Every year on the first Saturday of May (give or take a week), Kane County Audubon joins birders across the country to participate in a national bird count. 2006 marks the 35th consecutive year that Kane County Audubon has conducted a Spring Bird Count. Forty-two birders fanned out to cover the county in 19 groups attempting to count as many birds as possible on May 6th.
The Red-winged Blackbird took honors this year as the most-counted species at 1,634 birds. Of the 154 species counted, 104 birds posted counts above their yearly average. The following species set record high counts: Great Egret, Carolina Wren, House Wren, and Eastern Bluebird. The Virginia Rail, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Mockingbird, and Clay-colored Sparrow tied previous record highs. Making its first appearance on the list was the Spotted Towhee.
The details for this year's count are presented below.
The complete 35 year record in spreadsheet form (.xls) can be downloaded here.
SPECIES 2006 COUNT AVERAGE PER YEAR HIGHEST COUNT 35 YEAR TOTAL YEARS COUNTED NUMBER OF SPECIES 154 137 160 240 35 LESSER SNOW GOOSE 0 2 9 7 ROSS' GOOSE 0 1 1 1 CANADA GOOSE 735 506 1,346 17,727 35 MUTE SWAN 2 1 8 27 12 WOOD DUCK 105 96 266 3,369 35 GADWALL 0 13 17 3 AMERICAN WIGEON 0 3 8 4 AMERICAN BLACK DUCK 0 1 3 3 MALLARD 381 422 723 14,756 35 BLUE-WINGED TEAL 29 51 143 1,772 35 NORTHERN SHOVELER 3 5 24 165 25 NORTHERN PINTAIL 0 4 4 1 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 1 1 13 35 12 CANVASBACK 0 1 1 2 REDHEAD 0 6 12 5 RING-NECKED DUCK 1 8 38 12 LESSER SCAUP 2 15 71 15 BUFFLEHEAD 0 2 8 5 COMMON GOLDENEYE 0 2 4 3 HOODED MERGANSER 1 1 5 22 10 COMMON MERGANSER 0 1 1 1 RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 0 1 1 1 RUDDY DUCK 4 2 19 80 17 GRAY PARTRIDGE 1 7 39 13 RING-NECKED PHEASANT 24 43 117 1,520 35 WILD TURKEY 0 7 16 6 NORTHERN BOBWHITE 0 2 6 4 COMMON LOON 1 0 1 6 6 PIED-BILLED GREBE 15 8 22 291 34 EARED GREBE 0 2 2 1 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT 43 20 198 716 19 AMERICAN BITTERN 1 4 21 15 LEAST BITTERN 0 1 1 1 GREAT BLUE HERON 100 57 205 1,984 33 GREAT EGRET 53 10 53 349 23 LITTLE BLUE HERON 0 6 10 6 CATTLE EGRET 0 3 7 6 GREEN HERON 10 18 54 628 35 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON 1 2 7 73 23 TURKEY VULTURE 43 11 46 368 26 OSPREY 0 2 11 9 BALD EAGLE 1 0 1 2 2 NORTHERN HARRIER 3 1 5 41 22 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 2 8 60 21 COOPER'S HAWK 14 5 21 175 24 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 0 2 3 2 BROAD-WINGED HAWK 2 4 28 142 31 SWAINSON'S HAWK 1 6 34 17 RED-TAILED HAWK 54 33 69 1,164 35 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 0 2 5 4 AMERICAN KESTREL 5 7 28 230 33 MERLIN 0 1 2 2 VIRGINIA RAIL 11 2 11 63 18 SORA 23 22 64 776 35 COMMON MOORHEN 1 7 31 14 AMERICAN COOT 47 62 321 2,187 34 SANDHILL CRANE 17 5 26 188 22 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 1 25 39 3 LESSER GOLDEN PLOVER 13 305 466 5 SEMIPALMATED PLOVER 1 2 15 80 17 KILLDEER 84 60 125 2,115 35 GREATER YELLOWLEGS 7 10 46 349 31 LESSER YELLOWLEGS 50 26 127 922 31 SOLITARY SANDPIPER 52 20 104 701 35 SPOTTED SANDPIPER 27 20 64 707 35 UPLAND SANDPIPER 1 8 27 9 RUDDY TURNSTONE 0 1 1 1 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 6 8 100 277 16 WESTERN SANDPIPER 0 5 8 2 LEAST SANDPIPER 29 23 150 794 24 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER 0 5 7 3 