Announcing the results of the Fall 2023 Migratory Bird Count
We are excited to share the official tally of bird species encountered during our annual bird count, along with the “running count” that includes birds observed over the past two days. This fall’s birding event was remarkable, with a grand total of 50 species recorded during the count. Adding the additional 7 species spotted in the running count, we reached an impressive total of 57 species! (See list of bird species below.)
This year brought us some extraordinary birding moments, which we attribute to the recent major storms that grounded much of the bird activity in the days leading up to the count.
With a decade now behind us, we’ve successfully completed our 10th year of the migratory bird count. The data collected during these ten years will serve as a valuable resource for analyzing trends in bird activity on our island.
Here’s the list of species we encountered in our Fall 2023 Migratory Bird Count.
Thank you to all who participated.
| Fall 2023 Bird Count |
|---|
| American crow |
| American goldfinch |
| American kestrel |
| American redstart |
| American robin |
| Belted kingfisher (running) |
| Black-capped chickadee |
| Blue jay |
| Brown thrasher |
| Black & white warbler |
| Bobolink (running and confirmed; congrats Tom!) |
| Carolina wren |
| Cedar waxwing |
| Chimney swift |
| Chipping sparrow (running) |
| Common eider |
| Common grackle |
| Common loon (running) |
| Common yellowthroat |
| Cooper's hawk |
| Double crested cormorant |
| Downy woodpecker |
| Eastern phoebe |
| Eastern towhee |
| European starling |
| Greater black-backed gull |
| Great blue heron |
| Golden-crowned kinglet |
| Gray catbird |
| Great egret |
| Herring gull |
| House finch |
| House sparrow |
| Laughing gull (running) |
| Mallard |
| Merlin |
| Mourning dove |
| Mute swan |
| Northern cardinal |
| Northern flicker |
| Northern harrier |
| Northern mockingbird |
| Red-bellied woodpecker |
| Red-tailed hawk |
| Northern rough-winged swallow |
| Osprey (running) |
| Savannah sparrow |
| Salt marsh sparrow |
| Swamp sparrow (running) |
| Song sparrow |
| Tufted titmouse |
| White-breasted nuthatch |
| White-throated sparrow |
| Yellow-billed cuckoo |
| Yellow warbler |
| Yellow-rumped warbler |
Bird watchers scan the skies looking for birds to include in the biannual migratory bird count on Fishers Island.
Join us for our 2023 Fall Migratory Bird Count alongside our University of Delaware experts, Emily Baisden and Will Almeida.
Event Details:
What: FIConservancy 2023 Fall Migratory Bird Count
When: Sunday, October 1, 2023 @ 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at Fishers Island Community Center
Make sure to bring your binoculars!
Following Audubon bird count rules, birders will make 15 five-minute stops from West End to East End. At each timed stop, birders count birds and call out what they see.
The outcomes from these bird counts play a crucial role in assisting scientists and conservation groups in mapping bird populations. Furthermore, they provide valuable insights into the distribution and frequency of various bird species within our local environment.
