ASWP Birding
Pittsburgh CBC 2004 Results
2004 Data Table (PDF, 45k)
The complete results of the 2004 Pittsburgh CBC, listed by species and count area.
Summary
By Jim Valimont. The Pittsburgh Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, January 1, 2005. 136 observers took part in the count (98 in the field and the rest at feeders). 34,104 birds were counted, almost 14 thousand more than our ten-year average of 20,194! We found a total of 67 species, which is one above our average over the past ten years.
Noteworthy sightings:
- Double-crested Cormorants were found for the third straight year on our local rivers.
- Record numbers of nine species, including Canada Geese, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Pileated Woodpeckers, American Crows, Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Bluebirds, and Northern Mockingbirds, were found this year.
- Chuck Tague found our first ever Turkey Vulture for the Pittsburgh CBC, soaring over the 40th Street Bridge. Chuck observed the vulture from Herr’s Island for about five minutes before it flew out of sight.
- Last year, Ted Floyd and Steve Carbol counted over 9,000 American Crows leaving the roost in the east end of the city, helping to set a new record for this species at 10,060. This year that same record was smashed with 15,143 American Crows, most again spotted coming into the evening roost. The staggering number of crows makes counting them nearly impossible as they coming into the east end from all directions. Probably, the actual number of crows is much higher.
- Four Red-shouldered Hawks were distributed among Fox Chapel, Franklin Park, and Hampton Township.
- Two Merlins made it eight years in a row for this species. Walt Shaffer found one in Schenley Park where they have been regularly seen over the past eight years, and the other was found in Hampton Township. This species has clearly adapted to living in cities where it is being found more frequently all across the country.
- Pat and Sherron Lynch found a Killdeer in North Park and one was heard flying over Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville by Felicity Newell.
- Last year, 50 Eastern Bluebirds easily set a new record, but that record lasted only one year. This year, we found a remarkable 77 bluebirds! All of these birds were found in the northern suburbs.
- Two Hermit Thrushes were found in Hampton Township.
- 48 Northern Mockingbirds smashed the old record of 28 (set in 2002).
- Felicity Newell and Kevinn Fung found a Red-headed Woodpecker, our first in 17 years, in Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville.
- 11 Yellow-rumped Warblers was a nice total, with 9 found in the city and 2 in O’Hara Township.
- A single Eastern Towhee was found in Ross Township.
- A single Swamp Sparrow was located in Fox Chapel a wetland behind Shadyside Academy.
- Kristin Williams found a blackbird in North Park. Even with a short video of the bird, we were unable to identify it to a particular species, because of the poor lighting conditions.
- Indiana Township produced the count’s only Common Grackles.
- A Brown-headed Cowbird was well described by feeder watchers Jim and Arlene Lucas in Ohio Township.
- During count week, but not on count day, a first winter Iceland Gull was found on the Monongahela River at the mouth of Nine Mile Run. Unfortunately, it was not relocated on count day.
Other birds found in count week, but not on count day, included White-crowned Sparrow and Wood Duck.
The 67 total species was a welcome reversal of the last two counts, when we only recorded 62 and 61 species. The weather probably had a lot to do with the good count. The weather was extremely mild for New Year’s Day with temperatures ranging from 40 to 60F. That resulted in more people participating for longer hours. More hours in the field means more birds counted and more species seen. Next year, I am going to try to organize the count a little better and have a pre-count meeting where we can clearly map out where people will go.