The 118th Christmas Bird Count Summary

Audubon's Geoff LeBaron breaks down what happened on the most recent Christmas Bird Count.

The 118th Christmas Bird Count was one for the record books! The number of counts completed online for the season soared to an all-time high, shattering the 117th Season’s one-year-wonder high. The number of participants also reached an all-time high, breaking the previously standing record from the 116th CBC. And roughly one-quarter of the species of birds in the world were tallied, yet another amazing feat.

However, many people in several regions won’t remember the 118th CBC season for *any* of the aforementioned reasons, but instead because they were able to participate at all. While most of the weather in the fall and early winter period leading up to the 118th CBC was rather average, a few events that hit in early fall were anything but—massive wildfires burned in California, and three of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded slammed the Gulf Coast and Caribbean Islands. These catastrophic events were well covered by the media in terms of their destructive impact on both habitat and human lives, and yet in December nearly every single Christmas Bird Count circle in the affected areas was still covered by the fantastically dedicated cadre of CBC participants in all the regions. Even in the face of burned and flooded homes and towns, catastrophic destruction of habitat, and lack of power and basic services, birders went out and tallied species in their usual areas, even in such unusual circumstances. This immediate coverage of affected areas, and continued monitoring in those areas for seasons to come, will be critical as we track the recovery of both natural processes and human lives.

When it was all said and done, 2,585 Christmas Bird Counts were submitted to the 118th CBC database, breaking last season’s record of 2,536 by 49 counts! Of that grand total, 463 counts were submitted from Canada, 1,957 from the United States, and 165 from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. One reason the number of counts continues to grow of course is that Audubon receives a plethora of new count applications each season, and Table 1 lists the 48 new counts included this season (5 from Canada, 24 from the U.S., and a whopping 19 new counts from Latin America). We extend a hearty welcome to all, and we look forward to many more successful seasons.

The number of observers in the 118th Christmas Bird Count again set new records, breaking the old record of 76,669 in the 116th CBC with a grand total of 76,987 CBC participants (14,264 in Canada, 58,719 in the US, and 4,004 in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Pacific Islands)! Of that total, 66,438 (10,560 in Canada, 51,978 in the US, and 3,900 elsewhere) covered the forests, fields, and waterways, while 10,549 (3,704 in Canada, 6,741 in the US, and 104 elsewhere) counted birds at their feeders. Organizing CBCs with all those participants in so many far-flung regions take quite a bit logistical savvy, and it’s the thousands of dedicated compilers and co-compilers who masterfully manage the job. One benchmark measuring how large that task is on any given count is the total number of participants attending for a given season, and Table 2 is the complete roster of all Christmas Bird Counts in the 118th season with 100 participants or more.

With all those birders out there for 23 days over such a huge geographic area, it’s pretty much assured that we will find lots of birds of an incredible variety of species. The 118th CBC was no exception, and a total of 59,242,067 individual birds of 2,673 species and 426 additional forms and hybrids were tallied. In total 287 species were tallied in Canada, and 666 countable species (plus 44 identifiable forms and 44 exotic species) were tallied in the US. The Miramichi, New Brunswick count in Canada added an all-time first for the CBC database—and the American Birding Association area—with their long-staying Mistle Thrush! In the United States, Nazca Booby was added when three birds were located on the San Diego, California CBC. We *almost* added another species to the overall CBC roster—Citrine Wagtail—but unfortunately the bird did not cooperate on count day for the folks at Sacramento, California and it was listed as a count week only species. The other 2,000 or so species tallied were avian gems from the rest of the incredibly diverse area covered by CBC participants.

Interestingly, the number of species tallied overall by all counters everywhere remains relatively constant, sometimes bumping slightly upward as new counts are added in new areas, especially those in new regions of South America. But the number of *birds* counted can vary widely, and is quite dependent upon whether concentrations of roosting species were tallied within circles. Blackbirds, crows, robins, and waterfowl can be highly concentrated in the winter, and when a roost of tens of million of birds happens to be in a circle (as can occasionally happen with blackbirds) the overall species count remains the same—but the number of birds jumps dramatically! It appears that few mega-roosts were within CBC circles during the 118th CBC.

