What a difference a century has made! In December of 1900, early conservationists were gearing up for the first-ever "Christmas Bird Census," responding to the call of Frank Chapman to count, not shoot, birds as a holiday tradition. The concept of "bird-watching" was only the passing fancy of a few people, and the term "birding" was at least one human generation away from being coined. Early bird counters perhaps wondered when their ranks would break 100, or if the whole idea of a Christmas Bird Count would catch on at all--or have any value. The anticipation they felt may have been to help define the wintering ranges of Black-capped versus Carolina chickadees, and perhaps in the New York City area to encounter a northward straggling Tufted Titmouse or Northern Cardinal. It wasn't out of the question to think of finding a Heath Hen or an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, although their numbers were dwindling. Some counts may have been started to check for species such as these. It was completely out of the question to consider reporting birds that had left for the winter--like Swainson's Thrush or Blackburnian Warbler. In 1900 those early Christmas bird counters were on the cutting edge of bird conservation, and the organization that eventually chose the name "National Audubon Society" was still five years away from being formed.

In December of the year 2000, the picture was quite different. The "Christmas Bird Census" had long been called the Christmas Bird Count, and for the first time Bird Studies Canada joined the National Audubon Society in organizing the entire effort The number of count circles is pushing steadily toward 2000 each season, and over 50,000 birders take part every year. The CBC is well ensconced as The Icon for the study of early winter bird distribution, and coverage now extends from above the Arctic Circle to southern South America. Ivory-billed Woodpeckers are long gone, but Ivory-billed Woodcreepers are now counted each year. In the first season of the second century of the Christmas Bird Count we are tracking the demise of other prairie-chickens--at Attwater Prairie Chicken N.W.R., Texas and Arnett, Oklahoma--as they appear to be following their cousin the Heath Hen into oblivion. And CBC observers in Ecuador looked forward to a day that would include Stygian Owl, Green-fronted Lancebill and Sword-billed Hummingbird (from the sublime to the ridiculous for hummingbird bills), Golden-headed Quetzal, Moustached Antpitta, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager. And yes, they did also find Swainson's Thrush and Blackburnian Warbler among their total of 348 species. And at the opposite end of the spectrum, observers at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska tallied a new record number (for their count) of the only species ever found there--73 Common Ravens.

In the 101st Christmas Bird Count, a new record high total of 1880 circles was censused, with 1533 in the United States, 297 in Canada, and 50 in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Pacific Islands. It took quite a few new circles to reach that total, and the complete list of the new Christmas Bird Counts included in the 101st Count are to be seen in Table 1. Not surprisingly, 28 of these new CBC's are in Canada, the result of the much-appreciated efforts of Bird Studies Canada. Dick Cannings and the BSC team spearheaded CBC efforts in Canada, and it is certain that the Christmas Bird Count is a stronger program with Bird Studies Canada onboard. All told 51,637 observers took part--42,359 in the field and 9278 dedicated feeder watchers. Despite the record number of Counts included this season, that impressive participant total is slightly lower than in the 100th Count--probably because of the weather effects discussed below. The participant break-down is not surprising: 1012 field observers and seven feeder watchers counted in the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands; 6523 field observers and 3963 feeder watchers did their part in Canada; and the remaining 34,799 bush beaters and 5306 feeder fillers participated in the United States.

Gulls in winter provide an identification challenge to many observers. However, a rarity in direct comparison with a common species can provide helpful hints. This duo of Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) was present during count week in the Coastal New Hampshire circle. Photo/Steve Mirick.

And count birds they did! Despite often inclement conditions, 54,788,215 birds of all manner of species were tallied: 51,657,566 in the U.S.; 2,908,401 in Canada; and 222,248 on the "Tropical" counts. In North America, one new species was added to the cumulative roster--Golden-cheeked Warbler at San Antonio, Texas. Many species are new from Latin America, but remember with the incredible diversity of species in the neotropics, each new count, and usually each season, brings additions to the total list from those regions. Two other new names, both waterfowl, grace this 101st CBC issue-- Long-tailed Duck and Greylag Goose. Long-tailed Duck is a new (for the A.O.U.) name for an old friend--Oldsquaw, counted every year since 1900. The Europeans among CBC participants may now rejoice that North American ornithologists finally have that name correct! The other new inclusion is Greylag Goose--reported on at least two CBC's this season, although the origin of the birds is nearly certainly from farmyard stock It's possible, however, that someday a "real" wild Greylag Goose could occur in the Western Hemisphere, and by keeping track of the sightings of feral birds we may learn when the real thing shows up.

