Provisional Results 126th Christmas Bird Count
December 14, 2025 to January 5, 2026
We will post results here as we receive them. In the Leave a Reply box at the bottom of this table, please provide a few sentences with the count name, species count, and highlight species (do not list all species) and we will put the summary into the chart. You may wish to provide a link to an eBird Trip Report or a longer description that is posted elsewhere. The full list of species is to be submitted to Birds Canada with your official report.
| Count Name | Date | Provisional Results |
| 100 Mile House | Dec 20 | The 100 Mile House Christmas Bird Count took place on a chilly December 20th. (Minus 12) The highest number ever, thirty-four participants, braved the cold to tie our previous record of 51 species. New to this year’s count were 2 Rough-legged Hawks, and 2 Northern Harriers. Another truly unique bird was a Northern Shoveler X Mallard Hybrid. The number of certain birds found was surprising. Typically the count will find dozens of Pine Grosbeaks, while this year, only one was found. On the opposite side of the spectrum, less common birds like Short-Eared Owls were abundant. Bohemian Waxwings topped the species list with 834 individual birds counted. Sue Gower, compiler |
| Abbotsford-Mission | Dec 30 | This year’s highlights were a Glaucous Gull on Sumas Prairie, and for count week the American Bittern that has been hanging out at the Willband Park pond again this year. Like last year, 17 species were recorded in only one area, showing just how close we can come to having a good or bad year. Of those, half were aquatic birds including four waterfowl, four gulls and an American Dipper. Only one Peregrine Falcon was recorded. We missed Barred Owl, but it was nice to record a Short-eared Owl on Sumas Prairie. Overall, people felt that the small terrestrial species were harder to find, though some species, such as American Pipit and Yellow-rumped Warbler occurred in unexpectedly high numbers (though in only two areas each). Lynn Miller, compiler |
| Armstrong/ Enderby | ||
| Ashcroft Cache Creek | ||
| Bamfield | Jan 3 | Bamfield’s 39th annual Christmas bird count started on a dark, wet, and blustery morning. Twenty-two birders observed over 2900 birds representing 59 species in the Huu-ay-aht First Nations Hahuuli. Thank you to the Canadian Coast Guard, Bamfield Marine Science Center, Breakers Marine, and Ardent Angler who contributed transportation for the count. Bird highlights include one common snipe, five pied billed grebes, a Bonaparte’s Gull, and eleven Trumpeter Swans. We were thankful for the pod of orca who wished us safe travels from the Bamfield Harbour as we departed on our surveys. Dan Zayonc, compiler |
| Bella Coola | Dec 14 | 43 total species, 34 participants. Highlights: Male Wilson’s Warbler, 2 Red -breasted Loon, Anna’s Hummingbird, and during count week a Grey-crowned Rosy Finch and a Great Egret. Mary Tutt, compiler |
| Big White | Dec | |
| Bridesville | Dec | |
| Bridge Lake | Dec | |
| Broughton Strait | Dec 28 | This year’s participation was the highest ever with 28 people, up significantly over recent years, and I had to go back to 1998 with 26 and 1996 with 27 to come close. Overall we had a very good species count, with 77, and the number of individual birds enumerated, in spite of the windy weather. The 30-year range of species counted is from a low of 55 (2009) to a high of 80 (1997), with an average of approximately 69. On the Vancouver Island portion of the count, 60 species were recorded, on Malcolm Island there were 60 and on Cormorant Island 33 species. We had three feeder/yard counts, one on Cormorant Island had 14 species and the two on Malcolm Island totaled 16 species. 5,976 birds were seen or heard. (2021 = 2644; 2022 = 7504; 2023 = 4420 2024 = 6,286) The Vancouver Island crew located a meadowlark which is rare this time of year as well as two Least Sandpipers that should be wintering much farther south. Wilson’s Snipe are around but not often seen. I had one fly out of a road ditch west of Rough Bay in the dark, illuminated by the truck headlights and the Rough Bay crew found four in the daylight. Raptors such as eagles are ever present although the only other raptor, seen by the Cormorant Island crew, was a Red-tailed Hawk. Noticeable by their absence were robins (normally low numbers) and woodpeckers (Downey, Hairy & Red-breasted sapsucker). The Kaleva Road crew located a Pileated woodpecker to add to the flickers seen in most areas. At daybreak I was looking across towards Cluxewe and counted 260 Pigeon Guillamot, all flying east singly or in small groups of 5-8. I was not counting them all, but these birds are overnighting to the northwest and flying into our area for the day to feed and recently I had seen them at dusk flying to the west. These appear to be local daily migrations. This year we did not see many Pine Siskins and crossbills whereas last year they were abundant. This is quite normal as these birds migrate to areas with good seed cone crops and they will return in force in the future. Nine species were seen or heard three days before or after our count day: Cackling goose, Greater Scaup, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Savannah Sparrow, Northern Shrike, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon, Hairy Woodpecker, and Brown Creeper. Gord Curry, compiler |
| Burns Lake-Francois Lake | ||
| Campbell River | Dec 27 | |
| Castlegar | Dec | |
| Cawston | NA | There has been no CBC in Cawston for 3 years as nobody has been found to replace the previous coordinator, who can no longer lead it. If anybody is interested in leading this CBC in future, please contact Lee at mariposaorgf@hotmail.com. |
| Chilliwack | Dec 20 | 43410 individuals, 93 count day and 1 count week species. New Species: 1 Barn Swallow Rare species: 2 Great Egret, 1 Mourning Dove Unusual Common Species: 1 Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 Western Scrub Jay, 4 Cedar Waxwings, 2 White-throated Sparrow, 1 Northern Pygmy-owl |
| Comox | Dec 21 | The Comox CBC was held on 21 December 2025 in average weather, partly cloudy with scattered showers and wind, with 66 birders in 25 parties, mostly of 2-3 birders, and 9 feeder counters. We had an average count with 110 species and 27,359 individuals recorded on count day, and 2 additional species (Great Horned Owl, Ruffed Grouse) recorded during count week. Unusual species on count day were Ruddy Duck, Band-tailed Pigeon, Virginia Rail, Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater, and White-throated Sparrow. Art Martell, compiler |
| Cortes Island | Dec 28 | 28 participants, and observers, including three kids, helped count the birds of Cortes and environs. A total of 61 species and 2153 individuals were recorded. Over the last 24 years, while the Cortes Island Museum has been sponsoring the count, the number of species has ranged from 57 to 75, so 61 is in the ballpark. Individual numbers have ranged from last year’s record of 4557 to this year’s low of 2153. This is reflected in lower seabird numbers (which are hard to census on any given day) and in cyclic fluctuations in the number of finches. For example, Pine Siskin numbers changed from 226 last year to zero this year. The Cortes Island Museum and all participants have contributed to the continued success of this event, which has been held annually for over 20 years. We truly appreciate everyone’s support. George Sirk, compiler |
