
82%
50%
39%
5
1980
Downy Woodpecker
263
181
46%
100%
96%
263
2021
Record Year
Hairy Woodpecker
39
35
11%
100%
86%
50
2018
Pileated Woodpecker
4
2
100%
90%
49%
5
2015
Northern Flicker
363
229
59%
100%
78%
363
2021
Record Year
Merlin
24
22
8%
100%
93%
43
2015
Gyrfalcon
1
1
43%
40%
30%
4
1990
Northern Shrike
8
5
57%
100%
78%
11
2015
Blue Jay
137
112
22%
100%
61%
256
1994
Black-billed Magpie
2,401
2,607
-8%
100%
100%
3,096
2020
American Crow
65
103
-37%
100%
72%
152
2012
Low Count Year
Common Raven
625
507
23%
100%
70%
858
2017
Black-capped Chickadee
2,140
1,910
12%
100%
100%
2,221
2006
Mountain Chickadee
7
4
84%
60%
48%
19
1987
Boreal Chickadee
7
18
-60%
100%
81%
101
1987
Golden-crowned Kinglet
2
18
-89%
100%
86%
85
1990
Low Count Year
Red-breasted Nuthatch
200
382
-48%
100%
75%
727
2015
White-breasted Nuthatch
110
108
2%
100%
81%
203
2014
Brown Creeper
17
20
-16%
100%
84%
33
2014
American Dipper
3
2
36%
90%
61%
7
1994
European Starling
326
320
2%
100%
99%
1,445
1995
Townsend’s Solitaire
18
4
350%
100%
48%
18
2021
Record Year
American Robin
82
86
-5%
100%
62%
219
2001
Bohemian Waxwing
15,816
10,262
54%
100%
96%
20,012
2005
Cedar Waxwing
11
12
-4%
70%
45%
88
2003
House Sparrow
7,096
6,113
16%
100%
97%
10,304
2000
Pine Grosbeak
64
196
-67%
90%
87%
862
2011
House Finch
1,916
1,046
83%
100%
45%
1,916
2021
Record Year
Common Redpoll
272
580
-53%
100%
93%
2,025
1995
Hoary Redpoll
2
3
-20%
30%
39%
22
1969
White-winged Crossbill
40
718
-94%
90%
59%
4,448
2015
Low Count Year
Pine Siskin
50
187
-73%
100%
62%
772
2003
American Tree Sparrow
3
2
100%
50%
45%
34
1999
Dark-eyed Junco
64
163
-61%
100%
71%
392
2018
White-crowned Sparrow
1
–
–
0%
3%
1
2005
White-throated Sparrow
9
3
233%
70%
35%
15
1994
Song Sparrow
2
1
300%
40%
26%
3
1995
Count Week Species: Varied Thrush, Prairie Falcon
Species Normally seen but not counted in 2021: Northern Pintail, Ruffed Grouse, Cooper’s Hawk, Red Crossbill
Just a reminder that these numbers are tentative. I will be presenting a more in-depth analysis on the count and describe our methods for adjusting these initial numbers at the Nature Calgary Bird Study Group on January 12 via Zoom.
Thank you all. Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!