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER 0 4 4 1 PECTORAL SANDPIPER 17 22 202 756 28 DUNLIN 8 1 13 52 12 RUFF 0 1 1 1 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER 7 1 7 22 5 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER 0 3 4 2 WILSON'S SNIPE (COMMON) 2 3 8 100 28 AMERICAN WOODCOCK 2 1 9 45 16 WILSON'S PHALAROPE 1 0 5 17 8 LAUGHING GULL 0 1 1 1 BONAPARTE'S GULL 0 2 2 1 RING-BILLED GULL 37 21 177 744 21 HERRING GULL 21 4 30 137 21 COMMON TERN 0 4 15 6 FORSTER'S TERN 0 3 8 4 BLACK TERN 1 9 46 11 ROCK PIGEON 111 182 386 6,358 35 MOURNING DOVE 247 204 394 7,144 35 BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO 0 7 16 7 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 0 4 13 7 EASTERN SCREECH-OWL 1 5 43 23 GREAT HORNED OWL 10 5 13 178 32 BARRED OWL 2 1 4 29 11 COMMON NIGHTHAWK 1 3 14 97 21 WHIP-POOR-WILL 0 4 13 7 CHIMNEY SWIFT 146 122 305 4,276 35 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 4 2 7 66 25 BELTED KINGFISHER 15 11 27 397 35 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER 5 32 121 1,109 35 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 115 40 115 1,412 35 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 1 11 37 13 DOWNY WOODPECKER 72 66 123 2,318 35 HAIRY WOODPECKER 18 9 18 307 35 NORTHERN FLICKER 95 106 162 3,704 35 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER 0 3 7 4 EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE 6 5 16 163 34 YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER 0 1 1 1 ACADIAN FLYCATCHER 0 2 7 6 WILLOW FLYCATCHER 1 1 4 26 15 LEAST FLYCATCHER 13 5 28 176 25 EASTERN PHOEBE 42 11 48 374 28 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER 22 13 35 468 33 EASTERN KINGBIRD 32 19 67 655 34 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE 0 2 4 3 WHITE-EYED VIREO 3 1 11 38 18 BELL'S VIREO 0 3 9 5 YELLOW-THROATED VIREO 12 4 27 141 27 BLUE-HEADED VIREO 3 13 103 29 WARBLING VIREO 59 19 75 650 33 PHILADELPHIA VIREO 1 1 10 33 17 RED-EYED VIREO 8 9 35 324 31 BLUE JAY 243 314 486 10,976 35 AMERICAN CROW 89 280 436 9,785 35 HORNED LARK 12 26 82 899 35 PURPLE MARTIN 32 116 283 4,064 35 TREE SWALLOW 415 194 664 6,785 35 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 174 104 548 3,626 35 BANK SWALLOW 11 28 189 981 35 CLIFF SWALLOW 90 27 216 958 29 BARN SWALLOW 227 193 977 6,745 34 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE 186 150 371 5,244 35 TUFTED TITMOUSE 3 6 20 213 35 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 1 2 10 62 21 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 57 31 81 1,094 35 BROWN CREEPER 1 2 9 54 20 CAROLINA WREN 4 1 4 21 12 BEWICK'S WREN 0 1 1 1 HOUSE WREN 203 108 203 3,763 35 WINTER WREN 0 1 1 1 SEDGE WREN 13 2 15 64 17 MARSH WREN 8 3 11 121 23 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET 1 21 31 5 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 44 35 122 1,232 34 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER 105 26 194 897 32 EASTERN BLUEBIRD 47 16 47 567 30 VEERY 2 6 30 200 33 GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH 1 4 16 148 28 SWAINSON'S THRUSH 11 11 43 386 33 HERMIT THRUSH 5 3 13 117 30 WOOD THRUSH 29 23 115 815 35 AMERICAN ROBIN 974 687 1,194 24,058 35 GRAY CATBIRD 200 104 377 3,624 35 NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD 2 0 2 10 8 BROWN THRASHER 62 58 111 2,046 35 EUROPEAN STARLING 415 690 1,288 24,146 35 WATER PIPIT (AMERICAN) 4 3 42 98 8 CEDAR WAXWING 15 