| Cranbrook | Dec 28 | This year will be known as “The Year of the Robin” – maybe the “first” year of the Robin? Time will tell if seeing an astonishing 614 American Robins will become a usual thing at Christmas. This was the 28th annual Christmas Bird Count for Cranbrook. 28 people took part and saw a total of 48 species with 3,112 individual birds counted. 12 species were seen by only one team. Dianne Cooper, compiler |
| Crawford Bay | Dec 28 | On December 28th nine participants braved the cold snap as the average temperature was -7 centigrade but blessedly calm. Collectively we detected 41 species comprised of 1508 individual birds. As this is only the third year of the count there isn’t much data to go on except that the species count was exactly our average between 2023 and 2024. Our count total however is our highest by far which was due to record high numbers of Pine Siskin (498) and American Robin (392). We continued to added to our circles’s list with seven new entries: Common Merganser, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Cassin’s Finch, Redpoll, Red Crossbill, and American Goldfinch. Sachi Snively, compiler |
| Creston Valley | Dec 27 | On December 27th, 31 volunteer “citizen scientists” searched our forests, marshes, flats, and town site looking for birds during the 27th annual Creston Christmas Bird Count. The day had a bit of sunshine with some strong wind gusts but no precipitation. During the cool morning, birds were difficult to find as they were not at their food sources yet. A few more people counted birds from indoors as they watched their birdfeeders. These efforts contributed to finding 76 species! Most surprising this year was the large flocks of American Robins everywhere! A milder winter and an abundance of berries accounts for these high numbers. Robins have been reported on every Christmas Bird Count since 1998 but numbers will vary from year to year. Absent this year were the big flocks of European Starlings and Bohemian Waxwings (Cedar Waxwings seemed unusually higher in numbers during the count week).With so much open water and easy access to food, there were good numbers for both Trumpeter and Tundra Swans in our valley. In some years, the Trumpeters will overwinter here. A few dedicated volunteers went the extra mile to find species within the ‘count week’ time period to find 10 additional species not found on December 27th. These were Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Western Screech Owl, Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Snow Goose, Bohemian Waxwing, Evening Grosbeak, Great Blue Heron, and a Wood Duck! Ulrike Sliworsky, compiler |
| D’Arcy-Birken | Dec | |
| Dawson Creek | Jan 3 | The annual Dawson Creek Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, January 3, 2026, under classic wintery conditions. Nine participants braved the elements to count 2282 birds of 21 different species. These are all low numbers: the lowest number of birds since 2008 and the fewest species since 2010 – almost certainly related to the lowest observer effort since 2008. Other factors combined to impact our results. At nearly one metre, the snow depth was the most ever on count day, and a lot of it was quite fresh (as locals will know) so many side roads were impassable. Participants noticed that fewer people were feeding birds – numerous houses had feeders in the yard, but they were empty and snow-covered. Sometimes the birds just didn’t cooperate: Bald Eagle was not tallied on this year’s count, yet two were observed perched on a tree line just outside the count circle. Rules are rules. Additionally, a Sharp-shinned Hawk (never tallied on our local Christmas Bird Count) was photographed beside a feeder in town on New Year’s Day. It was not seen on count day. Same situation with a town-dwelling Pileated Woodpecker, seen before and after count day! Ruffed Grouse are fairly common this year, but again – none found on count day. Some birds were notably scarce: This was the lowest number of Common Ravens ever tallied on our count, and Black-billed Magpies were also at their lowest number (tied with 2008). Whether this is due to low observer effort, temporary environmental conditions, or related to disease outbreak (West Nile Virus? Avian Influenza?) is unknown. There were a few pleasant surprises – American (Northern) Goshawk, Horned Lark, and Red-breasted Nuthatch used to be quite rare on our count, but have been turning up more regularly in recent years.White-winged Crossbills were quite common this past summer and fall, but most have moved on – so finding a small flock on count day was notable. The most abundant bird was Rock Pigeon, for the second consecutive year and 6th year overall. Mark Phinney, compiler |
| Deep Bay | Dec 17 | The Deep Bay CBC was held on 17 December 2025 in cool, partly cloudy weather. There were 61 birders in 31 parties of 1-3 birders, and 10 feeder counters. We had an average count with 95 species and 19,751 individuals recorded on count day, and 1 additional species (Wilson’s Snipe) recorded during count week. Art Martell, compiler |
| Duncan | Jan 3 | The weather was mild again this year with rain showers off and on and a few rainbows in-between. No snow or ice to be seen. Coverage of our circle was provided by 86 volunteers that walked a combined 93 hours over 122 km, drove 129 km, and one boat braved the waters to help count the birds. A total of 198 checklists were submitted that resulted in 114 species and a total of 32,265 birds on count day (compared to 116 species, 171 checklists and 35,294 birds for the 2024 count). An additional eight species were confirmed in the area during count week. Sadly, our Tufted Duck has not been seen this year at the sewage lagoons. Highlights for species included: Short-eared Owls, Western Bluebirds, Townsend’s Solitaire, Ancient Murrelet, White-winged Scoter, Sora, and Swamp Sparrow. Other notable species included an American Dipper, 4 Greater White-fronted Geese, a Ruddy Duck, a White-throated Sparrow and 2 Golden Eagles.There were high counts of Green-winged Teal (1,134 vs 485 last year), Red-winged Blackbird (1,238 vs 433 last year), and Bald Eagles (259 vs. 168). For the swan and goose folks, Canada Goose numbers were 2,768 vs. 2,093 last year, Trumpeter Swans were 457 vs. 439, and Cackling Geese were 514 vs. 93, along with a few Greater-white Fronted Geese to keep us scanning carefully. Alas, no Tundra Swan this year and only a single Mute Swan. Other birds that were clearly absent this year included: Pine Siskin (7 compared to 3,272 last year) and Red Crossbill (0 vs. 602 last year). JP Giroux, Tania Tripp, compilers |
| Edgewood | Jan 4 | 12 species, 3 participants, 2 degrees and rainy, 30 robins which we don’t usually get at this time of the year, were the highlight. Terryl Allen, compiler |
