Keene Christmas Bird Count is a Baseline for Winter Bird Populations

On Dec. 15, 34 observers conducted the 42nd consecutive Keene Christmas Bird Count in and around Keene, yielding 8,482 individuals of 60 species of birds. What, you may ask, compels people to spend a cold winter day tallying each individual bird? The answers lie in commitment to conservation and celebration of community. This annual census, organized by the National Audubon Society, has withstood the test of time to become one of the world's oldest and best-known wildlife censuses. It started with humble beginnings in 1900 when a small group of conservation-minded bird enthusiasts decided to count wild birds instead of shooting them. Before this, bird enthusiasts often carried shotguns and set out in competitive 'side hunts' which consisted of tallying birds they had shot. One hundred twenty-five years later, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) has expanded across the globe to become an internationally important conservation measure and is today hailed as one of the world's largest community science projects. It's a snapshot of bird populations and one of the most effective tools biologists have to make decisions about protecting them and their habitats. According to National Audubon, over 2,800 distinct count circles similar to the one conducted in Keene are currently active. The Keene count holds the distinction among the 21 New Hampshire CBCs as being the first in the state, and along with 24 other count circles around the U.S. and Canada, was among the very first CBCs held in the year 1900. On this count, a single birder tallied just three species – 16 Black-capped Chickadees, one American Crow and one Northern Shrike. This paltry tally also bestowed Keene with the less honorable distinction of recording the fewest species of any count that year. For reasons unknown to the author, the Keene CBC then ceased until the mid-1950s, when an attempt to revive it lasted just a couple of years. Fast forward to the 1970s, the growing local birding community reprised it once again. The community continued to grow, and the count was shifted slightly in 1982 to include Spofford Lake, the region's most productive waterbody for ducks and other waterbirds. Over the ensuing years, volunteers from New Hampshire Audubon, Antioch University New England and the Harris Center have kept the count going strong, and it has become a staple of the local birding community. In addition to the conservation focus, count day is one that highlights community, a time when birders often team up and gather at day's end for a meal while compiling the cumulative list. My participation in the Keene CBC began in 2007 when I moved to the region, and I was assigned to cover a territory that included Spofford Lake and parts of Westmoreland – jackpot! In addition to seeing some of the promised waterfowl that Spofford Lake hosts into mid-December on years when it isn't frozen, I recall seeing a Northern Shrike, an uncommon northern visitor that ventures south into the northern U.S. some winters. As mentioned above, the shrike was one of the three species recorded on the original Keene CBC. However, it is one we rarely see on counts anymore. Why? Maybe the species is present but goes undetected, or perhaps it now winters in a habitat just outside the count circle. But maybe it's a sign of a population change. Though one CBC circle cannot accurately answer these questions, when paired with data from hundreds of other count circles over many decades, trends – and answers – may become apparent. On count day this year, observers in 14 parties logged over 100 hours, covering 485 miles, including 56 by foot. The morning was cold with temps starting in the single digits, but importantly for bird detection (which is often by ear), the wind was light. Clear skies and abundant sunshine were welcome rewards for those braving the cold temperatures counting each bird in their assigned territories. Highlights included the Keene CBCs first-ever Red-throated Loon, a bird seen by Adam and Rand Burnett on Spofford Lake. This arctic-breeding loon is smaller than the familiar Common Loon which nests here in the summer and winters along the Atlantic coast. With this addition, the total number of species documented in this count's history now stands at 120. Other less common species included one Field Sparrow, two Swamp Sparrows, one Peregrine Falcon, one Common Grackle, four Brown-headed Cowbirds and a remarkable six Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a high count for this increasingly regular winter species. This has been a trend in recent years as traditionally 'southern' wintering species seem to persist longer. Other examples include high counts of Red-shouldered Hawks, Eastern Bluebirds and American Robin, all of which set new record highs. The Robin tally of 1,393 was particularly notable as it more than doubled the previous high count. Though not records, some other notables or high tallies were 31 Red-tailed Hawks, three Belted Kingfishers, two Northern Flickers, 13 Winter Wrens, 48 Carolina Wrens, 19 Northern Mockingbirds, four Hermit Thrushes, 37 Snow Buntings, 47 Song Sparrows and three Red-winged Blackbirds. The five most abundant species (with tallies) on the count were American Robin (1,393), Dark-eyed Junco (979), Black-capped Chickadee (963), European Starling (896) and Blue Jay (394). Though the 60 species tallied on count day was a far cry below last year's record-setting 79 species, most of the regular species were well-represented and the total number of individuals was well above average. Phil Brown is Bird Conservation Director and Land Specialist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education and a longtime volunteer for National Audubon, having conducted over 100 Christmas Bird Counts, including the Keene count, which he has compiled since 2011. For more information about the Christmas Bird Count, visit www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count.