Speaking of counting birds as we are, it’s worth giving thought to whether or not we do actually count every bird we see or hear on a CBC. That’s the goal—but do we really? Or do we have some mental filters that may come into play with non-native, common, or dare we say “trash” birds? I know that there are times when I’ve said out loud at a countdown that the day was a real success—no pigeons, no starlings, and no House Sparrows! But were there really none, or did I just gloss over them while looking for something more exciting like a Fox Sparrow or a lingering warbler? Mike Busam, in his Ohio CBC regional summary for this season, has some very interesting thoughts:

The European Starling is not a species of interest on counts. A friend of mine once complained at a tally that “starlings ruin counts” and suggested we shouldn’t bother counting them. This friend is obviously not a compiler! But starlings are, indeed, out there, and they do certainly count, as do many other “boring” species such as Canada Goose, Mallard, House Sparrow, etc. A curious problem compilers face when considering coverage of their CBC circles is how to manage coverage of the “best” areas that are likely to attract the most species and the “worst” areas that might be plagued by starlings or Rock Pigeons, and little else. Sometimes odd pockets of habitat must be checked for relatively small numbers of birds—that retention pond by Walmart that somehow always has a Swamp Sparrow and once had a Common Yellowthroat, too, for example. On the other hand, sometimes odd pockets of terrible habitat have to be checked for large numbers of very few birds. But when one is running out of time and people, that enormous starling roost in the middle of the industrial park is probably going to be cut before the “honey hole” behind Walmart or the out-of-the-way private wetland you have permission to visit. We naturally favor the more interesting species and probably put less effort into going out of our way to count the dull ones. So… with absolutely no scientific evidence to back this up, here are the “hardest working” counts of the 2017-2018 CBC season based on the number of European Starlings they reported: Cincinnati (19,658), Columbus (19,538), Caesar Creek-Spring Valley (18,952), Cuyahoga Falls (17,851), Western Hamilton County (17,469), Lake Erie Islands (16,013). As the compiler of a CBC almost in the middle of three of these counts, I question how we didn’t even reach 6,000 starlings on the Hamilton-Fairfield count. Someone will have to drive through those industrial parks this December. Any volunteers?”

Mike’s point is very well taken; the Christmas Bird Count database is widely used by researchers studying the long-term trend status of hundreds of species of birds in North America, including non-native species like starlings. It’s important that we try to be accurate counting the less-appreciated species as well as the ones we look forward to finding!

The species total on count day is often (well, usually…) considered to be one measure of success of a CBC each season. But the most important thing is to get out and count, no matter how many birds or species are around or what the weather may bring. The comparison of results over time on a given CBC adds fuel to the fire that drives us to do Christmas Bird Counts. Whether we find two species on the Arctic Bay, Nunavut CBC or 502 on the Yanayacu, Ecuador count, the birds and birders continue to draw us out. Top species total honors for the 118th CBC go to Victoria, British Columbia in Canada with 144 species; reigning champion Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh, Texas in the United States at 220 species (in their 25th running!), and the aforementioned Yanayacu, Napo, Ecuador in Latin America at 502 species. There have been counts in the past where no birds at all were tallied (yes, all in the Arctic, both in Alaska and in Canada) but the excitement each year is to go out and see what we can see. For circles blessed with the latitude, diversity of habitat, and geographic location to host many, many species, the 150-species mark is the one we try to beat. Table 3 lists the 83 counts in the United States and 53 counts in Latin America that broke the 150 species barrier in the 118th Christmas Bird Count.

We compete with ourselves for the species tally mark each season; we hope for our own personal best, the best in our sector, and our count’s best tally every year. So many factors come into play—not only our birding luck on count day, but the weather we’re dealt with to count in as well as the conditions in the preceding weeks and months. Is it snowy and frozen, or open and warm? How was the wild food crop this fall? Are we in a drought? These are all factors that are likely to affect not only our own count, but those neighboring our area in the region. So having a look at where we stand in our region species-wise can sometimes be an important perspective on how our particular results for a season stand. Table 4 presents the list of regional high species totals from the 118th CBC.

As mentioned earlier in this summary, there were major environmental events that affected a number of different regions where a good number of Christmas Bird Counts were conducted during the 118th CBC. Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast of Texas as a Category 4 storm in August 2017, flailing the coastal areas (including that of the Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh CBC) with sustained 120+ mph winds on the coast and dumping over 50 inches of rain in the Houston area. Shortly thereafter in September, Hurricane Irma swept through the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean as a Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds, especially impacting both the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Immediately following Irma, Hurricane Maria made a direct hit on the island of Puerto Rico also as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 175 mph.

Then there were the October wildfires in California—the Tubbs Fire devastated Santa Rosa and surrounding areas, including several CBC circles in the lovely wine regions of California.