| Fauquier | Dec 27 | We had 37 species. It was extremely windy, with sand blowing off the flats at Burton on Arrow Lakes. It felt like we were lucky to see any birds at all! We had 14 participants. The highlights were a Blue Jay, which is unusual here, and a Short Earred Owl. We also had a Great Horned owl for count week. Leanne Mentz, compiler |
| Fernie | Dec 21 | In total, 45 species were seen on the day of the count, with 2 other species seen during the week. In total we had 13 field counters and 4 feeder counters. This is the biggest count I’ve seen in Fernie since I’ve been compiling the list! A number of species hung around much later in the year with the mild start to winter and abundance of berries and cones. There are some large flocks of robins lingering in town this year (with some blackbirds hiding in the mix) which is unusual for Fernie. Kate Woods, compiler |
| Fort St. James | Dec | |
| Galiano-North Saltspring | Dec 14 | The Galiano-North Saltspring CBC (BCGS) was held on a somewhat rainy December 14th, 2025. Ninety-four bird species were observed by the 227 individuals participating as field counters or feederwatchers. Species highlights included large flocks of Brandt’s Cormorants, almost a hundred Bald Eagles, over 50 Iceland Gulls, 20 Western Grebes, seven Ruddy Ducks, seven Ancient Murrelets, and a single Lincoln’s Sparrow. Michael Hoebel, compiler |
| Golden | Dec 21 | There was light snow to no precipitation on this year’s count with 30 observers, two of which were feeder watchers. The highlight of this year’s count was 2870 Bohemian Waxwings, which correlated with there being plenty of food for them this winter, but other than this, it was fairly quiet. 3455 individuals and 33 species were counted. Annette Luttermann, compiler |
| Grand Forks | ||
| Greater Masset | Dec | |
| Harrison River | Dec 14 | 12691 species, 69 individuals, 1 count week species New Species: 1 Barn Swallow Rare species: 1 Greater White-fronted Goose,1 Spotted Sandpiper, 5 Mourning Doves, and 5 Dunlin |
| Harrop–Balfour | Dec 20 | On December 20th twenty participants counted 47 species comprised of 2,767 individual birds. This is above our average of 45 species and 1651 individual birds marking our second highest species result (52 in 2021) and our highest count total by over 500 individuals. Four of our top five species were all record high counts; Pine Siskin (795), American Robin (559), Common Goldeneye (144), and American Crow (100). Other notables were our second record of Blue Jay and third of Red Crossbill. We also added three new species to our Circle’s List: Wilson’s Snipe, Red-tailed Hawk, and Golden Eagle. Sachi Snively, compiler |
| Hat Creek | Jan 4 | On Jan 4th at -13 degrees, no precipitation, overcast with only 10 percent open water on Hat Creek the following birds were seen: Bald Eagle adult 1 N. Pygmy Owl 1 Shorteared Owl 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 c/w Black-billed Magpies 24 NW. Crow 10 Common Raven 8 Black-capped Chickadee 24 Mountain Chickadee 28 Red-breasted Nuthatch 10 Townsend Solitaires 16 American Robin 3 Bohemian Waxwings 45 Pine Siskins 5 Lapland Longspur 1 Heather Baines, compiler |
| Hecate Strait | ||
| Jaffray-Wardner | Dec 14 | The 5th annual Christmas Bird Count for Jaffray-Wardner took place on 14 December 2025 and was organized by Marianne N. 19 people took part and saw a total of 50 species – a new record for the Jaffray-Wardner count – with 1,088 individual birds counted. A whopping 18 species were seen by only one team. 7 species were “firsts” for this 5-year-old count. One highlight was the first Marsh Wren for the area in winter. Feeder birds were few but 56 American Robins were seen. Scarily, there was no snow on the ground even up Bull River. Dianne Cooper, compiler |
| Kamloops | Dec 21 | 42 participants spent a total of 72 hours (some in groups), walked 65 km and drove 447 km to count a total of 70 species (plus 6 in the Count Week) and 6274 individual birds. The weather was as good as we can have at this time of the year. In fact the mild winter we have had may be the reason we did not encounter some of our usual winter bird species. Count day numbers are down 1 species from last year, and at the low end of our usual count. If we include count week, we are up 4 species over last year and on the higher end of average count years. Total numbers are down 2200, but most of that can be attributed to 1900 fewer Canada Geese. Some surprising finds were 16 Dunlins on count day and Glaucous-winged Gulls, an Iceland Gull and a Great Gray Owl during count week. Glenn Dreger, compiler |
| Kaslo | Dec 30 | Kaslo 2025 CBC celebrated 25 years of continuous CBC counts including the COVID pandemic. With virtually no snow on the ground we had easy travel conditions, and it was calm, cloudy and mild. Twenty field observers and two feeder watchers spotted 38 species including Count Week, and spent about 25 hours looking for and counting the local winter birds. American Robins were notable by large flocks and total numbers (264). Notable by absence were Grosbeaks of any species. Both species and numbers were close to average for the 25 year count span…..Count Day total number of birds all species 924 with an average of 1099, Count Day species 29 with an average of 32.5, Count Week species 38 with an average of 35.5. New species not previously seen on the CBC but within their winter range was a small flock of Snow Buntings along the Kootenay Lake shoreline. Stuart Heard, compiler |
| Kelowna | Dec 20 | It was partly cloudy with 17 field parties. The following rare birds were seen: Wild Turkey (3), Grey Catbird, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Harris’ Sparrow, |
| Kimberley | Jan 3 | The mini-blush of American Robins seen on both the Christmas Bird Counts for Jaffray-Wardner (56 robins) and Cranbrook (614 robins) continued in the Kimberley CBC circle with 148 robins counted. The 51 species spotted by the 22 field counters and 3 feeder watchers ties the record for highest number of species set five years ago in January 2021. This is well above the average of 43 species. No rare species were seen but unusual species were Varied Thrush (3), White-throated Sparrow (1), and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (1). In addition to the most robins ever seen, 7 other species had maximum numbers including a favourite species – Blue Jay (30). Rain has been an issue only a handful of times on any of our counts over the past 28 years but this year had some of the field counters taking shelter from a squall under the Kootenay River Bridge at Wasa for a few moments – most unusual. Dianne Cooper, compiler |
| Kitimat | Dec | |
| Kuskanook | Jan 3 | 65 species including 6 found during count week (Northern Pintail, Red-necked Grebe, Bohemian Waxing, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, House Sparrow). Ulrike Sliworsky, compiler |
