Last year’s local Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on December 28, with 17 volunteers who counted from their cars, on foot, and at their backyard feeders. Altogether, they observed 44 species and 5,440 individual birds (plus Sandhill Cranes, Hooded Mergansers, and Barred Owl during count week).
During our December 2023 CBC, we saw 56 species and 3,754 individual birds, so in 2024 the number of species was significantly lower, but the number of individual birds was much higher, thanks in large part to the number of European Starlings—2,960, compared to 1,438 the previous year. The 2024 count also included a large number of Ring-billed Gulls, at 500 individual birds.
Unusual sightings for this time of the year included Black Vulture and Turkey Vulture, and several participants were treated to the sight of a pair of Peregrine Falcons in downtown Muncie. One group of counters also saw seven Wild Turkeys. Full results are available here.
Big thanks go to the volunteers who participated in the count, especially Jim Schowe, who coordinated the event; Catherine Kubo, who assisted with other count logistics; and Annette Rose, who processed the results. Other counters were Laura Bowles, Julie Bruner, Jim Flowers, Pam Howie, Martha Hunt, Jim Jeffery, Rose Jeffery, Mari Paton, Dave Polk, Janet Ridenour, Andrew Slack, Barb Stedman, Kristy Tuttle, and Brian Wolfe. Altogether, the 17 counters covered a 10-miles radius from the center of Muncie over the course of several hours.
The National Audubon Society conducted the first Christmas Bird Count in 1900, making it the Western Hemisphere’s longest-running wildlife census and one of the world’s greatest ongoing citizen-science efforts. Scientists use the data gathered to help track trends in bird populations and address conservation issues.
National CBC results for last year’s count can be found at .www.audubon.org/news/125th-christmas-bird-count-summary
(Peregrine Falcon photo by Martha Hunt.)
Robert Cooper Audubon Society 