Incredibly, nearly every existing Christmas Bird Count in these areas were conducted during the 118th CBC—mere weeks after the catastrophic effects of all these events. Counters in California slogged through burned habitats searching for birds; birders in Texas put down their chain saws and shovels and went out and counted birds; participants in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands put their recovery efforts on hold (even in the face of no electricity) and searched the wind-stripped forests in the hopes of finding some of their avian neighbors.

It can’t be over-stated how important these efforts were in this first season following all these disasters. Our understanding of how habitats and birds recover—and how humans recover—in the face of such events depends upon regular monitoring, as the CBC has done for 118 years. We will now be able to track the immediate effects of such events in the short-term, and the long-term recovery for the future. My highest kudos go to all involved; even after three decades of managing the Christmas Bird Count program, the dedication and passion of the folks who participate on counts continues to amaze me.

Once the season was completed, it gradually became clear that the most notable thing about the period from December 14th, 2017 through January 5th, 2018 was that things were pretty much normal all around! The continental weather (passing lightly over the above-mentioned events) was average; no early arctic blasts, nor December shots of warm tropical air. The early part of the count period was relatively snow-free, and with no more than average winter storms, followed not surprisingly by colder weather with more snow in the later days of the 118th count period.

Overall the birds were found in average numbers and diversity as well. There was a modest push of Snowy Owls into south-central Canada and down into Indiana, but it was neither a huge flight nor a complete dearth across the continent. Rough-legged Hawks made a similar push into the north-central states, but again nothing record-breaking. Winter finches stayed north in droves across the board; Common Redpolls were found in good numbers in their usual northern and western haunts, and Red Crossbills moved downslope in the mountains of the west and into the Dakotas, but there were no big flights. The same was true of the winter frugivores; Bohemian Waxwings and Pine Grosbeaks were found in decent numbers—right where they are normally expected on CBCs.

Continuing trends of species mentioned in recent seasons were also clear. Northern Bobwhite continues its precipitous decline in the northern and eastern portions of its range; many counts where this species was formerly relatively common mentioned the only ones tallied were captive-bred birds released in the fall. Loggerhead Shrike continues to decline over much of its range, for reasons that are still not well understood.

On a brighter note, several upward trends continue. The Eurasian Collared-Dove consolidated its march northwestward across the continent; eight counts in Alaska tallied this species in the 118th CBC! Interestingly though, it is declining in Florida, where the original colonization of North America by this species began. It will be interesting to follow this seesaw pattern in future CBC seasons. Also on the upward swing is Anna’s Hummingbird; numbers continue to increase along the West Coast, especially to the north. Again in Alaska, seven counts tallied this species (several of those also hosting the collared-doves). And the recovery of Bald Eagles continues in full swing; numbers were mentioned as up for this majestic species across the continent—a very good news story.

Another species on the upswing is Common Raven. While always common to abundant in the north and west (and in fact the *only* species ever tallied on the Prudhoe Bay, Alaska count!), ravens had essentially disappeared from much of the central and eastern part of the continent outside the Appalachians by the mid-1900s, likely as a result of human encroachment and loss of habitat. Over the past few decades, however, ravens have made a comeback, and are colonizing areas southward along the east coast, and even down to the coast from the mountainous areas that were formerly this species’ stronghold. Interestingly, one thing that is greatly assisting Common Ravens is an inadvertent human assist—they have taken readily to nesting on cell phone towers!

Of note in the world of “big chickens,” both Attwater’s Greater Prairie-Chicken and Gunnison Sage-Grouse were tallied on CBCs this season in their highly localized ranges. Both birds are greatly at risk and challenging to locate in the winter; the prairie-chickens show a boom-or-bust cycle, with peaks in the 104th, 112th, and 116th seasons, while the Gunnison Sage-Grouse has only been found in four of the 14 seasons since this species was recognized. The Attwater’s was drastically affected by flooding from Hurricane Harvey; we can hope for some recovery of both of these beleaguered species.

As the 118th Christmas Bird Count period approached I was very much anticipating my two visits to Rhode Island. It’s always great to see my friends down there, and these days the CBC season is often the only time I get to bird in Rhode Island, which has amazing avian diversity for such a tiny state! My first count of the season, in lovely Newport County, was on a surprisingly cold and blustery day. Clear, yes—but the wind made it hard to find many things. We did manage some nice birds for a CBC in the Northeast—Eurasian Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, and a skulky but very rewarding White-eyed Vireo; there were many times during the day when it was a real challenge to find any birds at all. But hey, this is the CBC, and we found some great stuff and shared stories of the day at the compilation.