| Ladner | Dec 14 | A total of 135 bird species were found on Count Day, which was four species fewer than in 2024, and eleven species fewer than in 2023! Despite the low total, there were many highlights including: Hudsonian Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, American Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Mountain Bluebird, and six species of owl. Equally impressive is the list of Count Week (CW) birds found within the circle three days prior to and after Count Day. These nine additional species included: Rock Sandpiper, Ancient Murrelet, Short-tailed Shearwater, Say’s Phoebe, and Common Yellowthroat. Some missed species that have been detected in recent years included: Greater White-fronted Goose, Tundra Swan (CW), Black Scoter (CW), Redhead, Least Sandpiper, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Hermit Thrush (CW) and Red Crossbill (CW). Additionally, many species were detected in lower numbers than usual. At least part of that can be attributed to challenging weather conditions where coastal parts of the circle experienced high winds for most of the morning, and off and on rain during the afternoon. The full list of species and numbers can be viewed here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/423057 Yousif Attia, compiler |
| Ladysmith | Dec 14 | The weather was difficult often with rain/drizzle and southeast winds, yet we were able to do fairly well overall. We had 33 participants of which 5 were solely on feeder watch. I was able to catch the ferry again from Chemainus to Thetis/Penekalut Islands and back, and I also had permission from First Nations to check Kuleet Bay near Yellow Point. We had 91 species total, 5 down from last year. New species recorded were western sandpiper (3 – on log boom in Chemainus Harbour), band-tailed pigeon (1 – flying south of Chemainus) and cedar waxwing (21 – near Yellow Point). Other interesting finds were: 10 gadwall (north Ladysmith Harbour from the end of Lily Rd); 1 red-throated loon (near Chemainus Harbour, from the ferry); 1 Virginia rail (north Quennell Lake); and 1 american dipper (near the mouth of Holland Creek). Also during the Count week we had great horned owl, ruddy duck and northern harrier. Due to the inclement weather, we had lower numbers of dabbling ducks (eg wigeon – only 3), hummingbirds, chickadees, nuthatches, Bewick’s wren, pine siskin (4), sparrows (fox, song and towhee) and house sparrow (29). There were a few species with higher numbers: wood duck (17); Brandt’s cormorant (44); robins (343); and ravens (129). Note too that we missed some species: pintail, sapsucker, killdeer and Lincoln’s sparrow. Bob Hay, compiler |
| Lake Country | Dec | |
| Lake Windermere District | Dec 14 | There were some record numbers of certain bird species, caused in part by our mild fall: record numbers of Mallards, Common Goldeneye, Northern Flickers, American Robins and a bumper crop of 1351 Bohemian Waxwings! Christmas Bird Counts commonly turn up rarities, and this one was no exception: four Common Goldfinches, viewed by our dedicated feeder watchers, a lingering hermit thrush AND – an unprecedented first for the count: a Northern Mockingbird at James Chabot Provincial Park, which several were lucky enough to see and photograph. At this time of year their range normally extends as far north as California or southern Utah. Gareth Thompson, compiler |
| Langara Island | ||
| Lardeau | Dec 2 | Although December 27th was rather cold and windy for the Lardeau Christmas Bird Count (CBC), 23 enthusiastic participants counted 49 species, compared to 44 species in 2024, and the average of 38 species.An additional 3 species (including a first for a Northern Harrier) were seen during count week. The previous high was 47 species and that has happened 3 times over 29 years. Many commented that the number of birds seemed low, but there were actually a lot more individual birds (1637), compared to 2024 with 957 and only 649 in 2023. The high number is due to record numbers of Canada Geese, American Robins, Townsend Solitaires, Cassin’s Finch and Bohemian Waxwings, plus a good number of Pine Siskins. Other highlights include the presence of Canada Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers. Marlene Johnston, compiler |
| Lasqueti Island | Jan 3 | The weather was disgusting, rain and wind up to 31 knots. We had 21 people counting with a total of 43 species, but the numbers of individual birds were down. I think they were hiding from the weather. Our most unusual sighting was a Barn Swallow, which has been confirmed by Pierre Geoffray from eBird. Terry Theiss, compiler |
| Lillooet | Dec | |
| Little River-Powell River Ferry | Dec 31 | 16 people took the ferry from the Comox Valley to Powell River and return. We had a great day for the count with no rain, little wind and not too much sun. We ended up with 28 species and 2079 individuals. Individual numbers were a little low but species count was high with 2 new species for the count, Short-tailed Shearwater and Northern Fulmar. Kathryn Clouston, compiler |
| Logan Lake | Dec 28 | Logan Lake Dec. 28 temp.-10. started in 2003. 3 groups, 3 bird feeders, 9 people 32 spc.+1 cw Ruff Grouse. Interesting 2 boreal chickadees. 1 White breasted nuthatch,12 robins, 500+Bohemian Waxwing, 57 White-Winged Crossbill. Raymond Town, compiler |
| Lower Howe Sound | Jan 4 | Counters are divided up into those on Bowen Island and then other groups managing the mainland components from Brunswick Beach/Lions Bay to an area just past Cypress Creek. The count circle extends up Hollyburn Mountain as well. It is actually an unusual count area to manage. We had a total of 72 participants with 37 birding on Bowen and 35 on the “mainland”. For the mainland group we now have a group of committed young people – students from Capilano University, BCIT and UBC. The groups overall observed 84 species and 8645 individual birds. We were lucky that breaks in the weather supported birding the day of the count. As far as the bird species surprising us, they include from Bowen a Ring-Billed gull and 2 Turkey Vultures. From the West Van mainland – a Yellow-rumped Warbler and an American Goldfinch caught our eye. We had 174 Bald Eagles from the combined areas and 174 Anna’s Hummingbirds. I remember when we jumped for joy getting 4 Anna’s and it was a rather bountiful day for the eagles. We are hoping to loop in birders from Gambier Island more consistently and perhaps develop a group who will bird by boat given the extensive marine areas which are included in our count circle. Marja de Jong Westman, compiler |
| Mackenzie | ||
| McBride | Dec 14 | This was a pleasant day, but very icy side roads. Four field observers drove 210 kms and walked 3 kms. 14 feeder watchers added their lists. We found 33 species, and added 8 more species in the days just before and after count week. Our most notable birds were the 4 sandhill cranes that were staying in a field on Eddy Rd. One of the young ones was smaller, brown and couldn’t fly, so the others were waiting for it. After Christmas the folks who own the field caught the young one and kept it in an old chicken run where there were lots of mice to keep it busy. Food and water were left out for the others. Several weeks later the three left, and early in Feb. the young one was transported to Kamloops and then to Burnaby. It will be interesting to see how many come back to the field in a few weeks! There weren’t large flocks of seed-eating irruptive migrants, but some redpolls and siskins. It was surprising to find 53 house sparrows and 16 starlings in town, and one robin. Elsie Stanley, compiler |
