Date: 1/4/26 7:37 am From: Kellie H <xxkhaydenxx...> Subject: [ia-bird] (not a sighting) DeSoto Christmas Bird Count 2025 Results
Hi all, please bear with me--if you belong to the Iowa and Nebraska bird
listservs you may get this email more than once.
The DeSoto NWR Christmas Bird Count this year was held on December 20.
Within our circle includes DeSoto and Boyer Chute, Turkey Creek Preserve,
NP Dodge Park, Hummel Park, Neale Woods, and Hitchcock Nature Center. We
had great coverage with 45 participants, 4 feeder watches, and 1 owling
session! In addition to great volunteers, we had great weather conditions
for birding in the afternoon especially. While our overall individual bird
tally is down with only 22135 birds counted, we have reached an all-time
diversity high in our count’s history with at least 83 species and
subspecies represented between count day and count week (some birds could
only be narrowed down to a family are not included in the diversity tally).
New, notable, or missed sightings within our circle:
-
Ross’ Goose is conspicuously missing from our count this year (please
contact me you participated in this count and you did indeed count
some–mistakes happen during the digitization process!). Overall, our goose
numbers are lackluster compared to previous years.
-
We still had a decent Mallard showing with 8222 individuals counted.
-
No Eurasian Collared Doves were documented, making this the second year
in a row that this species is missing from our tally.
-
Our Mourning Dove count was especially low, with only 10 individuals
counted.
-
Red-shouldered Hawk was documented again this year, making that 3 years
out of the past 4 years that the species has been documented for our CBC.
-
We documented a Red-shafted Flicker for the first time since 2020!
-
Corvid numbers are relatively stable with 125 Blue Jays and 123 American
Crows. AMCR numbers are however still low in proportion to BLJA compared to
years prior to 2011, when some years AMCR could outnumber BLJA 2:1, 3:1, or
even 8:1.
-
After being missed in 2023 and 2024, Red-breasted Nuthatches are finally
back!
-
Brown Creeper numbers have bottomed out again, with only 1 BRCR counted
this year.
-
We counted a record high number of Winter Wrens this year!
-
For the first time ever in our count circle’s history, a Gray Catbird
can be marked as present during count week (I heard one mewling incessantly
within the circle's territory 2 days after our count).
-
While not at 2023’s record high, Eastern Bluebird numbers are back up to
106 this year. This is the fifth time ever in our count circle’s history
that EABLs have surpassed 100 individuals for count day.
-
American Robin numbers hit a record high since 2008 (4018 were counted
in 2008!)
-
Red Crossbills were documented for the second time in our CBC’s history
(the records I have go back to 1997)!
-
American Tree Sparrow numbers are low in again this year, about on par
with 2023’s count of 333 and 2018’s count of 380
-
Spotted Towhee numbers continue to creep up! We tallied 10 SPTO this
year, another record high for our circle.
Thank you to all the folks who participated this year. It truly couldn’t be
done without your continued involvement.
I included a full list below for those interested.
