Date: 12/29/25 12:07 pm From: Jorgensen, Joel via groups.io <Joel.Jorgensen...> Subject: [NEBirds] Harlan County CBC - 2025
The 16th edition of the fabled Harlan County Christmas Bird Count was held Tuesday, 16 December 2025. The CBC was completed 1996-2001 and restarted in 2014. We had an intrepid group of 9 participants in seven parties brave high temperatures in the 60s with light winds. Big thanks to each observer for trekking down to Harlan County to help.
We ended up with 93 species, which is just shy of the record of 95 species and the fourth time the CBC has surpassed the 90 mark. The big theme of this year's CBC is that we got most of our "50/50 birds"(those species that are likely around each year in low numbers, but it is a coin toss whether they get detected or not), but we did not have many rarities or unexpected species. The exceptions are Wild Turkey (one big miss) and Pileated Woodpecker (rarity). Pileated Woodpeckers have been moving up the Republican River valley, and I figured it was matter of time before they found the big cottonwood forests at the west end of the lake.
New count species: Pileated Woodpecker
Other highlights/rarities: Short-billed "Mew" Gull (5th time on the CBC, becoming expected), Ruddy Duck (4th time), Carolina Wren (first time in 5 years when formerly regular), Townsend's Solitaire (4th time)
Biggest miss: Wild Turkey
Other misses: Rough-legged Hawk (but not a surprise given the year), large gulls (Iceland, LBBG, etc).
High counts of note: The 491 Cackling Geese bests the previous high of 39 in 2019; 3 Hermit Thrushes is better than singletons during any other year.
Low counts of note: The 806 Common Mergansers is the second lowest count (286 in 2021) and fits a trend of depressed piscivorous bird numbers since the reservoir "flooded" in the summer of 2019. A massive merganser flock between 10,000-50,000 was reliable on this CBC prior to 2019 and along with it came hundreds of large gulls.
Thanks again to those who helped.
Joel
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Joel Jorgensen | Nongame Bird Program Manager
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 N 33rd St. | Lincoln, NE 68503
<joel.jorgensen...><mailto:<joel.jorgensen...> | 402-471-5440
