Mid-March Backyard Point Count

The backyard bird community is in transition as winter resident birds are getting ready to head to their summer breeding range, year round resident birds are setting up their territories and beginning to build their nests, summer (breeding) residents are starting to arrive, and neotropical migratory birds from Central and South America are slowly beginning to pass through Georgia on their way north to their summer breeding grounds.

Once or twice a week I will do an early morning bird count to see what birds are waking up in our backyard. Over time we will be able observe the transition of the backyard bird community.

Here is this morning's list. I have indicated if the bird is a year round resident, winter resident, summer resident, or a migrant just passing through. I have also indicated the conservation status of each species.

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
Year Round Resident, Populations declining throughout range

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Year Round Resident, Common and widespread

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Year Round Resident, Population density and range increasing

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Winter Resident, Populations increasing throughout range

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Year Round Resident, Populations are increasing throughout most of the range

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
Year Round Resident, Populations increasing and expanding range northward

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Winter Resident, Declining over much of breeding range

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Year Round Resident, Widespread and common in urban and suburban areas

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerine)
Year Round Resident Populations appear healthy

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Year Round Resident Populations stable

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Summer (Breeding) Resident Populations have increased

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
Year Round Resident, Populations stable or increasing

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
Year Round Resident, Slight, but significant population decreases across range

Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)
Year Round Resident, Decreasing because of habitat degradation

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
Year Round Resident, Populations declining slowly throughout range

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
Year Round Resident, There is a slight but significant decline in Blue Jay numbers across the United States, with most of the decline in the East

House Finch (Cyanocitta cristata)
Year Round Resident, Common and benefiting from human development

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Year Round Resident, Populations stable or increasing throughout its range

For more information on point counts, visit the Point Count Database: www.pwrc.usgs.gov/point/

References:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide