Tropical Audubon Society

South Florida’s Voice of Conservation

A total of 22,641 individuals of 114 species (116 taxa) were tallied during the 70th annual Coot Bay (Everglades National Park) Christmas Bird Count on January 2. Compared with last year’s count, 29 more individuals but 7 less species were seen this year. The count’s nineteen participants tallied 109 species (111 taxa) on count day; five species not seen on count day were reported during count week. Only two unusual species were reported: Limpkin, reported for the 7th time and Sandhill Crane, only reported for the 2nd time. A new high count was reached only for Royal Tern. Warbler diversity was notably low this year, with only 12 species reported. For the second consecutive year, and for only the second year ever, no American Coots were reported within the circle.

Here are the totals:
Blue-winged Teal-265
Northern Shoveler-16
Northern Pintail-3
Green-winged Teal-4
Ruddy Duck-1
Pied-billed Grebe-2
Wood Stork-83
Magnificent Frigatebird-1
Double-crested Cormorant-2100
Anhinga-13
American White Pelican-2550
Brown Pelican-1100
Great Blue Heron (Blue form)-120
Great Blue Heron (White form)-320
Great Blue Heron (Wurdemann's)-4
Great Egret-410
Snowy Egret-450
Little Blue Heron-300
Tricolored Heron-200
Reddish Egret-15
Cattle Egret-68
Green Heron 11
Black-crowned Night-Heron-6
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron-14
White Ibis-1100
Roseate Spoonbill-130
Black Vulture-115
Turkey Vulture-220
Osprey-110
Northern Harrier-4
Bald Eagle-12
Red-shouldered Hawk-51
Broad-winged Hawk-1
Short-tailed Hawk-1
Clapper Rail-2
Limpkin-1
Sandhill Crane-1
Black-necked Stilt-count week
American Avocet-30
Black-bellied Plover-245
Semipalmated Plover-26
Killdeer-3
Spotted Sandpiper-30
Greater Yellowlegs-8
Willet-137
Lesser Yellowlegs-1
Whimbrel-10
Marbled Godwit-2
Ruddy Turnstone-50
Sanderling-15
Dunlin-460
Least Sandpiper-1630
Semipalmated Sandpiper-350
Western Sandpiper-4750
Short-billed Dowitcher-175
Laughing Gull-600
Ring-billed Gull-13
Herring Gull-1
Lesser Black-backed Gull-4
Gull-billed Tern-1
Caspian Tern-58
Forster's Tern-57
Royal Tern-1075
Sandwich Tern-8
Black Skimmer-610
White-crowned Pigeon-4
Barn Owl-1
Eastern Screech-Owl-3
Barred Owl-7
Lesser Nighthawk- count week
Ruby-throated Hummingbird-6
Belted Kingfisher-42
Red-bellied Woodpecker-97
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-1
Downy Woodpecker-3
Pileated Woodpecker-13
American Kestrel-7
Merlin-1
Peregrine Falcon-5
Eastern Phoebe-17
Great Crested Flycatcher-24
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher-1
White-eyed Vireo-48
Blue-headed Vireo-1
American Crow-260
Northern Rough-winged Swallow-1
Tree Swallow-830
House Wren-11
Carolina Wren-3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-133
Gray Catbird-59
Northern Mockingbird-26
European Starling-83
Ovenbird-6
Northern Waterthrush-18
Black-and-white Warbler-10
Common Yellowthroat-200
American Redstart-6
Cape May Warbler-1
Northern Parula-6
Yellow Warbler-11
Palm Warbler-59
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)-100
Yellow-throated Warbler-7
Prairie Warbler-28
Nelson's Sparrow- count week
Saltmarsh Sparrow- count week
Savannah Sparrow- count week
Swamp Sparrow-1
Northern Cardinal-38
Indigo Bunting-1
Painted Bunting-4
Red-winged Blackbird-193
Common Grackle-107
Boat-tailed Grackle-3
Brown-headed Cowbird-2

Thanks to the following individuals for making these results possible:
Sue Alspach, Miriam Avello, Joe Barros, Bill Boeringer, Kevin Christman, Pete Frezza, Liz Golden, Luis Gonzalez, Dennis Olle, Bob Pace, Alice Pace, Gary Pappas, Jeanette Rawls, Amy Roda, David Schaffter, Raul Urgelles, Juan Valadez, and Kevin Welsh.