The following weekend was the other CBC I do in Rhode Island—the one we’d had such spectacular luck on during the 117th CBC. But this season freezing rain lengthened my drive to the coast, and conditions were horrid when I met my birding partner Doug. While the frozen precipitation was “just” rain on the coast, it was just above freezing, windy, and drenching mist to moderate rain. Just lovely to be outside looking for birds.

Needless to say we didn’t have the most fun, and it was far more challenging to find birds on this count than it had been the week before. Everything was hunkered down or hiding; no Northern Waterthrush, Winter Wren, Red-headed Woodpecker, Barrow’s Goldeneye, or Western Tanager this season! Mercifully—we thought—the wind and rain let up slightly and the temperatures spiked in mid-afternoon, just as we arrived in the parking lot at the Ninigret Refuge. But just as we grabbed our scopes to go check out the pond for waterfowl and hopefully our friend the Lesser Black-backed Gull, the inevitable happened—pea soup fog rolled in. Doug and I trudged out to the point anyway, desperately searching for anything moving in the limited distance we could see through the fog. No waterfowl appeared, and only a phantom glimpse of a Herring Gull ghosted by through the mist.

Just as we turned to head back to the parking lot, a bird appeared out of the fog, flew by at eye level, and disappeared into the cove. A gull? No, it was *the* gull; our Lesser Black-back friend we’ve seen for so many seasons. The fog lifted slightly and there the bird was—right on the rock where we’d first found it 16 years ago. The day was a resounding success after all!

Birds have an amazing site tenacity; where does this gull go for the summer? I’m sure we’ll never know, but it knows where it’s been, and right where it wants to be each winter. Birders are pretty much the same; we may make uncharted journeys during the year, but so many of us return to the same spots each winter to do our traditional Christmas Bird Counts. That’s what makes the CBC database so amazingly important—the efforts and dedication of Christmas Bird Count participants who keep counting the same areas each season, and maybe even some of the same birds. Many thanks to you all; whether this was your first CBC or your 50th, your efforts combine to make a meaningful positive difference to the birds we all know and love.

 

Table 1.  New counts in the 118th (2017-2018) Christmas Bird Count

Count Code Count Name
   
CANADA  
   
NBMC Minto/Chipman, New Brunswick
NBSJ Saint John, New Brunswick
SKMJ Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
SKQU Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan
SKSH Shell Lake, Saskatchewan
   
   
UNITED STATES  
   
AROU Lake Ouachita S.P., Arkansas
AZTO Tonto N.M.-Theodore Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
CALY Lake Yosemite-Merced, California
CAPX Pixley N.W.R., California
FLGS Green Swamp, Florida
FLOS Okaloacoochee Slough-Spirit of the Wild W.M.A., Florida
GALS Little St. Simons Island, Georgia
ILLC Lee Center, Illinois
ILRT Rutland, Illinois
INFL Farmland, Indiana
INGR Greenfield, Indiana
INPI Pike County, Indiana
INPT Putnam County, Indiana
KSLV Leavenworth-Atchison, Kansas
KYBR Barren River Lake, Kentucky
KYHE Henry County, Kentucky
MIOC Oceana, Michigan
MIRU Rudyard, Michigan
MNGW Greenwald, Minnesota
NELP Lower Platte River, Nebraska
NVSH Sheldon, Nevada
NYDE Upper Delaware River, New York
VARA Rappahannock Virginia
WALC Lewis County, Washington
   
   
CARIBBEAN, LATIN AMERICA  
   
CLAT Armero, Tolima, Colombia
CLLI Líbano, Tolima, Colombia
CLMU Murillo, Tolima, Colombia
CLNT Pueblo Nasa Toribio, Cauca, Colombia
CLPY Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
CLUC P.N.N. Utria, Chocó, Colombia
ECGP Galbula Pastaza, Fatima, Pastaza, Ecuador
ECLI Reserva Biológica Limoncocha, Sucumbíos, Ecuador
ECMA Machalilla-Ayampe, Manabí, Ecuador
MXCA Cacahoatán, Chiapas, Mexico
MXHE Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
MXPC Pijijiapan, Chiapas, México
MXQU Querétaro, Mexico
MXSA Sierra del Águila, Jalisco, México
MXTC Tapachula-Cabildo, Chiapas, Mexico
MXTV Tuxpan, Veracruz, México
MXVM Vado de Meoqui, Chihuahua, Mexico
NICV Complejo Volcánico Casitas, Chinandega, Nicaragua
PYBA Benjamin Aceval, Presidente Hayes, Paraguay

 

