The 122nd Christmas Bird Count in Colorado

Words by Brandon K. Percival
Published December 09, 2022

Fifty-three Christmas Bird Counts were held this winter in Colorado.  A total of 204 countable species of birds were found, plus four others for count week only (Black Scoter, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Common Yellowthroat).  The Pueblo Reservoir count found the most species again this year, with 130 count day species and four others during count week.  The state record for Colorado is 134 count day species (Penrose), and only two counts have reached the 130+ number (Penrose and Pueblo Reservoir), 135-140 species seem possible some year soon.  More counts this year reached 90+ plus count day species, probably due to more open water, warmer early winter, and good weather on count day for most counts.  Loveland (112), John Martin Reservoir (111), Boulder (110), Penrose (110), North JeffCo (105), Pueblo (104), Denver (103), Fort Collins (100), Rocky Ford (96), Colorado Springs (93), and Grand Junction (92) were the 90 plus counts this year.  The Crook count, thanks to lots of white geese, counted the most birds 106,563, the Pueblo count with geese and blackbirds counted 81,050 birds, and Rocky Ford with lots of geese counted 70,503 birds.  The counts with the lowest number of birds were Dotsero 102 birds (16 species), Pinon Canyon 327 birds (22 species), and Great Sand Dunes N.P. 489 birds (19 species), and Fairplay 646 birds (27 species).  Other counts with low species total: Pawnee Butte (17 species), Pawnee National Grasslands-East (20 species), and Crow Valley and Nunn (28 species each).  I think the award for worst weather for a Colorado Christmas Count this year goes to Fountain Creek, that did their count in up to 75 MPH winds!  They found 65 species and 4805 count day birds, which is much lower than expected.  It is very hard to have a CBC in that kind of weather.  A few counts postponed their count to a later date, due to high winds or very snowy weather on their scheduled count day.  A lot of counts had open water that is usually frozen, so more water birds were found on some counts for sure, which helps with species totals.  Three counts were not held this year.  If a new compiler wants to organize any of the following counts in the future, please let me know: North Park, Sterling, and Summit County may need new compilers since they haven’t been going on for a few years now.

Geese and Swans:

Sixteen counts found Greater White-fronted Geese (23 total); the largest total was the four at Crook.  Snow Geese were the most counted bird species on Colorado Christmas Bird Counts, with 176,159 counted.  The Crook count counted the most Snow Geese with 95,000, as well as the most Ross’s Geese with 5000.  The Denver (urban) count had the most Cackling Geese with 14,623 and Longmont found 12,286.  A Snow x Cackling Goose (hybrid) was at Longmont.  A few counts reported Ross’s x Cackling Goose (hybrids); Barr Lake and Colorado Springs had one each on count day, and Fountain Creek also found one count week.  Fort Collins had the most Canada Geese with 13,220 and Longmont wasn’t far behind with 13,142.  With all the geese at Longmont, they also found four Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid) as well.  It seemed to be a good year for swans on Colorado Christmas Bird Counts.  Trumpeter Swans (nine countable ones, two residents) were at Douglas County (1), Granby (1), Longmont (5), Rawhide Energy Station (2), and Roaring Fork River Valley (two, which are residents here).  Tundra Swans (27) made a big showing too, nine at Denver and Rawhide Energy Station, four at Boulder and Fort Collins, one at Pueblo, and count week at Colorado Springs.