48 194 1,681 33 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER 6 3 19 109 26 GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER 1 3 30 101 22 BREWSTER'S WARBLER 0 1 2 2 LAWRENCE'S WARBLER 0 1 1 1 TENNESSEE WARBLER 15 21 62 719 34 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER 3 2 13 65 23 NASHVILLE WARBLER 36 26 105 896 34 NORTHERN PARULA 6 3 15 112 22 YELLOW WARBLER 132 75 226 2,641 35 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 5 10 84 340 28 MAGNOLIA WARBLER 2 9 55 324 28 CAPE MAY WARBLER 1 4 17 129 27 BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 0 4 11 8 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER 339 384 2,058 13,454 35 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER 28 27 123 951 35 BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER 1 5 18 164 30 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER 0 2 5 4 SUTTON'S WARBLER 0 1 1 1 PINE WARBLER 2 1 7 24 13 PRAIRIE WARBLER 1 20 22 3 PALM WARBLER 231 188 805 6,578 34 BAY-BREASTED WARBLER 3 3 18 122 22 BLACKPOLL WARBLER 1 3 20 101 24 CERULEAN WARBLER 0 2 6 5 BLACK & WHITE WARBLER 23 21 147 741 34 AMERICAN REDSTART 20 11 42 394 30 PROTHONOTARY WARBLER 1 4 21 12 WORM-EATING WARBLER 0 1 1 1 OVENBIRD 14 13 79 446 32 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH 22 17 63 583 34 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH 0 2 17 14 KENTUCKY WARBLER 0 1 7 7 CONNECTICUT WARBLER 0 3 7 4 MOURNING WARBLER 1 21 24 3 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT 181 64 230 2,236 35 HOODED WARBLER 0 5 12 6 WILSON'S WARBLER 1 8 38 14 CANADA WARBLER 0 2 11 9 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 1 0 3 12 10 SUMMER TANAGER 0 2 8 7 SCARLET TANAGER 7 10 42 361 28 EASTERN TOWHEE 43 22 52 785 35 SPOTTED TOWHEE 1 0 1 1 1 AMERICAN TREE SPARROW 2 1 10 23 7 CHIPPING SPARROW 102 62 183 2,176 35 CLAY-COLORED SPARROW 1 0 1 5 5 FIELD SPARROW 79 50 124 1,761 35 VESPER SPARROW 5 6 22 223 34 LARK SPARROW 0 2 4 4 SAVANNAH SPARROW 44 29 117 1,015 35 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 3 27 122 19 HENSLOW'S SPARROW 2 1 12 18 4 FOX SPARROW 1 0 3 6 4 SONG SPARROW 409 243 447 8,510 35 LINCOLN'S SPARROW 12 4 16 136 28 SWAMP SPARROW 96 53 161 1,841 35 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 299 164 527 5,726 35 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 33 53 404 1,852 35 DARK-EYED JUNCO 2 20 54 15 LAPLAND LONGSPUR 13 150 444 7 NORTHERN CARDINAL 411 239 483 8,370 35 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 92 52 149 1,826 35 INDIGO BUNTING 28 27 97 928 34 DICKCISSEL 0 3 9 6 BOBOLINK 45 36 100 1,248 35 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 1,634 1,547 2,358 54,162 35 EASTERN MEADOWLARK 65 58 133 2,039 35 WESTERN MEADOWLARK 6 4 25 143 30 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD 3 19 121 18 RUSTY BLACKBIRD 0 5 9 4 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD 0 1 1 1 COMMON GRACKLE 386 1,047 3,481 36,642 35 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD 348 253 490 8,857 35 ORCHARD ORIOLE 9 3 17 103 20 BALTIMORE ORIOLE 168 78 247 2,735 34 PURPLE FINCH 4 20 126 20 HOUSE FINCH 67 38 199 1,315 19 RED CROSSBILL 0 2 2 1 PINE SISKIN 4 41 150 17 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 640 279 951 9,779 35 EVENING GROSBEAK 0 2 2 1 HOUSE SPARROW 186 299 618 10,478 35 TOTALS 13,098 11,114 389,004
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