Bronx-Westchester Christmas Bird Count
102nd Bronx-Westchester Christmas Bird Count found 115 species and 41801 individuals on Sunday, December 28, 2025. 138 participants braved cooler than average temperatures with a low of 18 F and a high of only 33 F. Winds varied from 0 to 12 mph starting from the N, changing to SSW. Still water froze two days before the count, moving water was open.
Highlights were:
A female Harlequin Duck off Edgewater Point, Mamaroneck (private property). This is new to the count and brings the 102-year cumulative total to 237species.
Three Greater White-fronted Goose, 8th count record, 2 in Van Cortlandt, one at Edith G. Read Preserve
A Cackling Goose on Sprain Reservoir in Yonkers
A few Black and Surf Scoters
A Northern Saw-whet Owl in Kings Point
Red-headed Woodpecker at Marshlands Conservancy
A Lapland Longspur on the Pelham Bay Landfill (restricted access)
A Savannah (Ipswich Sparrow) also on the Pelham Bay Landfill (restricted access)
Lincoln's Sparrow in Starlight Park along the Bronx River in the Bronx
An American Pipit in Hastings-on-Hudson
Two Orange-crowned Warblers, one in Rye and the other in the Soundview section of East Bronx
New high counts for Canada Goose, Rock Pigeon, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eastern Screech-Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Peregrine Falcon.
Other highs:
38-year high for Savannah Sparrow and a 67-year low for Black-capped Chickadee
Count week birds included Short-eared Owl and White-winged Scoter.
Misses included Northern Pintail, Canvasback, Pied-billed Grebe, Virginia rail and American Coot.
Below is a full breakdown of the numbers. Thanks to all who helped on the count.
A full breakdown on numbers can be found at
https://www.hras.org/s/102nd-report.pdf
NEXT YEAR’S COUNT is Sunday, December 27, 2026
- Michael Bochnik, Bronx-Westchester CBC Compiler
What is a Christmas Bird Count?
Christmas Bird Counts originated out of a Christmas Day custom of the "Side Hunt". Hunters would choose sides, and the winning team was the one which brought back the largest number of feathered or furred creatures - dead. At the start of the 20th century, the decline of formerly abundant species, like the Passenger Pigeon and the Carolina Parakeet, became deeply concerning. Frank M. Chapman, an ornithologist and an officer in the nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new tradition: instead of killing birds, they would be counted. So began, in 1900, the first Christmas Bird Count. In 1900, 27 people tallied birds in 25 places across North America. In 2020, over 80,000 people participated, both in the field and at feeders, from all over the Western Hemisphere. It is National Audubon's largest citizen science project, providing invaluable information on bird species, their populations and distribution.
Our Christmas Bird Count, the Bronx-Westchester CBC, was started in 1924 by the Bronx County Bird Club. Over the years, the count circle has expanded geographically; it's now divided into seven regional areas, each with a leader and a team of observers. Birds at feeders are also included in the totals. At the end of the day, the results are compiled at the count dinner.
Most counts are no longer held on Christmas Day, but from December 14 to January 5th.