Ducks:

The biggest totals for Wood Ducks were at Pueblo Reservoir with 42 and Grand Junction with 38.  The Denver area had a lot of ducks as usual; the highest number of Gadwalls were at Denver (urban) with 264 and Denver found 238.  A male Eurasian Wigeon was well photographed at Pueblo Reservoir.  The Denver count found the most American Wigeon with 417 and 2nd was Pagosa Springs with 381.  The Rawhide Energy Station count counted the most Mallards, with 3055 and Crook counted 1902.  A Mexican Duck was photographed at Pueblo Reservoir.  Single Cinnamon Teal were in western Colorado at Delta and Hotchkiss, and another in eastern Colorado at Longmont.  The Denver (urban) count found the most Northern Shovelers with 1833 and Barr Lake found the most Northern Pintails with 422.  John Martin Reservoir counted the most Green-winged Teal, with 835.  The Rawhide Energy Station found the most Canvasback, with 30, and Grand Junction counted 23.  The most Redheads were found at Cortez with 282.  The highest number of Ring-necked Ducks came from western Colorado, with 477 at Pagosa Springs and 426 at Grand Junction.  There were 29 Greater Scaup statewide, with 15 at Denver, six at Pueblo Reservoir, three at Rocky Ford, two at Loveland, and one each at Cortez, Boulder, and Pueblo.  The highest count for Lesser Scaup was 39 at Denver.  More scoters than usual were found, two Surf Scoters were at Denver, and another one was at Pueblo Reservoir.  White-winged Scoters at Boulder (4), Durango (2), North JeffCo (2), and Pueblo Reservoir (count week), and a Black Scoter was photographed at Pueblo Reservoir (count week), making all three scoters on the Pueblo Reservoir Christmas Bird Count.  Long-tailed Ducks were at Denver (3), Fort Collins (2), John Martin Reservoir (1), Loveland (1), and North JeffCo (count week).  Another high count from Denver (urban) was 276 Buffleheads.  John Martin Reservoir found the most Common Goldeneyes, with 2500.  Larger counts for Barrow’s Goldeneyes were 64 at Granby, 54 at Roaring Fork River Valley, and 20 at Salida, with 153 statewide.  All the high counts for mergansers came from John Martin Reservoir, with 371 Hooded, 3000 Common, and 246 Red-breasted.  The high number of Ruddy Ducks came from Rawhide Energy Station with 90.

Quail and Grouse:

Only five counts found Scaled Quail, with Pueblo Reservoir finding the most with 59, and a statewide total of only 113.  Three counts found the 204 Gambel’s Quail; 117 at Grand Junction, 56 at Montrose, and 31 at Delta.  Four Northern Bobwhites were at Weldona-Fort Morgan, and they were the only count that found them.  Barr Lake reported four exotic Indian Peafowl on their count.  Bonny Reservoir on the far eastern plains, found the most Ring-necked Pheasants with 12, and John Martin Reservoir found 10.  The Aspen count found count week White-tailed Ptarmigan.  A Dusky Grouse turned up in Boulder.  Two counts found Sharp-tailed Grouse, eight at Pawnee Buttes and 16 at Steamboat Springs.  Bonny Reservoir was the only count to find Greater Prairie-Chicken (4).  Wild Turkeys are found on 32 counts, and Pagosa Springs counted 263 and Weldona-Fort Morgan counted 250.

Loons and Grebes:

Three species of loons were found.  Single Red-throated Loons were at John Martin Reservoir and Pueblo Reservoir.  Two Pacific Loons were also at Pueblo Reservoir.  Due to more open water, eight counts found Common Loons, five each at Denver and Pueblo Reservoir, also in western Colorado one was at Durango and one at Hotchkiss.  Both Fort Collins and North JeffCo found two, and Pueblo found three, for a statewide total of 20.   The two Pueblo counts, Pueblo Reservoir (57) and Pueblo (53), found the most Pied-billed Grebes.  Out of the 55 Horned Grebes, most were at Pueblo Reservoir with 33, and in southwest Colorado, Durango found six.  The largest group of Eared Grebes were at Pueblo Reservoir as well, with 228 and Western Grebes with 79.  Clark’s Grebe is much harder to find, and only one was at Pueblo Reservoir, and a surprising count week bird at Spanish Peaks. 

