Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Christmas Bird Count Summary for 2025

The results are in! A total of 43 Christmas Bird Count participants (including staff and volunteers) joined forces on Saturday, December 20, to participate in the 126th annual count in and around Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Between sunrise and sunset, 13 teams of two to four people set out on foot, in vehicles, on a boat, and in a swamp buggy to document all of the birds they saw or heard in the Sanctuary as well as in nearby rural areas and neighborhoods within a 15-mile circle. One team also did a nighttime owl survey.

This annual community science program takes place from mid-December through early January to provide a snapshot of bird population trends from Ecuador to the Arctic, and from Guam to Bermuda.

The Corkscrew effort resulted in 12,684 total birds of 120 species! The total count was slightly lower than in past years, due in part to a lack of American Robins and two count locations that we could not access, but diversity was up.

Most numerous was American Tree Swallow (2,612), followed by Turkey Vulture (968), Mourning Dove (818), and Cattle Egret (801). Palm Warbler (378), White Ibis (378), Red-shouldered Hawk (122), and Eastern Phoebe (99) were seen by all teams, while 17 species were seen by only a single team, including Spotted Sandpiper, Red-tailed Hawk, and Virginia Rail. A special sighting this year included the Wilson’s Warbler, which was spotted along the boardwalk, where visitors have been seeing it for the past month.

All in all, the teams covered 378 miles (including 25 miles on foot and 8 miles in a boat) during the fun adventure, all to protect birds and the places they need.

Many thanks to Corkscrew Circle Count Compiler (and Audubon's director of public programs) Sally Stein for her work coordinating the count and summarizing the tallies.

Learn more about the hemispheric effort.