| Merritt | Dec 20 | This was the 27th count for Merritt. We had 21 field participants and 4 feeder watchers. The weather was good and Nicola Lake was mostly ice-free giving us good counts of waterfowl. We tallied 59 species on the count day (slightly below our average of 62) and 2 additional Count Week species. We had 3,905 birds (also slightly below average of 4,172 birds). We added two species new to the count circle: Snow Goose (1 bird) and Dunlin (6 birds), plus a hybrid Mallard x Red-crested Pochard. This unusual hybrid duck was in Merritt last winter and early spring and re-appeared for our Christmas count. Species recorded on the count day that were quite rare for this count: Northern Shoveler (3 seen), American Three-toed Woodpecker (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1) and White-throated Sparrow (1). Species with notably high counts: Canada Goose (1,040 birds, a new high record), Trumpeter Swan (124, close to the record 129 birds), Green-winged Teal (65, close to the record 67 birds) and Spotted Towhee (18 – a new record high). And, of course, a few regulars missing in action on count day: Mourning Dove (2 in CW), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1 in CW), Belted Kingfisher, Brewer’s Blackbirds and Pine Siskin. This was the first year we failed to find Mourning Doves on a count day (competition with Eurasian Collared Doves maybe?). Blackbirds (both Red-winged and Brewer’s) have become unusually rare in recent years in the Merritt CBCs. Alan Burger compiler |
| Naden Harbour | ||
| Nakusp | Dec 28 | At 2:00PM the day before the count, Summit Lake and Box Lake were mostly open. By the following morning, both were frozen over! Unfortunately, this cost us a few species – Trumpeter Swans, Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers and Ring-necked Ducks, were on these 2 lakes shortly before count day. The Virginia Rail in the Summit Lake marsh also abandoned due to icy conditions. However, the cold front that brought in these icy conditions also brought in some birds from the north that had not been around just a day or two before – Bohemian Waxwings, large numbers of American Robins, Killdeer, Short-eared Owl (4 of them!), Varied Thrush and Snow Buntings. Our final species count was 42, which is right on our 48-year average of 42.3. The Western Meadowlark was a first for our count. Gary Davidson, compiler |
| Nanaimo | Dec 28 | |
| Nanoose Bay/Lantzville | Dec 19 | |
| Narcosli | ||
| Nelson | Jan 4 | We had our youngest birder again this year – the now three-year-old grandson of one of our participants. He was able to identify, again without prompting, Canada Goose, Mallard, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Common Merganser, and Bufflehead. He was birding along the Lake from the bridge to the soccer fields with his Nana. This year’s count was held during a rather rainy day, with some snow, and one team reporting some sleet. The temperature ranged between -1ºC and +3°C throughout the day, with mostly slushy snow where there was any – a little bit of ice, but not much. With 28 participants out in the elements and six feeder/yard watchers we ended up with a total of 48 species of birds, including a “rare” bird this year – a Gray Catbird – and eight count week species, for a total of 2,053, which is 208 less than the 2024 count of 2,261. The average number of birds seen in the last 20 years (2006 to 2025) is 2,398.10 birds, so we are a bit below that average, and the species total of 48 is just below the 20-year average of 49.20 species. Elaine Moore, compiler |
| Oliver-Osoyoos | Dec 27 | A cold, windy day but lakes and ponds mostly ice-free after prolonged warm spell. Highlights: Ruddy Duck, 5 Wild Turkeys, Yellow-billed Loon, Black-backed Woodpecker, Prairie Falcon, “Pink-sided” Junco, 4 White-throated Sparrows. |
| Parksville-Qualicum Beach | Dec 14 | 55 birders braved the rain in the field, and 20 households added their yard counts. The temperature was warm up to 12 C which made the rain easier to take although wet optics were the order of the day. 113 species were identified on count day and 4 during count week. New birds for our count area Included 112 Short-tailed Shearwaters and one Clark’s Grebe. Highest count was almost 9,000 Bonaparte Gulls feeding offshore or flying through and probably the number was higher. Unusual species were a Parasitic Jaeger, Turkey Vulture, Yellow-billed Loon, Sanderling and Swamp Sparrow. The numbers are similar to previous years. Susan Knoerr, compiler |
| Peachland | Dec 30 | It turned out to be a record year with 74 species total, beating our previous record of 72 from 2018 and 2020. Third time we’ve ever had Yellow-rumped Warblers and Red-winged Blackbirds, 2nd time we’ve ever had American Tree Sparrows, and the first time we’ve ever detected a Yellow-billed Loon and Rock Wren. Some notable misses include Canyon Wren, Shrike, Varied Thrush, Pine Siskin and Pine Grosbeak. All and all a great year with 21 participants, 79.5 km on foot and 172 km by car. Leanne McDonald, compiler |
| Pemberton-Mt. Currie | ||
| Pender Harbour | Dec 17 | It was a mostly sunny and calm day, with 30 participants in the field, plus one feeder watcher, surveyed from Egmont to Middlepoint. Five of the counting parties were on land, and three went out on boats. A surprisingly low total of 75 species was recorded this year, below the 35-year average (79 species). Two additional species were reported during Count Week. The total count of individual birds, at 8,032, was well above average (7,120). Nearly half of this total were Surf Scoters – at 3,838 this was the third highest tally in the history of the PH-CBC. No new species were seen, and there were also no sightings of exceptional birds. Honours for the most unusual species were shared between a Swamp Sparrow seen in the Kleindale area and a flock of nine Band-tailed Pigeons seen in downtown Madeira Park. Both species were recorded for the sixth time in 35 years. Other highlights were seven species which had their highest ever counts: Wood Duck (5), Common Goldeneye (108), Horned Grebe (157), Red-necked Grebe (174), Band-tailed Pigeon (9), Virginia Rail (9) and Marsh Wren (12). No crossbills or siskins were seen during the count or during Count Week, which was not unexpected as their primary food of conifer cones is scarce this winter. A more surprising absence was White-winged Scoter, for only the 4th time ever. Besides these misses, other lower-than-usual counts included Glaucous-winged Gull (166 – 2nd lowest), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (26 – tied for lowest), Varied Thrush (4 – lowest) and European Starling (4 – 2nd lowest). The only raptors seen were Bald Eagles and a single Red-tailed Hawk. John Field, compiler |