Cormorants, Pelicans, Herons:

The Denver (urban) count found the most Double-crested Cormorants with 40.  With more open water, American White Pelicans lingered in Colorado later than usual, and ten counts found them, with 310 total.  The 161 at John Martin Reservoir was the most, though 58 at Longmont, 21 at Boulder and 14 at Denver were good totals for northern Colorado and 47 at Rocky Ford was a high count for that count in southeast Colorado.  The high counts for wintering Great Blue Herons were at John Martin Reservoir finding 65.  There are usually a few Black-crowned Night-Herons that winter in Colorado, 11 at Denver (urban), one at Pueblo, and count week at Pueblo Reservoir were the only ones this winter.

Raptors:

Always unexpected in winter, an Osprey was reported from Greeley (no details provided).  The largest numbers of Golden Eagles were tallies of 13 at Loveland and Hotchkiss, and 12 at Cortez.  Out in southeastern Colorado, the most Northern Harriers found were 29 at John Martin Reservoir.  There were fewer Sharp-shinned Hawks (58 – six at Pueblo was the highest) than Cooper’s Hawks (125 – 23 at Grand Junction probably feasting on the large number of doves there).  Nine counts found Northern Goshawks, two in Boulder were the most.  Barr Lake is certainly the place for Bald Eagles, with 150 found on their count.  The highest count for Red-tailed Hawks was the 162 at Boulder, and probably not surprising the most Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan’s) there as well with five.  A Red-tailed Hawk (Krider’s) was reported from Loveland (no details provided).  The most Rough-legged Hawks were on the eastern plains at Flagler with 23.  The highest totals for Ferruginous Hawks were 17 at Boulder, and 16 at both John Martin Reservoir and Pueblo Reservoir.

Rails and Cranes:

Count circles with marshes can find a wintering Virginia Rail and Sora.  The large marshes in the John Martin Reservoir circle in southeast Colorado certainly has the most rails, with 35 Virginia Rail and two Sora.  Another nice total for Virginia Rail was 27 at Fort Collins.  Sora is rarer in winter, though single birds were noted at Delta and Pagosa Springs, and count week at Monte Vista NWR.  Most of the wintering Sandhill Cranes (4914) are in western Colorado, with 4016 at Delta, 469 at Montrose, and 424 at Grand Junction.  More unusual were the five photographed at Pueblo and count week at Roaring Fork River Valley. 

Shorebirds:

High counts for Killdeer this winter were 33 at Pueblo Reservoir and 31 at Denver.  Pretty much not expected in Colorado in winter, a Solitary Sandpiper was photographed at Loveland, likely only the 2nd CBC record for Colorado.  Four counts found Spotted Sandpipers, one each at Denver and Grand Junction, and two each at Hotchkiss and Pueblo Reservoir.  The only Greater Yellowlegs were in southeast Colorado, two at John Martin Reservoir and one at Rocky Ford.  A recent trend, Least Sandpipers seem to be found on a few counts with five at John Martin Reservoir, one at Pueblo Reservoir, and count week at Denver.  The highest Wilson’s Snipe counts were 16 at Fort Collins and 12 at Gunnison.

Gulls:

The rarest gull this winter for Colorado Christmas Bird Counts was the count week Black-legged Kittiwake at Denver.  Only Pueblo Reservoir (243), Longmont (50), John Martin Reservoir (12), and North JeffCo (two) found Bonaparte’s Gulls.  Short-billed (Mew) Gulls were found at Boulder (one), Loveland (two), and Pueblo Reservoir (one).  The highest Ring-billed Gull total was 2500 at John Martin Reservoir.  Rarer in western Colorado, Cortez, Durango, and Grand Mesa all found one Ring-bill each!  Fort Collins found the most California Gulls, with 24.  The most Herring Gulls were 300 at Loveland and 212 at John Martin Reservoir.  Eleven counts found Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls (23 total), with seven at Loveland and three each at John Martin Reservoir, North JeffCo, and Pueblo Reservoir.  Much less expected, were Iceland (kumlieni) Gulls, one at Boulder and two at Loveland.  Of the 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Boulder, Loveland, and Pueblo Reservoir found seven each.  A Glaucous-winged Gull joined in on the gull show at Loveland, as did a Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid).  The only Glaucous Gulls were three at Loveland and one at Pueblo Reservoir.  The returning Great Black-backed Gull was again at Pueblo Reservoir, seen on this count 28 years now, if it is the same bird, it is getting old. 