All told, in the 101st CBC 689 species were tallied in the United States (including Hawaii) and Canada, with an additional 39 recognized forms included as well. In the high species count race, North American tops again goes to Mad Island Marsh, Texas, tying the all-time North American (north of Mexico) high of 235 hard-won species. Former perennial favorite Freeport, Texas also had a stellar year, at an impressive 226 species. South of the border, a newcomer CBC tops the list--Mindo-Tandayapa, in incredibly species-diverse Ecuador, at 348 species. La Selva and Monteverde, both in Costa Rica, tallied 344 and 342, and the Pacific Canal Area in Panama tallied an amazing (to those of us in the frozen north) 328 species. A total of 1796 species of birds was tallied outside United States and Canada--of course, this includes many birds also seen on North American counts. It also includes a very nice sample of birds that breed in North America, but winter in the New World Tropics and farther south. The complete list of all counts tallying 150 or more species is seen in Table 2. And, as each and every one of the over 50,000 counters knows, it takes major observer effort to count "all the birds in your circle." Table 3 lists all the Counts in the 101st CBC with 100 or more total observers.

The 101st CBC season was, in general, a very difficult one weather-wise. From the Canadian Atlantic Provinces to the Prairie Provinces, and southward to the Carolinas, Arkansas, and the Great Plains States, winter had North America in its icy grasp. Not only was the weather cold before and during the 101st CBC period, but across much of the Continent there were storms on each weekend of the Count Period. The Rocky Mountains seemed to contain the cold weather to the east; throughout the mountain west and along the West Coast, conditions were often warm--and very dry. Predictably, the weather affected both birds and birders on a Continental basis. Although there was a record high number of counts conducted, many had to be re-scheduled--only to be run on their "rain date" in bad weather after all. On many counts, the number of human observers was reduced.

An unusual in winter raptor at many localities across North America, this Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) was photographed at Ogden, Utah. Photo/V. Arnold Smith.

The birds responded to the weather conditions as well. Many lingering migrants and half-hardy species were forced southward or were present in reduced numbers, and waterfowl and shorebirds were nearly nonexistent on Christmas Bird Counts in many northern areas where they occasionally linger. Counts conducted to the mild south and west may have benefited, as witnessed by increased species totals in Texas and California this season. Comparing the species totals in Table 4, the list of Regional High Species totals in the 101st CBC, with those in Table 4 from the 100th Count (with its continentally mild conditions) illustrates this pattern. As any Compiler well knows, calculating accurate species totals is a bit of an art, and again in the 101st Count the CBC data entry pages did not have an auto-calculation feature for number of species. We are in the midst of developing a system of linkages of obsolete species names throughout the historical CBC database, and when that is complete the system will calculate species totals for Compilers.

Not surprisingly after last season's flight, there was no large "winter finch" movement in the 101st Count, although Bohemian Waxwings did stage a good flight into some regions. The event of the winter, presaged by CBC results in Canada, Alaska, and Minnesota, was a large movement of Northern Hawk Owls, and smaller numbers of Boreal, Snowy, and Great Gray owls. Gyrfalcons also moved southward, and provided raptorial spice on more CBC's than in some seasons. Also, the dry conditions in the mountain west may have accounted for a movement into the lowlands and eastward of some western species, such as Western Scrub-Jay, Pinyon Jay, and Black-headed Grosbeak. Northern Bobwhite numbers continue to plummet across North America--even though introductions for hunting stock take place in many areas. The real picture of what is happening to eastern North America's only native quail is far from clear. In fact, most North American quail species are declining. On the other hand, North America's largest game bird, the Wild Turkey, is reclaiming the continent with great vigor, and this season's increasing CBC tallies from North Carolina to British Columbia reflected their ballooning numbers.

Another reintroduction that is being monitored by the Christmas Bird Count as of this 101st season is that of the California Condor to its former haunts near the Grand Canyon. Observers on the Silver Reef, Utah count tallied one bird from this release program. The future of this magnificent vulture anywhere in the wild is far from certain, but the CBC provides one tool to monitor it success or failure, in both the Grand Canyon area and in southern California.

