78th Bronx

80th Bronx-Westchester Christmas Bird Count
December 28, 2003

The Bronx-Westchester CBC has seen well over 220 different species.
Summary of birds seen over its 80 year history.
1999 Results
2000 Results
2001 Results
2002 Results
2003 Results are below

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The 80th Bronx-Westchester Christmas Bird Count found 113 species on December 28, 2003. Only 33,294 individuals were counted, lowest since 1983..

Despite open water and warm temperatures leading up to and including count day, both waterfowl and common passerines were low in numbers. The exceptions being Long-tailed Duck with a new high count of 396, and Wild Turkey, new high count of 41. Two large snow storms one and two weeks before the count dropped passerine numbers and open water to the north prevented an influx of waterfowl.

The highlights of the count included a new species and one not seen since 1941. Three Black Vultures over Lenoir Nature Preserve in Yonkers were new to the count and a Common Raven was observed at Woodland High School in Hartsdale. This is only the second record for the count.

Other highlights included:
Red-necked Grebe off Rye, 6th year in a row.
Two Eurasian Wigeon one in Premium Mill Pond in New Rochelle and the other at Mill Pond in Mamaroneck.
Six White-winged Scoter and one Black Scoter on the Sound off Rye.
Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet Owls in Pelham Bay Park.
House Wren in southern White Plains.
American Pipit on Hen Island.
Orange-crowned Warbler at the College of Mt. Saint Vincent.
Four Common Redpolls, all in the Bronx, one in Riverdale, one in Woodlawn Cemetery and two at Castle Hill Park.
And five Evening Grosbeaks at Butler Woods, Scarsdale.

American Crow numbers continue to drop. A 33 year low was reach with less than 500 reported.

Other species with notably low numbers included:
3 Killdeer, a 59 year low;
six Ring-necked Pheasant,tied the all time low;
Great Blue Heron, 18 year low;
Black-capped Chickadees, lowest since 1976, and
House Finch, lowest since 1981.

The 113 species is the lowest since 1997. The 20-year count average is 47,000 birds and 117 species.

There were an additional 8 count week species; Northern Gannet, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Merlin, Iceland Gull, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Bluebird, Field Sparrow.

Other notable misses included Brown Thrasher, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

The complete compilation results are attached.

Next year's count date is Sunday, December 26, 2004. Hope to see you there.