Doves and Roadrunner:

Probably not too surprising, the most Rock Pigeons were on the Denver (urban) count with 1208.  Fort Collins found the most Eurasian Collared-Doves with 518.  The Pueblo area has the most White-winged Doves in winter, Pueblo Reservoir with 69 and Pueblo 49, and in western Colorado, Grand Junction found 26.  Grand Junction also has the most Mourning Doves with 427.  Four counts found Greater Roadrunners, two at John Martin Reservoir and one each at Pueblo, Pueblo Reservoir, and Penrose. 

Owls:

Lake Isabel found their first Barn Owl, the only other counts finding them were two in Boulder, one at Fountain Creek, and one at Loveland.  Grand Junction always checks nest boxes for Western Screech-Owls on count day, they found 75 this year, the only others were one at Air Force Academy, three at John Martin Reservoir, two at Rocky Ford, and one at Penrose.  Fort Collins found the most Eastern Screech-Owls with 11 and Fort Collins found ten, as well as the most Great Horned Owls with 26.  Northern Pygmy-Owls are always a treat for Colorado counts, four at Evergreen-Idaho Springs were the most and two at Great Sands Dunes NP, plus singles were found on five other counts.  Boulder found the most Long-eared Owls with four; five other counts found one each.  Single Short-eared Owls were found on three counts at Crook, Monte Vista, and Pueblo.  Owling efforts on the Westcliffe count at 3am produced two Northern Saw-whet Owls, a first for the count, others (all singles) were at Bonny Reservoir, Evergreen-Idaho Springs, Lake Isabel, Penrose, and Rawhide Energy Station, and two were found on the Loveland and North JeffCo counts.

Kingfishers and Woodpeckers:

Quite a few counts found a good number of Belted Kingfishers, Denver (32) and Boulder (31) tallied the most.  Sixteen counts found Lewis’s Woodpeckers, the big numbers were 32 at Pagosa Springs, 20 at Hotchkiss, and 11 at Durango, all in southwestern Colorado.  The one Lewis’s Woodpecker that made it north to Fort Collins was interesting.  The two far eastern counts were the ones where Red-bellied Woodpeckers were found.  Both Bonny Reservoir and Crook found five each, much rarer was a count week bird at Loveland.  Of the three species of sapsuckers that have ever shown up on Colorado Christmas Bird Counts, all did this year: Williamson’s Sapsuckers at Pagosa Springs (2), Penrose (7), and North JeffCo (1); Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers one each at Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pueblo Reservoir (a lower total than usual); and western Colorado found all the Red-naped Sapsuckers, three at Hotchkiss and one at Durango.  Only three counts tallied Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Penrose found two, and both John Martin Reservoir and Pueblo Reservoir found one each.  Fort Collins found the most Downy Woodpeckers with 89, and Evergreen-Idaho Springs found the most Hairy Woodpeckers with 93.  American Three-toed Woodpeckers are only found in higher elevation, and five counts had them, two at Air Force Academy and two in Gunnison were the most.  Out of the 2395 Northern Flickers, the most were 287 at Colorado Springs and 285 at Boulder.  There were 12 Yellow-shafted Flickers, with Greeley finding the most with four.

Falcons:

Loveland (61), Fort Collins (59), and Montrose (53) found the most American Kestrels.  Merlin was found on 25 counts, with Cortez finding the most (6).  Only a few counts found Peregrine Falcons, both Grand Junction and Pueblo Reservoir finding two, and Loveland and Monte Vista NWR found one each.  Prairie Falcons were found on 27 counts, and the highest was four each at Boulder, Hotchkiss, and Nunn.