| Pender Islands (incl. Mayne & Saturna) | Dec 14 | The official Audubon count area (BCPI) includes Mayne, Saturna, North Pender, and South Pender islands. The official list submitted for our count area is a compilation of counts from each of these islands. For this year’s count the four islands tallied 92 species and 9,855 individual birds. Collectively we had 118 birders out on count day who logged just over 187 hours (this includes feeder counters) and 229 kilometers on foot, by car, or by boat to observe birds. Some highlights include a Glaucous Gull, nine Eurasian Wigeons, three Golden Eagles and a Turkey Vulture which are rare for this time of year. Some surprises were the count high for Common Mergansers (1066) followed by the usual flocking birds, in descending order, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, and Golden-crowned Kinglet. There were high numbers for Bald Eagle (108) and Common Raven (292) not seen in recent history. Surf Scoters and Barrow’s Goldeneye, usually seen in large rafts, were this year scarce in the marine waters. This was also true for Pine Siskins, which are common and abundant flocking birds, this year only thirty-three were tallied with the Penders seeing none and Mayne Island only 2 birds. Michael Dunn, compiler |
| Penticton | Dec 14 | A warm and windy day with no snow at mid- to low elevations. Highlights were 2 White-winged Scoters (second record in 75 years), Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Dusky Grouse, Iceland (Kumlien’s) Gull, Glaucous Gull, Barred Owl (rarely seen at low elevations), 2 Anna’s Hummingbirds (slowly building in numbers after a couple of very cold winters), Peregrine Falcon, Mountain Bluebird. Big miss was Varied Thrush (seen the day before but I missed it count day). A bigger surprise in count week was a Nashville Warbler. Dick Cannings, compiler |
| Pitt Meadows, Tri-Cities | Jan 3 | This was probably one of the rainiest counts we have had and we did not hold much hope for a great count but it turned out to be not as bad as we thought. With 151 field counters and 15 feeder counters we counted 93 species and a total of 19,766 total birds. These counts were both at the lower end of our normal range but considering the day they were not bad overall. We had a few rarities including a spotted sandpiper, tundra swan, townsend’s solitaire, and a total 3 swamp sparrows that were seen in 2 different areas. We also had the same feeder watcher as last year report 2 California Scrub Jays coming to her feeder and sent video. We had low counts of house sparrows and red-winged blackbirds. Unfortunately, with the weather not all the counters stayed out as long as normal and it was very difficult to use a camera with the rain with one counter ruining his cameral trying to get a picture. Last year as well as this year the cackling geese, 3764, have outnumbered the Canada geese, 1794 with large flocks flying over and this seems to be normal now in our area. I am very grateful to all the counters that came out and braved the weather. Jennifer Tayes, compiler |
| Port Alberni | Dec 27 | The weather turned out to be good for birding: mild conditions, 4-6 degrees; some morning rain, but sunny with scattered clouds in the afternoon. We had 17 field observers (37.4 party hours and 49.6 km on foot) and a few feeder counters. We tallied 94 species on count day, which is a high number compared to recent Port Alberni CBCs (typically in the 80s). However, the total number of birds observed was middling: 6,995. In addition to the count-day total, we had 4 count-week species. Highlights included 8 Western Meadowlark in a single flock (this species, perhaps this same flock, was seen on multiple occasions in the fall and winter), 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 3 American Kestrel, and 1 Spotted Sandpiper. Also notable were the birds not seen. Surf Scoter numbers were way down — the large rafts typically present were absent. Similarly, Barrow’s Goldeneye numbers were low. American Wigeon, typically numbering well over a thousand at the Somass Estuary, barely broke 400 individuals in the entire count circle. No Merlins were seen. We had 1 count-week Barred Owl, but otherwise no owls. Only 4 Pine Siskin were noted, mirroring the scarcity of this species in Port Alberni this fall and winter. Blackbird numbers, both Red-winged and Brewer’s, were also low. Annette Bailey, Compiler |
| Port Clements | Dec | |
| Powell River | Dec 20 | We had a total of 6390 birds representing 91 species with 16 birders in the field divided over 7 teams. We also had 8 feeder watchers. Nothing super remarkable this time, but we had Mourning Dove, Ruddy Duck, Canvasback and White-throated Sparrow showing up on count day. Our count is similar to last year, except for the 4500 Pine Siskins we had last year, this year only a couple were seen. Iwan van Veen, compiler |
| Prince George | Jan 4 | Despite a very snowy day, a record number of 50 participants and 20 feeder watchers found 49 species (slightly above average) and 20,148 birds (a new high record). 14,540 of those were Bohemian Waxwings (also a new high count). Highlights included 1643 Mallards (high count), 1 Northern Pintail (3rd record), 1 Wood Duck, 1 Dunlin, lots of Hawks and Owls: 3 Red-trailed Hawks, 4 Rough-legged Hawks, 2 Northern Hawks, 1 Snowy Owl, 23 Short-eared Owls and some lingering birds: 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 24 American Robins, 2 Varied Thrushes, 1 Purple Finch, 2 White-crowned Sparrows. Not many winter finches–only 3 Pine Siskins. Cathy Antoniazzi, compiler |
| Princeton | Dec 20 | We had 10 participants and 2 feeder watchers. Total species was 38 with 2 species for count week. We were lucky to get Trumpeter Swans for count week. Catherine Lahaier, compiler |
| Quesnel | Dec | |
| Revelstoke | Jan 3 | The Revelstoke bird count saw 9 people out in the heavy snow fall recording 32 species, with a rarity for count week of Snow Buntings and American Goshawk. Don Manson, compiler |
| Rivers Inlet Mouth | ||
| Rose Spit | Dec | |
| Rossland-Warfield | Dec 29 | The Rossland-Warfield CBC, held on December 29.2025,had 37 species (highest ever) and 1758 total birds. We are experiencing an unusual winter with very mild winter temperatures and very little snow cover except at highest altitudes. We had a rare bird sighting (unusual timing of year) of a single Blue- winged Teal at Oasis Marsh which had some open water. We had a very large number (481) of American Robin that have stayed throughout the winter, eating the abundant Mountain Ash berries, Conversely, we had very few Bohemian Waxwing which usually come and stay for the winter, eating those Mountain Ash berries. We had only 2 Evening Grosbeak, which have been declining precipitously since 2022. Linda Szymkowiak, compiler |
| Salmon Arm | Dec | |
| Savona-Walhachin | Dec 30 | Savona Dec. 30 3 people 32 spc. very little snow. Interesting 6 meadow lark, 1 Northern Pygmy Owl, 2 Wilson’s Snipe, 1 Golden Eagle, 1 Horned Grebe There were many Mallards and Canada Geese constantly flying and landing in the fields. Raymond Town, compiler |
| Shuswap Lake P.P. | Dec | |
| Sidney-South Saltspring | Dec 14 | |
| Skidegate Inlet | Dec | |
| Slocan Lake | Dec 29 | There were 22 participants and 34 species on count day and 7 during count week for a total of 41 and 720 individual birds on count day. The highlight species were Swainson’s Thrush (photo taken) and Wilson’s snipe Two unusual birds were seen: Horned grebe and Gray Catbird (out of usual winter range). Robins don’t usually stay around in winter but we’ve had flocks of them, presumably because of warm temperatures and very little snow. Numbers were down last year because of extensive wildfires and are up again this year but still not up to the level of some previous years. Anne Champagne, compiler |
