2022-2023 Christmas Bird Counts

Authors

Don Paseka, Nebraska Ornithologists' Union

Date of this Version

3-2023

Document Type

Article

Citation

The Nebraska Bird Review, Vol. 91 No. 1, pp. 27-41

Comments

Published by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc.

Abstract

Sixteen counts were run in the 2022-2023 CBC season. Because of weather and rescheduling issues, the Crawford, Harrison, and Harlan County counts were cancelled. Eight of the counts were completed during the first week of the count period and the other eight were scattered throughout the remainder of the count period. An early December cold snap seemed to drive many of the birds south, but the weather on actual count days was fairly benign: mostly dry with an average high of 34˚F and an average low of 19˚F and with three circles reporting light snow. The total number of species (129) was well below the average of 138 for the previous 10 years and the lowest since 2009 when the weather was problematic and only fourteen counts were run. Thanks to a record number of Canada Geese, the total number of individuals (233,317) was typical. Nineteen species were found in all circles compared to just 9 last year. Twenty-six species were counted in just one circle with 10 of those being a single bird. Eight species set new high counts, but there were no really unusual species reported, such as Say's Phoebe and Pine Warbler, which were both reported last year.