Phoebes to Larks:

Black Phoebes were at Grand Junction and Penrose (two each) and an Eastern Phoebe was at Fort Collins.  Thirteen counts found Say’s Phoebes (21 total), Grand Junction found four and Pueblo Reservoir found three.  Eight southeastern Colorado and west slope counts found all the Loggerhead Shrikes (25 total), five was the high count on four counts, John Martin Reservoir, Piñon Canyon, Pueblo, and Pueblo Reservoir.  A total of 140 Northern Shrikes were found, with Evergreen-Idaho Springs finding the most with 13 and Boulder found 11.  The high elevation counts find the only Canada Jays, and Evergreen-Idaho Springs found the most with 17.  Three counts found over 100 Pinyon Jays, Salida (149), Grand Junction (109), and Hotchkiss (101).  Again, Evergreen-Idaho Springs had the most Steller’s Jays, with 647.  Fort Collins found the most Blue Jays with 334.  A nice find was a Steller’s x Blue Jay (hybrid) that was photographed on the Lake Isabel count.  Colorado Springs was the place for high numbers of Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay (416) and Black-billed Magpie (644).  The highest counts for Clark’s Nutcracker were at Westcliffe (48) and Rocky Mountain NP (44).  The Montrose count found the largest number of American Crows with 1839.  The smaller Chihuahuan Ravens are only detected in southeastern Colorado, Penrose found 12, John Martin Reservoir and Pueblo found three, Pueblo Reservoir found two, and Rocky Ford found one.  Gunnison found the largest number of Common Ravens with 599.  Large totals for Horned Larks were at Barr Lake (4693), Nunn (3591), Flagler (3294), Pawnee Buttes (1996), and Pawnee National Grasslands-East (1479).

Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches and Creeper:

Fort Collins found the most Black-capped Chickadees with 615 and Evergreen-Idaho Springs found the most Mountain Chickadees with 771.  A Black-capped x Mountain Chickadee (hybrid) was photographed at Pueblo Reservoir, I wonder if there are many more of these around.  Hotchkiss with six and Durango with five were the high totals for Juniper Titmouse.  Colorado Springs found the most Bushtits, with 331.  Evergreen-Idaho Springs is the place for lots of nuthatches, high counts for Red-breasted (117), White-breasted (Interior West - 157), and Pygmy Nuthatch (1101).  The high count of White-breasted (Eastern) Nuthatch were nine at Bonny Reservoir, Crook, and Weldona-Fort Morgan with three each, two at Flagler, and one each at John Martin Reservoir and Rocky Ford.  Both Barr Lake and Greeley reported White-breasted Nuthatches, though didn’t report which sub-species.  Evergreen-Idaho Springs also found the most Brown Creepers with 22.

Wrens through Kinglets:

Grand Junction found the most Rock Wrens with eight, more unusual was one north at Rawhide Energy Plant.  Canyon Wrens were found on seven counts, and Denver and Loveland found five each were the most.  A very unexpected House Wren was at Denver.  Six Winter Wrens turned up, two each in Denver and Weldona-Fort Morgan, and one each at John Martin Reservoir and North JeffCo, and count week at Fort Collins.  Delta found the most Marsh Wrens with ten and Pueblo Reservoir found the most Bewick’s Wren with 17.  Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are rarely found in the state in winter, two at Pueblo Reservoir and count week at John Martin Reservoir were the only ones.  The most American Dippers were on the Larimer County counts, Fort Collins with 27 and Rocky Mountain NP with 25.  Amazingly the only Golden-crowned Kinglet was at Penrose plus count week at Loveland.  Where were they on other mountain counts this winter?  Pueblo Reservoir found the most Ruby-crowned Kinglets with 20.

