by Jenny Gaden, Charlottesville CBC Compiler
The 2016 (officially 2017) Charlottesville Christmas Bird Count took place on Sunday, December 18. The weather forecasts projected rain but we had only sprinkles and the temperatures were mild – 58 to 66 degrees. We had 38 participants in 18 parties. The total species reported was 81, including nine rare species, all of which have been accepted by Teta Kain, our regional editor.
These are the 81 species. Rare birds are indicated by asterisk.
Ross’s Goose*
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan*
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck*
Northern Bobwhite
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant*
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Wilson’s Snipe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eastern Screech Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
Pileated Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon*
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat*
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Dickcissel*
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird*
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole*
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
For further details go to the home page for the Christmas Bird Count , click on “Access Count Results” (below the picture) , and follow the links using VACA, the Charlottesville CBC code.