 

Table 2.  Counts with 100 or more participants in the 118th (2017-2018) CBC

 

Code Count Name # Observers (Field + Feeder)
       
ABED Edmonton, AB 450 (178 + 272)
ORPD Portland, OR 371 (241 + 130)
CAOA Oakland, CA 321 (284 + 37)
BCVI Victoria, BC 311 (265 + 46)
WASE Seattle, WA 311 (236 + 75)
SCHH Hilton Head Island, SC 292 (213 + 79)
MACO Concord, MA 274 (158 + 116)
DCDC Washington, DC 226 (224 + 2)
OREU Eugene, OR 225 (149 + 76)
ECCH Chiles-Chical, Carchi, Ecuador 224 (204 + 20)
ABCA Calgary, AB 221 (136 + 85)
SCSC Sun City-Okatie, SC 212 (211 + 1)
CASB Santa Barbara, CA 210 (197 + 13)
CAPR Point Reyes Peninsula, CA 200 (200 + 0)
ECNM Mindo-Tandayapa, Ecuador 196 (184 + 12)
MANO Northampton, MA 191 (155 + 36)
PAPI Pittsburgh, PA 190 (125 + 65)
CODE Denver, CO 183 (169 + 14)
WAED Edmonds, WA 183 (87 + 96)
AKAN Anchorage, AK 176 (118 + 58)
BCVA Vancouver, BC 176 (173 + 3)
COCS Colorado Springs, CO 167 (138 + 29)
VAFB Fort Belvoir, VA 164 (152 + 12)
ONOH Ottawa-Gatineau, ON 161 (133 + 28)
BCPI Pender Islands, BC 160 (127 + 33)
OHCF Cuyahoga Falls, OH 160 (125 + 35)
CAOC Orange County (coastal), CA 154 (154 + 0)
WASD Sequim-Dungeness, WA 153 (118 + 35)
FLSC Sanibel – Captiva, FL 150 (149 + 1)
CAMR Morro Bay, CA 148 (142 + 6)
CRLS La Selva, Lower Braulio Carillo N.P., Costa Rica 147 (147 + 0)
QCQU Quebec, QC 146 (123 + 23)
RIBI Block Island, RI 140 (140 + 0)
CASD San Diego, CA 139 (139 + 0)
NYIT Ithaca, NY 139 (125 + 14)
MDSE Seneca, MD 138 (124 + 14)
CAPA Palo Alto, CA 136 (136 + 0)
CODV Denver (urban), CO 136 (122 + 14)
COBO Boulder, CO 135 (129 + 6)
NJLH Lower Hudson, NJ-NY 134 (134 + 0)
ECYY Yanayacu, Napo, Ecuador 133 (133 + 0)
FLGA Gainesville, FL 132 (126 + 6)
ONTO Toronto, ON 131 (126 + 5)
VAWI Williamsburg, VA 131 (71 + 60)
CAWS Western Sonoma County, CA 130 (128 + 2)
NSHD Halifax-Dartmouth, NS 130 (86 + 44)
ONLO London, ON 128 (95 + 33)
UTSL Salt Lake City, UT 128 (115 + 13)
COGJ Grand Junction, CO 126 (121 + 5)
BCPM Pitt Meadows, BC 125 (118 + 7)
CAMC Marin County (southern), CA 125 (125 + 0)
BCGS Galiano-North Saltspring, BC 123 (106 + 17)
WATA Tacoma, WA 123 (122 + 1)
MAGB Greater Boston, MA 122 (122 + 0)
CASF San Francisco, CA 121 (120 + 1)
FLVE Venice-Englewood, FL 121 (120 + 1)
ORSA Salem, OR 121 (76 + 45)
WAEV Everett-Marysville, WA 121 (69 + 52)
WIMA Madison, WI 118 (108 + 10)
AKFA Fairbanks, AK 117 (70 + 40)
AZTV Tucson Valley, AZ 117 (114 + 3)
VAMB Manassas-Bull Run, VA 117 (116 + 1)
CASZ Sonoma Valley, CA 116 (114 + 2)
CAVE Ventura, CA 116 (101 + 15)
CAOV Oceanside-Vista-Carlsbad, CA 115 (115 + 0)
ONKT Kitchener, ON 115 (74 + 41)
MNHS Henderson, MN 114 (60 + 54)
MTMI Missoula, MT 114 (97 + 17)
ABSA St. Albert, AB 113 (21 + 92)
CACS Crystal Springs, CA 113 (107 + 6)
WAVA Vashon, WA 112 (84 + 28)
BCWR White Rock, BC 111 (92 + 19)
TXMM Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh, TX 110 (109 + 1)
FLSR Sarasota, FL 109 (105 + 4)
WIDY New Franken, WI 108 (65 + 43)
BCDB Deep Bay, BC 107 (97 + 10)
CALC Lincoln, CA 107 (96 + 11)
ECQU Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador 107 (106 + 1)
MBWI Winnipeg, MB 107 (76 + 31)
BCNN Nanaimo, BC 106 (100 + 6)
ILFB Fermilab-Batavia, IL 106 (106 + 0)
TXAU Austin, TX 105 (104 + 1)
CASJ San Jose, CA 103 (103 + 0)
BCPQ Parksville-Qualicum Beach, BC 102 (52 + 50)
NBQH Quispamsis-Hampton, NB 101 (40 + 61)