Bluebirds through Waxwings:

Bonny Reservoir found 17 Eastern Bluebirds, which seems lower than usual, though was the highest in the state this winter.  Grand Junction found the most Western Bluebirds with 79, much more unusual were three described well on the Denver (urban) count.  The Lake Isabel count was certainly the winner for Mountain Bluebirds with 2882.  Denver found the most Townsend’s Solitaire with 238.  Six counts found Hermit Thrush, only Durango found two, the others found one each.  The highest totals of American Robins were in the Pueblo area and west of there.  Penrose counted 3449, Pueblo Reservoir counted 2590 and Lake Isabel counted 1627, all very impressive totals.  Four counts found Gray Catbirds, with singles at Boulder, Loveland, North JeffCo, and Rawhide Energy Station.  Pueblo Reservoir usually finds the most Curve-billed Thrashers, and they did again with 13.  Six counts found Brown Thrashers, one each at Barr Lake, Bonny Reservoir, Evergreen-Idaho Springs, Fort Collins, John Martin Reservoir, and Rocky Ford.  Pueblo Reservoir found a nice total of six Sage Thrashers, Penrose found two, and Pinon Canyon also found one.  There weren’t many Northern Mockingbirds this winter, only three, with singles at Crow Valley, Grand Junction, Weldona-Fort Morgan, and count week Fountain Creek.  The highest number of European Starlings were 11,620 at Rocky Ford and 9205 at Pueblo.  Eleven counts found American Pipits, with nine at Pueblo Reservoir being the most.  Colorado Springs found 124 Cedar Waxwings, which was the highest.  No Bohemian Waxwings were found on Colorado Christmas Bird counts this winter.

Longspurs:

Flagler on the eastern plains found an impressive total of longspurs, with 16,373 Lapland Longspurs and five Thick-billed Longspurs.  The Weld County counts on the Pawnee National Grasslands found some Lapland Longspurs as well, with the high count of 81 at Pawnee Buttes, though certainly not the larger numbers that were further south and east at Flagler.

Warblers:

It is always a thrill to find unusual warblers on Colorado Christmas Bird Counts.  The warbler highlights this year were two Black-and-white Warblers at North JeffCo, a Common Yellowthroat at Salida – count week, a Northern Parula at John Martin Reservoir, a female Black-throated Blue Warbler was shocker at Penrose (well photographed), and a Palm Warbler (Yellow) was a big surprise at Lake Isabel.  Some counts regularly find Yellow-rumped Warblers, which is the only regular warbler in Colorado during the winter (69 at Grand Junction was the most).

Sparrows:

There were quite a few highlights for sparrows this winter.  Chipping Sparrows are considered rare in Colorado in winter, however, recently some have been found and documented with photos.  This year two were at Lake Isabel (one photographed), one at Pueblo (photographed), one at Boulder, one at Eagle Valley, two at Montrose, and count week at Douglas County.  A Field Sparrow was a nice find at John Martin Reservoir.  A Fox Sparrow (Red) was photographed at Pueblo Reservoir, a first for this count, it was found feeding with juncos on the Pueblo Zoo property. Another one was photographed at Penrose, and it was a new bird for this count.  A total of 12,245 Dark-eyed Juncos were counted, with Colorado Springs finding the most (1397) and Hotchkiss was the second highest with 846.  There were 50 White-winged Juncos found, with Evergreen-Idaho Springs finding 17 and that count also counted the most Gray-headed (the breeding Colorado junco subspecies) with 220.  John Martin Reservoir in southeast Colorado found the most White-crowned Sparrows with 728.  Always rare in Colorado, a Golden-crowned Sparrow was found at Denver (urban).  Thirty-nine Harris’s Sparrows turned up on 18 counts, with nine on the Denver count being the most, while more unexpected locations were single birds at Eagle Valley, Grand Junction, Pagosa Springs, Salida, and Steamboat Springs.  A somewhat low tally was only 17 White-throated Sparrows, with four in Boulder being the most, while in western Colorado Cortez and Grand Junction found one each.  Savannah Sparrows are rarely found on Colorado CBCs, so the three at John Martin Reservoir and one at Rocky Ford were noteworthy.  Fort Collins found the most Song Sparrows with 227.  Lincoln’s Sparrows seem to be increasingly likely on counts in Colorado, and 18 in total were found, with five at John Martin Reservoir being the most this winter.  It was slow season for Swamp Sparrows, this winter only nine, with the two each at John Martin Reservoir, North JeffCo, and Penrose being the most.  The highest count for Canyon Towhee was 17 on the Pueblo Reservoir count, and Penrose was close behind with 14.  Rufous-crowned Sparrows have a limited range in Colorado, and one was found at Penrose and at Piñon Canyon, where they should be found in small numbers.  Colorado Springs found the most Spotted Towhees, with a nice total of 353.  One towhee found on the Colorado Springs count was a Canyon Towhee x Spotted Towhee (hybrid), which has been visiting a feeding station for a few years.  Out on the eastern plains a total of seven Northern Cardinals were found, with Bonny Reservoir finding the most at three.

