Ever wondered how many feathered friends call Southwest Florida home or drop by for a winter visit?
Well, the bird enthusiasts of the Manatee County Audubon Society had a delightful time tackling that question on December 16th during the National Audubon Society’s 124th Christmas Bird Count.
And guess what? The results are in! The birder team of the Bradenton Circle went on a bird-spotting adventure within a 15-mile radius around Bradenton and documented a whopping 149 species, totaling 31,398 individual birds. Quite the bird extravaganza!
From wise owls to charming songbirds, elegant wading birds to lively shorebirds, the bird count was a symphony of fluttering wings and joyful chirps.
Sure, the numbers were a tad lower than the 159 species spotted in 2022, but blame it on the fickle weather. However, amidst the dip in numbers, there were some dazzling surprises that sent the birding group into a flurry of excitement.
Picture this: the group’s first-ever recorded sightings of the American flamingo, a second glimpse of the crested caracara, and the third spotting of the Carolina chickadee – a delightful, puffball-shaped songbird with black-and-white flair.
And that’s not all! Rare sightings included the marbled godwit, long-billed dowitcher, and the charming tree swallow.
In the midst of all this avian excitement, some familiar feathered faces made a strong showing: wood ducks, red-breasted mergansers (the perpetually disheveled ducks), black skimmers, American robins, and the cheeky brown-headed cowbirds, notorious for sneaking their eggs into other birds’ nests.
But this bird-watching extravaganza isn’t just for fun and games. According to the National Audubon Society, this annual census is a crucial tool for researchers to monitor how our feathered friends are adapting to climate change and predict where they might pop up in the future.
Geoff LeBaron, the Christmas Bird Count director at the National Audubon Society, explains, “The Christmas Bird Count tells us how birds are doing during this early winter period. We can track about their living styles as per over the last 60 to 70 years.”
As temperatures rise, some southern bird species are making unexpected appearances farther north – a fascinating tidbit revealed by the bird count.
Now, let’s talk about those flamingos! Thanks to Hurricane Idalia in August, these pink wonders were scattered outside their usual haunts, according to bird experts. Some optimistic Audubon members are crossing their fingers, hoping these flamingos might consider settling down in Florida, reclaiming their historic stomping grounds where they once roamed in the thousands before facing regional extinction due to hunting.
And here’s a fun fact to wrap it all up: The Bradenton Circle group has been part of the Audubon Christmas Count tradition for over a decade, adding another layer of joy to this feathery celebration.