Date: 1/25/26 2:06 pm From: Matt Bartels via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] 2025 Wrap: Washington County Year List Project
Here’s the report on our 19th year of recruiting compilers from every county to track the sightings in WA. The idea behind the project [at Washington Birder] is to get behind the fun of individual county listing to compile a ‘community’ list — rather than just birds seen by a single individual, we attempt to pull together birds seen by anyone over the course of the year. It provides one perspective on the birds of Washington in 2025 - Today, most of the reporting comes via eBird, but compilers also look beyond eBird sometimes to find reports from birders more broadly.
Some 2025 results:
Overall this year, our totals were just about a little higher than normal - we saw a lot and ended up largely with totals higher than our 19year averages.
397 species were reported statewide. That’s our highest total since 2016, over 2 above our average [394.4], and four higher than our 2024 total.
327 species for Eastern Washington. That’s one higher than last year, but still the 2nd lowest in the last 5 years [19 year average [324.5]
369 species for Western Washington. That’s one below last year, and three+ higher than the overall average [365.6].
Record high county totals were recorded for five counties: Columbia [205], Franklin [223], Garfield [200], San Juan [230] and Snohomish [265],
19 counties reported higher totals than last year, 18 came in lower than last year, and two were tied [Douglas and Pierce],. 30 counties tallied more species than their 19-year average, 8 reported lower than average totals, and 1 [Grant] was exactly in line with its 19-year average..
Species:
92 species were seen in all 39 counties, the same number as were seen in all counties in 2024. 174 were seen in 30 or more counties, 234 in 20 or more counties.
At the other end of the spectrum, 31 species were reported in only one county this year.
The only species missed in 2025 that are not a Washington Bird Records Committee review-list species were Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Short-tailed Albatross and Mottled Petrel.
2026 compiling is underway, and I encourage you to look up the compiler for counties you bird in and send along unusual sightings — most compilers are checking eBird reports already, but eBird still misses a good bit and we appreciate the help making sure we hear about these sightings. You can find a list of the compilers at the above link
Thanks to all the compilers who track each county, and here's to a fun and surprising 2026. If you notice anything not noted on the 2025 list, let us know and make a resolution to report your sightings to the compiler this year .