| Smithers | Dec 27 | The Smithers Christmas Bird Count was one of, if not the, most exciting counts we have had largely because of a rare Asian bird called a Brambling. Bramblings also live in the Aleutian Islands and along the outer Bering Sea shore of Alaska. Some of them also showed up in Terrace at Christmas and the thinking is that it had been so bitterly cold farther north, compounded by some strong winds, that the tiny birds either moved or were blown southwards. The odd Brambling has shown up in Canada on occasion in the past but seeing it on Count Day is such a plus. Our Count was hampered by the unpleasant north wind that chilled many toes and fingers, even though the average temperature hovered around -12C. A combination of birds not moving around as much as normal and poor visibility at times meant birding was not as good as it could be. Despite these challenges, 58 bird counters (including one 3.5 years old) arranged in 22 groups, found 52 fully identified species, plus a few more identified to broad group. A total of 4739 individual birds was counted. Finding a single Mourning Dove was exciting, although it was first thought to be one of the introduced Eurasian Collared Doves. Mourning Doves do occur here although in small numbers and this just shows that we all should make sure we look carefully for identifying features. A single Belted Kingfisher was found huddled close to the shore of the Bulkley River. Since the river was partly open, it was not a surprise to see waterfowl, especially Common Mergansers and Goldeneye. The two Red-breasted Sapsuckers were a surprise as they normally leave in the Fall. One of them was found gorging on crab-apples, so if they could both find food and shelter, they would be ok. Higher numbers than previously were recorded for Northern Flickers and especially for the tiny, very secretive, Brown Creeper. Bohemian Waxwings swooshed around in big flocks in town, but we have had more in the past. Post-count analysis suggests some of the flocks may have had a few Cedar Waxwings with them. A couple of Cedar Waxwings were confirmed as being here during Count Week. The presence of a Long-eared Owl here in winter is very unusual. Rosamund Pojar, compiler |
| Soda Creek | Dec | |
| Sooke | Dec 27 | We had 78 enthusiastic birders grabbing their binoculars and heading out early to count all the birds in the Sooke/Metchosin area they could find. This was our highest participant attendance ever, topping 75 participants in 2020! In addition to the field counters, we also had 5 feeder watchers for a total of 83 people participating in the 2025 Sooke count. The total species count for 2025 was 118 (23,415 individuals), not the highest number we’ve had but pretty good! (2020 was 120 with 31,735 individuals). There were some impressive finds throughout the day – two Yellow-billed Loons (one at Aylard Farm and another at Otter Point), a Golden Eagle off West Coast Rd and a Canada Jay way up on Mount Manuel Quimper. High counts recorded in the 2025 Sooke count included 7 Snow Geese, 30 Greater White-fronted Geese, 46 Brant, 720 Varied Thrush and 40 Hermit Thrush. The highest count for a species was not surprisingly 3,254 American Robin’s. We did see a big drop in the Pine Siskins this year – 8,705 in 2024 but only 291 in 2025. Participants enjoyed a beautiful, mostly sunny day! -2 degrees at 7am, frost and ice on roadways and grass and then reaching up to 4 degrees in the afternoon. Calm winds allowed a boat to get out to Race Rocks where 130 Iceland Gull’s and a Surfbird were counted along with various other cormorant’s, gulls and Black Turnstones. Robyn Byrne, compiler |
| Squamish | Dec | |
| Stuix-Tweedsmuir | Dec 21 | Many thanks to the 9 hardy participants. Despite the chill and blustery day in Stuix, we recorded 21 species and 244 birds on Count Day and 1 additional species on count week. It was great to count ten trumpeter swans again, 100 years after Ralph Edwards started feeding them at Lonesome Lake. Dennis Kuch, compiler |
| Sunshine Coast | Dec 20 | Total: 92 + 8 count week species Participants: 30 Highlights: Nothing spectacular. Honourable mentions to Northern Saw-whet Owl & Lincoln’s Sparrow. Comments: Fell squarely within our expected count of 85-95 species. Tony Greenfield, compiler |
| Terrace | Dec | |
| Tlell | Dec | |
| Tofino | Jan 3 | There were periods of rain, heavy at times, for ~60% of the daylight hours, mixed with dry periods; overcast with occasional sunbreaks. Wind SE 20 km/hr, swell ~2.5m offshore, ~8’C. Very high king tide midday. This was our first year advertising the count with 36 participants and 96 species were found. -Large drop in Greater White-fronted Geese with none found overwintering this year but an increase in Canada Geese vs. last year -Common Murre down vs. last year with few seen on boat transects and much lower numbers flying by Amphitrite lighthouse. Ancient Murrelet also down vs. last year with only 1 seen this year. -Short-billed Gulls down vs. last year. Thayer’s Iceland Gulls steady at 17 – showing how relatively few of these overwinter here before the huge infux begins to the region pre-herring spawn in Feb. -Western Grebe down a bit since last year -While most shorebird species showed higher totals than last year (as expected without correcting for increased effort), Dunlin showed a sharp decrease with only 7 counted this year, vs. 480 last winter. Overwintering Dunlin populations seem to be still depressed in the area since avian flu mortality 2 yrs ago. Missed Black-bellied Plover this year. -Decrease in Pacific Loons and Red-throated Loons since last year – e.g. found few Pacific Loon this year while boating in areas that had plenty last year from Lemmens to Vargas to Lone Cone, lower Amphitrite lighthouse seawatch counts. -Very marked decrease in Dark-eyed Junco counts vs. last year, with flock sizes down in almost every count area -Decrease in Pine Siskin and Red Crossbill counts vs. last. -Brown Creepers up this year – perhaps related to more evenly distributed forest birding effort -Only found 2 Harlequin Ducks?! -Hooded Oriole continuing at a hummer feeder in Tofino -Barn Swallows on both counts – 2 seen at Mackenzie Beach, flying around over the beach, then one later seen roosting over a light in a building there; 1 seen at W end Florencia Bay, circling over the beach/bay. This continues an increasing trend of an influx of January Barn Swallows on the south BC coast. -Expected mix of locally uncommon species at the airport included Virginia Rail, Swamp Sparrow, Northern Harrier, Marsh Wren, Peregrine, Western Meadowlarks; missed the Palm Warbler that’s there on count day. -Hummingbird sp. that may be a Rufous in Salmon Beach -2 Snow Geese in Ucluelet, 6 Brant flying off Amphitrite -4 Canvasback on Grice Bay, a regular wintering location -6 Black Scoters off the Kwisitis Visitor Centre -1 Ruddy Duck at Swim Beach, Kennedy Lake -3 Whimbrel at Salmon Beach -1 Eared Grebe at Grice Bay -1 Ring-billed Gull at Grice -4 Spotted Sandpipers scattered around -16 Greater Yellowlegs, as usual common in Ucluelet but not Tofino -1 Red-tailed Hawk (only) -2 Red-breasted Sapsucker (only) -3 American Goldfinch in Ucluelet – very rare in winter here -2 Brewer’s Blackbird at the landfill -Yellow-rumped Warblers as usual wintering in the wax-myrtle thickets on Stubbs Island, plus a few in the wax-myrtle thickets at the SE end of the Ucluelet peninsula, another typical wintering location. -2 Townsend’s Warblers Ian Cruickshank, compiler |
