Sunday, April 1, 2007

April 1st Bird Count

This morning's backyard bird count yielded 19 year round residents, 2 winter residents, and 4 summer residents. We are now seeing more summer residents and less winter residents as they are leaving to go to their summer breeding grounds.

Here is this 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

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Year Round Resident, It is a common bird across most of North America, but numbers are declining in most areas

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Year Round Resident, Populations appear stable, but may be declining in some areas

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Year Round Resident, Increasing across most of range

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

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

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

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Year Round Resident, Populations stable

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

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Year Round Resident, Populations are stable

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Year Round Resident, Widespread and abundant

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Year Round Resident, Populations slightly, but significantly increasing

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
Year Round Resident, Abundant and widespread

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

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)
Winter Resident, Populations stable or increasing in most areas

Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina)
Summer (Breeding) Resident, Common and increasing in some areas

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
Summer (Breeding) Resident, Populations appear healthy

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Summer (Breeding) Resident, Populations have increased over the long- and short-term across the continent

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)
Summer (Breeding) Resident, Has disappeared from some small forest areas, but is increasing slightly rangewide

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

References:

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