Another significant avian event documented by the 101st Count was a huge flight of Lapland Longspurs and Horned Larks in the central Great Plains and into the mid-South. It is unclear whether these birds were forced southward from the brutal conditions to the north, or were fleeing the drought conditions in Texas and other areas of the southwest. But record numbers of Lapland Longspurs were counted in Tennessee, Mississippi, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas. Horned Larks were tallied in record totals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Montana. Harris's Sparrow was also unusually widespread away from its normal wintering ground in the southern Great Plains--possibly as a result of the same factors inducing the movement of Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs.

Again this season, in Table 5 we take a look at a few species of interest. As has become something of a mini-tradition in itself, Grasshopper Sparrow is first on the list. Contrary to what might be expected given the dismal weather over much of the continent during the 101st Christmas Bird Count period, this was a good season for this little skulker. Or at least it was a good season for observers to find Grasshopper Sparrows--an art in itself. Grasshopper Sparrows were found on 85 Counts in 17 regions, with a very high (for Christmas Bird Counts) total of 440 birds. In fact, more Grasshopper Sparrows were found in Texas on the 101st CBC (279 birds on 33 Counts) than the entire total 100th season. It seems likely that on a continental basis, Grasshopper Sparrows elected to move south with the cold fall and early winter, ahead of the snow and ice storms. Interestingly, however, no Grasshopper Sparrows were found on CBC's in New Mexico, where they are usually present in good numbers. Adding to the mystery, the weather generally provided good counting conditions in New Mexico during the 101st Count, so it seems unlikely that the little sparrows were just missed. One factor could be the ongoing drought conditions in New Mexico--possibly the numbers of Grasshopper Sparrows were bolstered in the Lone Star State by birds that elected not to winter in the Land of Enchantment.

The next species presented for analysis in Table 5 is the ever-enigmatic Bohemian Waxwing. In the 101st Count, these lovely frugivores were tallied in the same number of regions (31) and in 50 fewer circles (237 vs. 280), but in greater numbers (102,164 vs. 95,620) than in the 100th Count. But the key is where they were counted in big numbers this season--in Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Alaska, and Montana. Interestingly, there were also large numbers of American Robins in British Columbia--another species dependent upon the availability of winter fruits as a food source. So it seems that the Bohemian Waxwings did not have to wander far in the winter of 2000-2001, staying in the north central regions of the North American continent. The winter conditions were harsh, with heavy snow cover, storms, and extreme cold, but a good crop of winter's fruits frozen on the trees made for more of an attractant than the weather was a repellent for this hardy species. Even in the face of cold conditions (at least by human standards), there is no need for entire populations of birds to undertake movements on a continental scale when food is available on their local home turf.

The next bird documented in Table 5 from the 101st Count is a species that was notable by its absence this past season--Common Redpoll. We have tended to look at irruptive species when they are present in a given Christmas Bird Count season, but it is quite illustrative also to look at such species in their "off years," thereby documenting the magnitude of the fluctuations in their numbers. Like the Bohemian Waxwings, Common Redpolls stayed home in the 101st Count--if home is defined as the breeding grounds. The only region that had more Common Redpolls in the 101st Count than in the 100th was Alaska. In total less than half as many individual CBC's tallied Common Redpolls this season as compared to last. But the most telling statistic is the total number of Common Redpolls counted--a paltry 12,368 in the 101st Count compared to over 135,000 in the 100th Count. The supply of small seeds in the far north must have been very good indeed during the winter of 2000-2001, illustrating that temperatures and snow cover usually have little bearing on the irruptive movements of seed-eating Fringillid finches. Observers should keep their eyes peeled for redpolls during the upcoming 102nd Count season, however, as this group seems to stage its winter movements on a biannual cycle. It will be interesting to see the scope of any redpoll irruption in the next season, and whether the birds move in the same direction and with the same magnitude as they did two years earlier in the 100th Count.