Blackbirds:

The largest number of Red-winged Blackbirds was at Pueblo, 54,254.  Barr Lake found the most Western Meadowlarks with 184.  Yellow-headed Blackbirds sometimes show up in flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds in winter, and Montrose found ten while Delta found one.  A few Rusty Blackbirds were found, four in Boulder, one at Pueblo Reservoir, and count week at Fountain Creek.  The John Martin Reservoir count found the most Brewer’s Blackbirds with 419.  Only a few Common Grackles normally winter in Colorado.  Seven at Pueblo were the most, while up in the mountains a lost one was in Aspen.  The Pueblo count was the place for Great-tailed Grackles, with 558.  The only Brown-headed Cowbirds were the 57 at John Martin Reservoir, where there are large feedlots.

Finches:

Ten counts found Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches (704), with the highest counts at 174 at Rocky Mountain NP, 155 at Fairplay, 140 at Douglas County, and 130 at Gunnison.  Five counts tallied Black Rosy-Finches; 61 at Great Mesa and 11 at Gunnison were the highest.  Seven counts found Brown-capped Rosy-Finches (384) and Fairplay found the most with 183.  Four counts also saw rosy-finch species (330), 150 at Steamboat Springs, 100 at Black Forest, 50 at Rocky Mountain NP, and 30 at Fairplay weren’t seen well enough to determine which species.  Rocky Mountain NP found nine Pine Grosbeaks and Aspen found six, those were the highest totals.  Grand Junction found the most House Finches with 1324 and not too far behind was Colorado Springs with 1228.  A rarity in Colorado was a Purple Finch (Eastern), at Flagler.  The Evergreen-Idaho Springs count found the most Cassin’s Finches with 87.  The most Red Crossbills were 30 at Granby and 25 at Westcliffe.  Twelve counts found Common Redpolls with 54 on count day, a species that isn’t found in Colorado each winter.  Totals were Rocky Mountain NP with 20, Weldona-Fort Morgan with ten, Douglas County with eight, Greeley with seven, Air Force Academy with three, Loveland with two, singles at Boulder, Crook, Denver, Evergreen-Idaho Springs, and count week at Fort Collins and Fountain Creek.  The most Pine Siskins were in southwest Colorado, at Cortez with 270 and Evergreen-Idaho Springs with 249.  Lesser Goldfinches (183) were found on 19 counts, with 71 at Grand Junction the most.  Fort Collins found the most American Goldfinches with 315.  Out of the 16 counts with Evening Grosbeaks, the Lake Isabel count found the most with 140.  The highest number of House Sparrows were in Greeley with 1790, and I was surprised that only four were found on the Denver count.

I want to thank all the compilers, field observers, and feeder watchers for helping make this past winter a successful Christmas Bird Count season in Colorado.  Thanks especially to the compilers who got their results entered early.  I was able to write this summary before the end of February this year, so thanks!