 

Table 3:  Counts with 150 or more species recorded in the 118th (2017-2018) CBC

 

Table 3a:  Counts north of the United States-Mexican border

Count Code Rank  Count Name Species Recorded
       
TXMM 1 Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh, TX 220
CASD 2 San Diego, CA 217
TXGF 3 Guadalupe River Delta-McFadden Ranch, TX 220
TXFR 4 Freeport, TX 204
CASB 5 Santa Barbara, CA 203
CAMR 6 Morro Bay, CA 202
CAPR 6 Point Reyes Peninsula, CA 202
CATO 8 Thousand Oaks, CA 198
CAOC 9 Orange County (coastal), CA 197
CAMD 10 Moss Landing, CA 193
CAOV 10 Oceanside-Vista-Carlsbad, CA 193
CARS 12 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 190
CALB 13 Long Beach-El Dorado, CA 184
CAOA 14 Oakland, CA 181
CASF 14 San Francisco, CA 181
CACS 16 Crystal Springs, CA 179
TXSB 16 San Bernard N.W.R., TX 179
CAMP 18 Monterey Peninsula, CA 178
CAWS 18 Western Sonoma County, CA 178
CAMC 20 Marin County (southern), CA 177
CASJ 20 San Jose, CA 177
CAVE 22 Ventura, CA 175
CACB 23 Centerville Beach to King Salmon, CA 174
TXJC 24 Jackson-Calhoun Counties, TX 173
CAAR 25 Arcata, CA 172
CAHF 25 Hayward-Fremont, CA 172
CASC 27 Santa Cruz County, CA 171
FLAL 27 Alafia Banks, FL 171
CABE 29 Benicia, CA 170
CAPA 29 Palo Alto, CA 170
SCMC 31 McClellanville, SC 169
TXAP 31 Attwater Prairie Chicken N.W.R., TX 169
TXCC 33 Corpus Christi, TX 167
GASV 34 Savannah, GA-SC 166
CALA 35 Los Angeles, CA 165
CASZ 35 Sonoma Valley, CA 165
SCWB 35 Winyah Bay, SC 165
NCMC 38 Morehead City, NC 164
NCWI 38 Wilmington, NC 164
TXPO 38 Powderhorn, TX 164
CADN 41 Del Norte County, CA 163
CAPS 42 Pasadena-San Gabriel Valley, CA 162
FLNP 43 North Pinellas, FL 161
CACT 44 Cheep Thrills, CA 160
AZGR 45 Gila River, AZ 159
CAAN 45 Año Nuevo, CA 159
NJCM 45 Cape May, NJ 159
AZTV 48 Tucson Valley, AZ 158
CAES 48 Escondido, CA 158
CASG 48 Santa Maria-Guadalupe, CA 158
LASA 48 Sabine N.W.R., LA 158
SCLP 48 Litchfield-Pawleys Island, SC 158
TXAZ 48 Anzalduas-Bentsen, TX 158
TXHG 48 Harlingen, TX 158
FLGA 55 Gainesville, FL 157
FLSA 55 Sarasota, FL 157
CAEA 57 Eastern Alameda County, CA 156
CASM 57 Sacramento, CA 156
LAPI 57 Palmetto Island, LA 156
NCSB 57 Southport-Bald Head-Oak Islands, NC 156
TXGA 57 Galveston, TX 156
TXWS 57 Weslaco, TX 156
CACN 63 Carpinteria, CA 155
FLSM 63 St. Marks, FL 155
VACC 63 Cape Charles, VA 155
AZGV 66 Green Valley-Madera Canyon, AZ 154
AZSC 66 Santa Catalina Mountains, AZ 154
CALU 66 La Purisima, CA 154
CARC 66 Rio Cosumnes, CA 154
AZGV 70 Green Valley-Madera Canyon, AZ 153
TXBP 70 Bolivar Peninsula, TX 153
CAON 72 Orange County (northeastern), CA 152
CASL 72 San Jacinto Lake, CA 152
SCAB 72 Ace Basin, SC 152
TXLA 72 Laguna Atascosa N.W.R., TX 152
CASU 76 San Juan Capistrano, CA 151
FLSP 76 St. Petersburg, FL 151
TXCF 76 Corpus Christi (Flour Bluff), TX 151
ALGS 79 Gulf Shores, AL 150
AZRC 79 Ramsey Canyon, AZ 150
CACU 79 Cachuma, CA 150
FLJA 79 Jacksonville, FL 150
ORCV 79 Coquille Valley, OR 150

