Hilton Head Audubon Christmas Bird Count

The Christmas Bird Count

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is an early winter snapshot of bird populations. It is the nation’s longest-running citizen science survey, providing critical data on bird population trends. The count started in 1900 and has grown to include many locations in the Western Hemisphere. Each count is done in a 15-mile diameter circle. There are now over 2,600 count circles! Counts must be scheduled on one day between December 14 and January 5.

Our Hilton Head count day is usually near the beginning of the count time period. We identify and count all birds seen or heard in a 24-hour period. Our 15-mile diameter circle includes all of Hilton Head, Pinckney and Daufuskie Islands, our waterways and parts of Bluffton out to Palmetto Bluff and Colleton River Club. We have 21 Area Captains who lead the teams. Teams include birders of various levels of experience, photographers and record keepers.

Please click here to review and download the 2023 Hilton Head CBC 10-year Summary Report

Christmas Bird Count 2023

Count day, Friday, December 15, 2023, was sunny but windy, with temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s. We counted 28,858 birds and 137 species, close to our average numbers.

There were 247 field observers on 77 teams and 79 feeder watchers for a total of 326 participants. There were 82 participants who were new to our count.

Bob Speare, our count advisor, observed: ”The morning started out cool and breezy, and I feared many of our songbirds might be hunkered down and quiet. But it seems bright skies kept the number of these birds pretty strong. I’m sure teams, like mine, found many sunny spots out of the wind with mixed flocks sunning and feeding. A couple highlights among these species included White-throated Sparrows tallying 49, while 23 Golden-crowned Kinglets were also counted, both 10-year highs.

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks have been on a steep increase since 2019 when only nine birds were counted. That rise continued as 247 were sighted in this year’s count–up 50% from last year’s 164. Additionally, I was pleased to see the number of our other tree-nesting duck, the Wood Duck, at a 10-year high of 219.”

Some of the rare or unusual birds on our December count included an Eastern Meadowlark. two Rusty Blackbirds, a Fox Sparrow. a Winter Wren, two female Painted Buntings a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Northern Harrier, a Loggerhead Shrike and a Red Knot. High count species of over 2,000 birds were Dunlins, Semipalmated Plovers and Red-winged Blackbirds.

American White Pelicans were reported by 10 different teams, in numbers from 2 to 190. We merged the counts, totaling 505 birds, and reported the highest number seen in one spot, 190. As Robert Rommel explained, White Pelicans fly from their roosting sites into our area to feed in the morning. Their group splits and merges as they fly off in small groups during the day over a miles-wide area.

Bald Eagles numbered 53 after subtracting a few that were determined to be duplicates. You can see more data on each species in the updated 10-Year History of our count by clicking on the download. Our results will be submitted to the Regional Editor and will be final once approved. By December 2024, we will have the full results from National Audubon for all count circles.

Update on the December 2022 CBC

National Audubon has issued their report on the 2022 count and it is interesting reading available on their website. Our Hilton Head CBC had second highest number of participants of all the 2,625 count circles in the Western Hemisphere! (Our total last year was 379: 280 field observers and 99 feeder watchers.) Overall, there were 79,005 observers across the Western Hemisphere, who counted over 40 million birds. This is similar to the past several seasons but the national summary discusses the dramatic decline in numbers from 35 years ago.

We could not have such a successful count without the enthusiasm and dedication of our participants and leaders. Special thanks go to our Area Captains who do a superb job of recruiting, organizing and reporting. This includes four boats on our choppy waterways, piloted by generous volunteer boat captains. Special thanks also go to our expert panel (Bob Speare, Robert Rommel and Sarah Gustafson) who reviewed all of the results on a marathon Zoom call with each Area Captain. Thanks to all who contributed!

We will be planning for the next count soon!

Mark your calendars!

The next Hilton Head CBC will be Monday December 16, 2024

Future Local CBC Dates

Articles

Join the HHIAS Christmas Bird Count!

Whether you’re a novice or expert birder or somewhere in between, join the fun and sign up for our Christmas Bird Count! This is a great way to get outside and spend a few hours with people who appreciate birds and the habitats they live in. By helping us count, you’ll also be helping us find better ways to help protect them. Our Hilton Head Island Bird Count is very active with typically over 350 participants, and we average spotting 135 species and about 27,000 birds!! And we’re always looking for more volunteers!

If you’re new to birding, you’ll be paired with birders who are more experienced. You just need binoculars and some good walking shoes. If you have done this before, please consider being an Area Captain.

Mark your calendars! Our next CBC is Friday, December 15, 2023

Find out more details about volunteering here: CBC Volunteer Opportunity

<<CAN THIS CBC FORM BE UPDATED TO THE FORMAT WE USE FOR OTHER VOLUNTEER POSTIONS?>>

More About the CBC:

What is the Audubon Christmas Bird Count?

In 1900, a band of conservationists – fed up with the Christmas Day hunting tradition – established a new tradition: rather than ‘shooting’ the birds, they counted them. Hunting and the then-fashion trends of feathered hats were putting bird populations in danger. This early conservation movement of counting birds helped save birds with data that proved many species were in decline. Conservationists such as these slowly turned the tide, including here in Hilton Head – though it took another 67 years before the traditional Christmas Day hunt was made illegal.

A little history on the Christmas Bird Count on Hilton Head Island:

In the 1960’s, Beanie Newhall, a starch conservationist and the namesake of HHIAS’s Audubon Newhall Preserve, was instrumental in pushing the Governor of South Carolina to declare Hilton Head Island – a then well- known hunting mecca – as a no-hunting zone and bird sanctuary. It was in the 1960’s, prior to HHIA’s formation, that Beanie led the first Christmas Bird Count on the island and contributed to Audubon’s longest running citizen science project for birds in America (from Short & Tall Tales of Hilton Head by Margaret Greer, DW Friesen, 2004).

The Annual Christmas Bird Count is considered the longest-running citizen science project in the world. Participants have grown from the original band of 27 conservationists to thousands of participants across North America. During this one-day event, selected in each area between Dec 15 and Jan 5, birders count the kinds and numbers of birds seen and heard during about a two-hour window. This data is passed on to researchers, conservation biologists and wildlife agencies who use it to study the health and status of birds. The longevity of this study is especially valuable in tracing not only the locations of species but also their population strengths or declines, and in turn helps us target conservation efforts to help them. The latest results from the 121^st National Audubon Society CBC Results can be found here. The latest summary from HHIAS’s 2022 CBC count, is here (link to Susan’s article, again).

Volunteer

Birders of all stripes and experience levels are welcome to join the count, either in the field or in the comfort of your backyard. Over 350 volunteers typically participate in the Hilton Head Island Audubon count and have a fun time doing it! We hope you’ll sign up for our next CBC!

To learn more and become a volunteer, click here.