A Very Merry “Christmas Bird Count”
Volunteer birders with their trusty binoculars out in Superior, WI
(photo credit: Callie Grones)
From Chickadees, to Bald Eagles, Woodpeckers, Mergansers, and so many more, the birds of the Superior area were out and about for the volunteers of the annual Christmas Bird Count.
From the city’s suburban areas, to Pokegama Bay, to the Superior Forest, and out at Wisconsin Point, birders collected data about the number and species of the birds present in our area on Saturday, December 28th. See below for final results!
The National Audubon Society collects this data from Christmas Bird Count circles across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. An ongoing tradition spanning 125 years, this birding data informs conservation and protection efforts, not only for the birds themselves, but the ecosystems that harbor them. To this day, the Christmas Bird Count data set is one of the largest community science datasets that exists in the world.
Northern News Now reporter, Sophia Lauber, interviews a volunteer birder about the Superior Christmas Bird Count
(photo credit: Sharon Moen)
The Superior Christmas Bird Count was featured in a newspaper article from the Superior Telegram, as well as a news story from Northern News Now.
Click the links below to see these stories:
“Find birds, boost science during Christmas Bird Count” by Maria Lockwood (Superior Telegram), December 23, 2024
“Superior birders take part in nationwide bird count” by Sophia Lauber (Northern News Now), January 2, 2025
If you’re looking for ways to get outside and see some birds, you’re in luck! The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve partner with local organizations to put on birding events throughout the year, including the popular Everyone Can Bird! series. This is an accessible and inclusive outdoor birding event throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Check back on our website for more information regarding the 2025 series.
The Superior circle of the Christmas Bird Count is hosted annually by the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve. This is the second year that the event was hosted. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who made this event possible!
Article by: Callie Grones
Cover photo: A local Snowy Owl (photo credit: Will Mowchan)
Superior Christmas Bird Count 2024 Final Results:
Canada Goose - 2
Mallard - 48
Common Goldeneye - 126
Common Merganser - 14
Red-breasted Merganser - 67
Herring Gull - 2,465
Glaucous Gull - 1
Ruffed Grouse - 2
Wild Turkey - 38
Rock Dove - 492
Mourning Dove - 27
Bald Eagle - 147
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Rough-legged Hawk - 4
Merlin Falcon - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Great Horned Owl - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 13
Hairy Woodpecker - 14
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
American Crow - 190
Common Raven - 28
Blue Jay - 4
Northern Shrike - 1
American Robin - 3
Black-capped Chickadee - 226
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 5
Dark-eyed Junco - 2
House Sparrow - 8
Tree Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 1
Common Redpoll - 13
American Goldfinch - 24
Purple Finch - 1
House Finch - 1
Northern Cardinal - 3
Common Grackle - 1
European Starling - 165
TOTAL: 3,421 birds counted among 40 species