 

Table 3b:  Counts south of the United States-Mexican border

Count Code Rank  Count Name Species Recorded
       
ECYY 1 Yanayacu, Napo, Ecuador 502
ECNM 2 Mindo-Tandayapa, Pichincha, Ecuador 424
CRLS 3 La Selva, Lower Braulio Carillo N.P., Costa Rica 362
ECSY 4 Shiripuno Lodge, Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador 345
CRPR 5 Rainforest Adventures Pacific, Costa Rica   344
CRCF 6 Western Cloud Forest, Balsa, Costa Rica 339
CRRF 7 Rainforest Adventures Atlantic, Costa Rica 312
ECCH 8 Chiles-Chical, Carchi, Ecuador 306
ECNA 9 Napo, Amazon, Ecuador 291
ECTY 10 Tambococha, Yasuni N.P., Sucumbios, Ecuador 282
RPPC 11 Pacific Canal Area, Panama 280
ECCY 12 Coca-Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador 278
ECGP 13 Galbula Pastaza, Fatima, Pastaza, Ecuador 275
GMAV 14 Atitlan Volcano, Guatemala 274
CRMO 15 Monteverde, Costa Rica 272
CROP 16 Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica 271
GMLT 17 Laguna del Tigre N.P.- Las Guacamayas Biological Station, Petén, Guatemala 266
MXSB 17 San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico 266
RPAC 19 Atlantic Canal Area, Panama 265
BLPG 20 Punta Gorda, Belize 254
BLBE 21 Belmopan, Belize 250
ECMA 22 Machalilla-Ayampe, Manabí, Ecuador 242
BLCB 23 Cockscomb Basin, Belize 240
RPCC 24 Central Canal Area, Panama 238
ECRU 25 Rio Upano, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador 229
CRCA 26 Cacao - Area de Conservacion Guancaste, Costa Rica 227
BLBC 27 Belize City, Belize 221
CLBB 28 Rio Barbas-Bremen Natural Reserve, Quindio, Colombia 215
MXBB 29 Bahia Banderas, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico 200
BLGJ 30 Gallon Jug, Belize 192
CRCO 31 Corcovado N.P., Puntarenas, Costa Rica 186
GMNQ 32 Niño Perdido-Resplendent Quetzal Biological Corridor, Salamá, Guatemala 184
NIRJ 33 Reserva el Jaguar, Jinotega, Nicaragua 182
PYBA 33 Benjamin Aceval, Presidente Hayes, Paraguay 182
TRTR 35 Trinidad, W.I. 181
ECLI 36 Reserva Biológica Limoncocha, Sucumbíos, Ecuador 180
MXES 37 Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico 178
CRSR 38 Santa Rosa – Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica 177
GMTK 38 Tikal, Guatemala 177
MXSC 40 San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico 172
CLIN 41 Ibague Zona Norte, Tolima, Colombia 166
CLRB 41 Rio Blanco, Caldas, Colombia 166
MXCZ 41 Coast of Central Veracruz, Mexico 166
CLCO 44 Cordillera Occidental, Valle del Cauca, Colombia 165
CLRP 44 Reserva de Planalto, Caldas, Colombia 165
MXEG 44 El Yugo, Sinaloa, Mexico 165
ECCA 47 Chiro Apaika, Yasuni N.P., Sucumbios, Ecuador 160 160
MXHU 48 Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico 153
MXMC 48 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico 153
RPVC 48 Volcan, Chiriqui, Panama 153
MXAL 51 Alamos, Sonora, Mexico 152
ECSU 52 Sucua, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador 151
MXPB 52 Playa Blanca-Barra de Potosi, Guerrero, Mexico 151

 