Finally in Table 5, we look at the dominant bird (when present) at the sunflower seed feeder, the Evening Grosbeak. This is a species that should be well sampled by the Christmas Bird Count, and as documented by the CBC database online the apparent long-term decline in this species' numbers is disturbing. In the 101st Count, fair numbers of Evening Grosbeaks were turned up, although all numbers were somewhat down from the 100th Count. Since Evening Grosbeaks did not move in big numbers in the winter finch flight last season, this comparative result is not too surprising. It is interesting to note that while there was no large-scale movement of Evening Grosbeaks in the 101st Count, the numbers were up somewhat in the west, especially in the southern Rockies and the Pacific Northwest. So where are the Evening Grosbeaks? Are they remaining in the northern forests, where there are few Christmas Bird Count circles? Or is this species actually declining, responding to some as yet unidentified environmental factor? This species is easy to identify both by sight and voice, and is conspicuous when present. It is also a frequent visitor to feeding stations, to the (at least initial) delight of their human hosts. The Christmas Bird Count will continue to be a valuable tool to monitor the status of the Evening Grosbeak--and the early winter distribution of hundreds of other species of birds.

Similar in many ways to the Old World "crakes" is the Sora (Porzana carolina). This Sora was accompanied by a typical New World rail (a Virginia) at Grenada, Mississippi. Photo/Bruce Reid.

The 101st Christmas Bird Count--the initial season in the second century of the Count--has helped chart the course for the future of the CBC. Beginning with this season, all CBC results were handled via on-line data entry--not just those in North America. Compilers from the Caribbean to Ecuador to Saipan all entered their data on-line, accessing a comprehensive new series of bird lists in an improved database structure. In the upcoming Christmas Bird Count seasons, working with groups in Mexico and the Caribbean (much like the highly successful collaboration with Bird Studies Canada), we hope to expand the CBC program in those regions. In addition, with the help of those groups and other Compilers we hope to develop the historical database for the non-North American Counts by entering CBC results from past seasons into the on-line database.

We are also in the midst of a complete overhaul of the on-line presence of the Christmas Bird Count. In addition to streamlining the data entry pages for Compilers, soon we will have a host of new on-line features that will give the public access to the CBC database as never before. Through an interactive web presence birders and researchers will be able to query the database, answering many of their own questions about avian long-term trends or patterns of early winter distribution. People will have options for downloading CBC data directly from the CBC website, so that Compilers or researchers can pull data into their computers and do further studies off line. We will welcome hearing the results any studies that are conducted.

We are also beginning to "mine" the Christmas Bird Count for ornithological stories of note, hoping to unearth both the good bird news and the bad that is embedded in 101 years of mostly untapped census data. There have already been on-line features looking at early winter range expansions (Tufted Titmouse and Great- and Boat-tailed grackles), irruptive patterns (Pine Siskins and other winter finches), and apparent population declines (Bewick's Wren and Evening Grosbeak). These stories are certainly only the tip of the proverbial research iceberg that the Christmas Bird Count will provide to ornithology and conservation biology once it is fully available and searchable. What questions come to mind that might be addressed by research into the Christmas Bird Count database? We would love to hear about them. As more such studies are completed, we will add new stories to our on-line library of CBC research features. In addition, we will soon have available on-line the ever-expanding bibliography of studies conducted and published that have used CBC data to reach their findings. This will be a valuable resource for researchers and conservationists, and will also highlight for Compilers and participants the true value of all their dedicated efforts in the field.

The future of the Christmas Bird Count is bright indeed, and that future is both in the field and in cyberspace. The dedicated cadre of CBC participants, and the tradition of the Count and spirit of competition they bring with them, ensures that the program will flourish and grow. And the Internet provides the tool whereby the bird data that result from their efforts--your efforts--can best be appreciated, accessed, and analyzed.

Perhaps the most frequently encountered rail on North American Christmas Bird counts is the Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola). This one was present at Grenada, Mississippi. Photo/Bruce Reid.

Roughly three generations of humans have been involved in counting birds on the Christmas Bird Count (or Census), and they have watched many more generations of birds. The environmental conditions in North America have changed over the past century, in ways that positively and negatively affect both humans and our avian neighbors. Birds provide humans with one way of monitoring the world we've impacted, as they can be used as indicator species for the health of the environment. On this basis, the Christmas Bird Count itself has evolved into a powerful and important tool, one probably inconceivable to any of the 27 participants on the first Christmas Bird Census in 1900. With the continually growing ornithological value of the Count in combination with the amazing communication power of the Internet, it seems likely that today's participants cannot possibly fathom the future value of their efforts in the year 2100 and beyond.

—Geoffrey S. LeBaron