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Smithers Christmas bird count

On Dec. 27, 51 birders went out into the sunny cold to count the birds and another 11 watched feeders at home all day.
10075224_web1_Hawk-on-Railway-Avenue-Smithers
Red tailed hawk near Railway Avenue in Smithers. Chris Gareau photo

On Dec. 27, 51 birders went out into the sunny cold to count the birds and another 11 watched feeders at home all day.

The annual Smithers Christmas Bird Count yielded 49 identified species and 4,332 individual birds were counted. While some species were present in lower than normal numbers, chestnut-backed, boreal and mountain chickadees were all seen in record numbers.

The complete list is attached and those birds in bold type are rare or unusual for the smithers count.

In addition to the species seen on count day, a cooper’s hawk, a great-horned owl, several trumpeter swans and a few gray-crowned rosy finches were seen during count week. If anyone saw any other species not listed here, please call 250-847-9429 as soon as possible.

On behalf of the BV Naturalists we send thanks to all the wonderful bird counters for participating.

Smithers Bird Count Results 2017

Bird Species

Canada Goose 7 (H)

Mallard 54

Common Goldeneye 3

Common Merganser 2

Golden Eagle 1 (U)

Bald Eagle 17

Northern Goshawk 2

Red-tailed Hawk 1

Rough-legged Hawk 2

Merlin 1

Unknown raptor 1

Ruffed Grouse 8

Grouse sp. 1

Ring-necked Pheasant 1

Eurasian Collared Dove 28

Northern Pygmy Owl 4

Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 (U)

Northern Flicker 30

Hairy Woodpecker 44

Downy Woodpecker 45

Red-Breasted Sapsucker 1 (U)

Woodpecker sp. 2

Steller’s jay 44

Gray Jay 17

Clark’s Nutcracker 3

Black-billed Magpie 15

American Crow 184

Common Raven 170

Black-capped Chickadee 836

Mountain Chickadee 64(H)

Chestnut Backed Chickadee 17(H)

Boreal Chickadee 13(H)

Red-Breasted Nuthatch 33

Brown Creeper 5

Pacific Wren 1 (U)

Golden-crowned Kinglet 4

American Robin 5

Northern Shrike 1

Bohemian Waxwing 1185 (H)

European Starling 100

Song Sparrow 15(H)

Dark-eyed Junco 121(H)

Sparrow sp. 1

Brewer’s Blackbird 221

Blackbird sp. 3

House Sparrow 76

Pine Siskin 44

Pine Grosbeak 416

Red Crossbill 15

White-winged Crossbill 27

Common Redpoll 332

Purple Finch 5

Evening Grosbeak 97

Total Individual birds 4332

Count Week Species

Cooper’s Hawk

Great-horned Owl

Trumpeter Swan

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch

Bold = never before or rare on count; H = High number; U = unusual

10075224_web1_Christmas-bird-count-Bohemian-waxwings
Bohemian waxwings in the mountain ash. They were the most numerous counted bird. Lawrie McArthur photo