Table 4:  Regional high counts for the 118th (2017-2018) CBC

Region # of CBCs Highest Count (species total)
St. Pierre & Miquelon 1 Ile St.-Pierre (45)
Newfoundland & Labrador 7 St. John’s (60)
Nova Scotia 34 Halifax-Dartmouth (124)
Prince Edward Island 3 East Point (52)
New Brunswick 24 Grand Manan Island (68)
Quebec 42 Quebec (71)
Ontario 124 Long Point (105)
Manitoba 20 Winnipeg (49)
Saskatchewan 41 Gardiner Dam (43)
Alberta 54 Calgary (64)
British Columbia 94 Victoria (144)
Northwest Territories 4 Hay River (18)
Nunavut 2 Rankin Inlet (3)
Yukon Territory 12 Whitehorse (24)
  Alaska 38 Kodiak (77)
Maine 33 Greater Portland (94)
New Hampshire 17 Coastal New Hampshire (123)
Vermont 21 Ferrisburg (78)
Massachusetts 31 Cape Cod (126)
    Mid-Cape Cod (126)
Rhode Island 5 Newport County-Westport, RI-MA (138)
Connecticut 18 Westport (125)
New York 69 L.I.: Southern Nassau County (131)
New Jersey 29 Cape May (159)
Pennsylvania 74 Southern Lancaster County (107)
Delaware 7 Cape Henlopen-Prime Hook (135)
Maryland 23 Ocean City (143)
District of Columbia 1 Washington (106)
Virginia 50 Cape Charles (155)
North Carolina 51 Morehead City (164)
    Wilmington (164)
South Carolina 27 McClellanville (169)
Georgia 29 Savannah, GA-SC (166)
Florida 79 Alafia Banks (171)
Ohio 69 Toledo (99)
West Virginia 20 Morgantown (94)
Kentucky 37 Paradise (95)
Tennessee 28 Duck River (128)
Alabama 12 Gulf Shores (150)
Mississippi 18 Southern Hancock County (136)
Michigan 70 Anchor Bay (102)
Indiana 47 Western Gibson County (103)
Wisconsin 111 Madison (97)
Illinois 64 Rend Lake (103)
Minnesota 75 Bloomington (61)
Iowa 33 Davenport (100)
Missouri 27 Horton-Four Rivers (109)
Arkansas 28 Holla Bend N.W.R. (116)
Louisiana 28 Sabine N.W.R. (158)
North Dakota 17 Fargo-Moorhead (70)
South Dakota 19 Yankton (73)
Nebraska 13 Lake McConaughy (98)
Kansas 29 Lawrence (103)
Oklahoma 19 Oklahoma City (127)
Texas 110 Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh (220)
Montana 32 Bigfork (98)
Idaho 30 Nampa (109)
Wyoming 19 Casper (69)
Colorado 49 Penrose (134)
New Mexico 36 Caballo (124)
Utah 25 Ogden (104)
Nevada 16 Henderson (105)
Arizona 37 Gila River (159)
Washington 44 Sequim-Dungeness (143)
Oregon 48 Coquille Valley (150)
California 131 San Diego (217)
Hawaii 15 O’ahu: Honolulu (50)
    Hawai’i: North Kona (50)
    O’ahu: Waipi’o (50)
Pacific Islands 5 Saipan, C.N.M.I. (40)
Mexico 49 San Blas, Nayarit (266)
Belize 5 Punta Gorda (254)
Guatemala 3 Atitlan Volcano (274)
El Salvador 1 Suchitoto, Cuscatlán (151)
Nicaragua 5 Reserva El Jaguar, Jinotega (182)
Costa Rica 9 La Selva, Lower Braulio Carillo N.P. (362)
Panama 4 Pacific Canal Area (280)
Colombia 32 Rio Barbas-Bremen Natural Reserve, Quindío (215)
Ecuador 16 Yanayacu, Napo (502)
Brazil 5 Manaus (east), Amazonas (131)
Paraguay 2 Benjamin Aceval, Presidente Hayes (182)
Trinidad 1 Trinidad (181)
Tobago 2 Delaford, Eastern Tobago (77)
Bahamas 7 New Providence Island (116)
Cuba 4 Viñales N. P., Pinar del Río (55)
Dominican Republic 2 Puerto Escondido (90)
Haiti 1 Les Cayes (74)
Puerto Rico 4 Arecibo (117)
British Virgin Islands 1 Tortola (42)
U.S. Virgin Islands 3 St. Croix (58)
Bermuda 1 Bermuda (85)