Michael Bochnik
(914) 2379331
BochnikM@cs.com

	Species	Hudson Valley	Yonkers	West Bronx	East Bronx	Scarsdale	Rye	TOTALS

1	Snow Goose						1	1
2	Canada Goose	95	309	1288	989	2092	362	5135
	Canada Goose (small form)	2						2
3	Brant			1	399	8	29	437
4	Mute Swan		6	3	11	64	20	104
5	Wood Duck		4			12	3	19
6	Gadwall				24	18	57	99
7	Eurasian Wigeon					1	1	2
8	American Wigeon				26	128	143	297
9	American Black Duck	19	10	12	299	373	390	1103
10	Mallard	70	215	116	189	650	343	1583
	mallard hybrid	1			1	3		5
11	Northern Shoveler			12		24		36
12	Northern Pintail						2	2
13	American Green-winged Teal			4		9		13
14	Canvasback			5	38	3	16	62
15	Ring-necked Duck					5		5
16	Greater Scaup				1635	59	239	1933
17	Lesser Scaup				343	50	26	419
18	White-winged Scoter						6	6
19	Black Scoter						1	1
20	Long-tailed Duck					22	374	396	New High Count (297 in 2002)
21	Bufflehead	3			419	203	128	753
22	Common Goldeneye				32	13	41	86
23	Hooded Merganser		18	36	8	109	15	186
24	Common Merganser		10	1				11
25	Red-breasted Merganser				96	428	208	732
26	Ruddy Duck		9	33	158	55		255
27	Ring-necked Pheasant			1	4	1		6	Tied all time low
28	Wild Turkey		21	1		2	17	41	New High Count (25 in 2002)
29	Red-throated Loon						1	1
30	Common Loon						12	12
31	Pied billed Grebe				2			2
32	Horned Grebe				10		3	13
33	Red-necked Grebe						1	1	6th year in a row
	Northern Gannet						CW	CW
34	Double-crested Cormorant				16	5		21
35	Great Cormorant				16	6	24	46
36	Great Blue Heron		2	3	2	5	14	26	18 year low
37	Black-crowned Night Heron			1				1
38	BLACK VULTURE		3					3	NEW TO COUNT
39	Turkey Vulture		7					7
	Bald Eagle		CW					CW
40	Northern Harrier				2		1	3
41	Sharp-shinned Hawk	2		4	4	3	2	15
42	Cooper's Hawk			4	1	4	3	12
43	Red-shouldered Hawk				1			1
44	Red-tailed Hawk	6	17	18	18	30	9	98
	Golden Eagle		CW					CW
45	American Kestrel			1	1			2
	Merlin		CW					CW
46	Peregrine Falcon			1		CW	CW	1
47	Virginia Rail						3	3
48	American Coot		2			1		3
49	Killdeer						3	3	Lowest since 1944, 59 year low
50	Ruddy Turnstone						1	1
51	Purple Sandpiper					9	73	82
52	Dunlin					4	5	9
53	American Woodcock			1			1	2
54	Bonaparte's Gull						10	10
55	Ring-billed Gull	138	804	133	835	1044	415	3369
56	Herring Gull	7	80	65	372	292	838	1654
	Iceland Gull						CW	CW
57	Great Black-backed Gull	7	20	3	27	23	66	146
58	Rock Pigeon	69	216	219	195	375	203	1277
59	Mourning Dove	49	62	39	64	397	235	846
60	Monk Parakeet				5			5
61	Eastern Screech-Owl	2	4			2	1	9
62	Great Horned Owl		1	1	3	5	1	11
63	Long-eared Owl				2			2
64	Northern Saw-whet Owl				3			3
65	Belted Kingfisher		2	4	5	7	3	21
66	Red-bellied Woodpecker	9	6	43	24	53	32	167
67	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker			6		4	1	11
68	Downy Woodpecker	20	23	27	27	55	37	189
69	Hairy Woodpecker	2	5	5	3	15	11	41
70	Northern Flicker	1	1	1	6	4	1	14
71	Pileated Woodpecker	1				1		2
	Eastern Phoebe						CW	CW
72	Blue Jay	17	39	154	68	99	43	420
73	American Crow	54	15	17	95	295	22	498	Lowest since 1970, 33 year low
74	Fish Crow		2			10	7	19
75	COMMON RAVEN					1		1	2nd time on Count, last seen 1941
76	Black-capped Chickadee	43	27	63	6	80	79	298	Lowest since 1976, 27 year low
77	Tufted Titmouse	38	30	96	58	112	48	382
78	Red-breasted Nuthatch	1	2	5	1	9	6	24
79	White-breasted Nuthatch	18	16	37	20	66	21	178
80	Brown Creeper	1	2	2	1	4	1	11
81	Carolina Wren	21	10	14	16	48	62	171
82	House Wren					1		1	3rd year in a row
83	Winter Wren	3		5	2	9	15	34
84	Marsh Wren				2		2	4
85	Golden-crowned Kinglet			1		7	1	9
86	Ruby-crowned Kinglet		1			6	1	8
	Eastern Bluebird						CW	CW
87	Hermit Thrush	5	2	5	4	16	3	35
88	American Robin	46	29	194	26	25	55	375
89	Gray Catbird	3	3	3	2	5	11	27
90	Northern Mockingbird	19	16	47	14	57	25	178
91	European Starling	150	284	620	284	579	175	2092
92	American Pipit						1	1
93	Cedar Waxwing	8	5	11	8	10	8	50
94	Orange-crowned Warbler			1				1
95	Eastern Towhee	5		3	10	2	1	21
96	American Tree Sparrow		19	23	53	6	118	219
	Field Sparrow						CW	CW
97	Savannah Sparrow				6			6
98	Fox Sparrow	4	1	7	18	13	26	69
99	Song Sparrow	20	15	57	59	132	116	399
100	Swamp Sparrow				4	2	5	11
101	White-throated Sparrow	196	114	499	208	478	225	1720
102	Dark-eyed (Slate-col.) Junco	51	135	265	14	472	158	1095
103	Northern Cardinal	37	27	36	20	127	80	327
104	Red-winged Blackbird	1	3	30	43	2	7	86
105	Rusty Blackbird		1	8			1	10
106	Common Grackle		100		2	2		104
107	Brown-headed Cowbird		5	11	15			31
108	Purple Finch				3	1	CW	4
109	House Finch	59	13	12	9	174	61	328	Lowest since 1981, 22 year low
110	Common Redpoll			2	2			4
111	American Goldfinch	94	72	141	83	212	101	703
112	Evening Grosbeak					5		5	First since 1995
113	House Sparrow	179	111	426	149	378	217	1460
		Hudson Valley	Yonkers	West Bronx	East Bronx	Scarsdale	Rye	TOTALS
	TOTALS	1576	2956	4887	7620	10121	6134	33294	Lowest since 1983
	# of Species	42	55	64	74	81	85	113
	# of Saves		2	3	6	4	12

Summaryof birds seen over its 80 year history.
1999 Results
2000 Results
2001 Results
2002 Results

Return to Main Chapter Page