114th Christmas Bird Count in Canada

By Richard J. Cannings

A record total of 438 counts were submitted in Canada this year, 20 more than last year and including 20 new counts:  Atlin, Bella Coola, Elkford, Peachland, Rivers Inlet Mouth, Sparwood and Tumbler Ridge, BC; Carman, MB; Dalhousie, Hammond River-Hampton, Saint Paul and Tracadie-Sheila, NB; Aspy Bay, NS; Brantford and Rice Lake Plains, ON; Lac-Megantic, QC; Balgonie, Grayson, Love, and Turtleford, SK.  Five counts (Lake Windermere, BC; Cape Breton Highlands NP, Cheticamp, Economy and Eskasoni-Big Pond, NS) were revived after lengthy absences.  The participant total topped 13,000 for the second year in a row.

The total number of birds was barely above 3 million and the species total slipped to 291 from last year’s 292, the lowest total in a decade.  The weather played a big role in these declines.  British Columbia weather was fairly normal, with a calm opening weekend on the coast and mean low temperature of ‑2.3°C, slightly warmer than the long‑term average.  East of the Rockies a pattern of brutal weather systems—low temperatures, deep snow and storms—had a significant negative impact on species totals, and presumably the enthusiasm of participants.  Mean low temperature on the prairies was ‑18.6°C, moderating somewhat to the east with ‑14.9°C in central Canada and ‑11.2° in Atlantic Canada.  Low temperatures in the Territories averaged a bitter ‑24.2°C.  All these temperatures are 2 to 6 degrees Celsius colder than average.  Snow was a huge factor in many areas, and the storms seem to track across central and eastern Canada on the weekends when many counts were scheduled. 

British Columbia coastal counts topped the species richness list as usual.  This year Victoria (146 species) and Ladner (140) swapped places and species totals from last year. Oliver-Osoyoos, BC was the only inland count in the country above the century mark with 102 species.  No counts in Ontario topped 100 species for the first time in several years (Blenheim and Hamilton managed 98) and even Atlantic powerhouse Halifax-Dartmouth only tallied 106. Other provincial high counts are listed in Table 1.

Table 2 gives the totals for the 15 most abundant species on Canadian counts this year.  Certain waterfowl species declined markedly, mostly due to frigid conditions on the Great Lakes.  Canada Goose tallies were down by more than 100,000, and Greater Scaup dropped off the top-15 list altogether, going from over 100,000 birds last year to less than a third of that, the lowest total in more than a decade. 

For the third year in a row, a southward irruption of Snowy Owls caused excitement in southern Canada, but this year the numbers were even larger and concentrated more in central and eastern Canada rather than the West.  A total of 527 Snowies were seen on 113 counts, with the highest count being 31 at La Foret Larose, ON.  Unfortunately a huge concentration at Cape Race, NL (over 200 in early December) remained uncounted because the one access road to that count circle was snowed in just before the count period began.

The Eurasian Collared-Dove continues its spread throughout western Canada, with 5011 seen on 99 counts.  This is more than 10 times the number seen only five years ago, when 460 were seen on 18 counts.  Over 4000 of these were in British Columbia with most of the remainder in Alberta and Saskatchewan.  Single doves were seen outside southwestern Canada at Watson Lake, YT and Brome Lake, QC.

Table 1.  Provincial and territorial summaries for the 114^th Christmas Bird Count.

Winter finches were another big news item this year, but the story was quite the opposite from last year’s remarkable highs.  The northern finches simply stayed north.  Common Redpolls were essentially absent in southern Canada, with the national total dropping from over 130,000 last year to an unprecedented low of 3462. The Pine Siskin pattern was similar, going from over 80,000 last year to 6230.  Crossbills and grosbeaks showed similar drops.  The recent tentative recovery of Evening Grosbeak numbers suffered a setback, with only 5554 seen on 111 counts, a drop of more than 50 percent from totals over the last two years.

Table 2.  The 15 most abundant birds reported on the 2013-2014 Christmas Bird Count in Canada, with totals from the past five counts for comparison. 

Canada’s all-time species list for Christmas Bird Counts grew to 429 with three new species on British Columbia counts.  On Haida Gwaii, two Black-footed Albatross were at Greater Massett and a single Red-faced Cormorant at Rose Spit, while Chilliwack tallied a Black Phoebe.  A Tundra Bean-Goose came close to adding another species to the Canada list, but unfortunately died the day before the Yarmouth, NS count.  Most notable sightings came from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, including two Western Scrub-Jays at Pitt Meadows, BC; a Yellow-throated Warbler at Wolfville, NS; a Grasshopper Sparrow at Cape Sable Island, NS; a Hooded Oriole at Broughton Strait, BC; and a Brambling at Tlell, BC.  Outstanding regional finds included five Black Vultures at Point Pelee, ON; a Great Black-backed Gull at Gardiner Dam, SK; a Pomarine Jaeger at Hamilton, ON and two Bullock’s Orioles (both in the same backyard as the Yellow-throated Warbler!) at Wolfville, NS.

I would like to thank two long-term regional editors who have worked hard over the years on the Christmas Bird Count in Canada and are stepping down this year: Rainer Ebel in Alberta and Sarah Rupert in Ontario.  I also welcome Cameron Eckert, the editor for the new Northern Canada region and Yousif Attia, responsible for editing in Alberta and the Prairie Provinces report.  And I mourn the very untimely death of Ryan Cathers, the young and enthusiastic compiler of the Nanaimo, BC count; he will be sorely missed.