| Tumbler Ridge | Jan 3 | We had 11 participants and counted 20 species of birds. Highlights included three chickadee species and (as always) seeing American Dipper in midwinter. American Crows were an unusual feature, as were relatively large numbers of Dark-eyed Juncos and Pine Siskins (we were not expecting these in a time of record snowfall and after a very cold December). Charles Helm, compiler |
| Ucluelet | Jan 4 | No precipitation was noted except for a couple of very light morning showers. Very high king tide midday. This was our first year advertising the count with 32 participants and 98 species were found. -Large drop in Rock Pigeons in Ucluelet this year, with ~1/4 of the numbers seen last winter; correlated with perhaps overall reduced feeding of birds this winter. 8 Red-winged Blackbird (only) in Millstream neighbourhood, none in the main town neighbourhoods. See Tofino’s summary for more as the two (Tofino and Ucluelet) were mostly counted together. Ian Cruickshank, compiler |
| Vancouver | Dec 20 | Two hundred and eighteen people showed up on a cool, cloudy day for Vancouver’s 69th annual Christmas Bird Count. The temperature warmed from about 4°C in the morning to a high of 7°C. A few sprinkles early on turned into a nice afternoon. We had an average count in terms of species and numbers with a total of 119 species and 99,128 birds counted. Notable were counts of 47,772 American Crows and 4,510 American Wigeons. Fifty-two Red-tailed Hawks and 234 Bald Eagles were tallied. Four American Kestrels, seven Merlins and one Peregrine Falcon were found. The only owls this year were 5 Barred Owls. Finch numbers were low with only 98 Pine Siskins counted and just two Red Crossbills. Another notable low count was only 284 White-winged Scoters. Unusual or rare birds included, a Tufted Duck and a Tufted Duck x Scaup hybrid, Barn Swallows, which seem to overwinter regularly now, a Glossy/White-fronted Ibis, three Cinnamon Teal and an Ovenbird found during count week. Neill Vanhinsberg, co-compiler |
| Vaseux Lake | Dec 20 | A rather mild day with little wind (except on Skaha Lake as usual) and no snow at low to mid-elevations. Good numbers of waterfowl (including 88 Trumpeter Swan, 122 American Wigeon, 1 Northern Pintail, 190 Redhead, 339 Ring-necked Duck, 386 Bufflehead, 208 Hooded Merganser, 554 Common Merganser, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Ruddy Duck). Other highlights were 100 Horned Grebes, 1 Pacific Loon, 2 Western Screech-Owls, 2 Anna’s Hummingbirds, 23 Canyon Wrens, 12 Bewick’s Wrens. |
| Vernon | Dec 14 | We had had 36 observers in the field and 12 feeder watchers reporting, for a total of 48. We tallied 98 species, which is well above our average of 86, but well below last year’s total of 106. Total number of birds was 14,044 compared to 21,118 in 2024. The story of the day was clearly the weather, a balmy day with no wind or precipitation! Runner-up story of the day was the high count of American Robins, they were found in almost every area of the circle this year. I am pleased to announce that again this year, Mourning Doves outnumbered Eurasian-collared Doves 295 to 238 respectively. Northern Flicker numbers were up 50% over last year with 225 tallied. Canada Goose numbers were almost half of last year’s number with 1,846 tallied. Mallard numbers were down 65% over last year with 1,987 tallied. Record High counts: Herring Gull 454 Rock Pigeon 849 American Robin 767 Pacific Wren 15 Rare birds (found on less than 10 % of counts): Lesser Black-backed Gull Brown-headed Cowbird Western Screech-Owl (not seen on CBC since 1979) Yellow-rumped Warbler Don Cecile, compiler |
| Victoria | Dec 20 | Two new species—Victoria’s first Pine Warbler and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher—were known to be in the area so were sought out for the list. Typically, when we have a really high individual count, it is due to seabirds and gulls. Some years, thousands have been pushed into the safer waters by westerly winds or by an abundance of food, but this year was an entirely different story. This year, we were treated to a spectacle of a spectacularly common bird, the American Robin. Birders in the Royal Oak area have long postulated that Rithet’s Bog was a night roost for this species in the winter, and in recent weeks, had noted exceptional numbers flying over their homes in the late afternoons. But no one was expecting the staggering numbers that were counted there on the CBC. Observers counted 40,100 robins entering the bog. At nearby Quick’s Bottom, an additional 10,938 were tallied. It is my job as compiler to try to determine if these were likely overlapping counts. I spent both mornings and evenings over the next week watching the birds depart and arrive, and along with others feel that 51,000 was likely a considerable undercount of the number of robins gathering there. Estimates exceeded 80,000 on some mornings. The reason for the abundance was that the Arbutus trees had a bumper crop of berries this year and due to the warm weather, the fruit was still in excellent condition. This likely kept southward-bound migrants here until the trees were cleared of their berries. Numbers at Rithet’s dropped off after the new year, with several thousand still coming to roost each night, but nothing like the experience during the week of the count. New records for the Victoria circle were overall, 137,426, surpassing the 1993 record of 125,518, Mourning Dove (166; previous record 100), Rufous Hummingbird (1;1), Barred Owl (25; 18), American Kestrel (23;22), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1;1), American Robin (61,408; 14,327), Pine Warbler (1;0), and White-throated Sparrow (37;30). Count week birds were Short-eared Owl and Nashville Warbler (which was first detected the day after the count!) Other uncommon birds found during the count were Rusty Blackbird in the Blenkinsop Valley and Red Phalarope detected by the team in the Prince of Whales boat. Rocky Point Bird Observatory hosted the Christmas Bird Count for Kids at Beckwith Park again this year. Despite the heaviest rain of the day, the team had 65 participants for their displays and activities. The CBC for Kids operates as one of our counting parties, so birds observed by the kids and vetted by experienced birds leading the team are included in our total numbers. When we add the field counters (359 including 65 children and adults at the CBC4Kids) and feederwatchers (48 excluding those also in the field), the total participant number for 2025 is 407, another record broken over our previous high of 405! Ann Nightingale, compiler |
| Wells & Bowron Lakes | Dec 28 | We had a good bird count day in the Wells/Bowron count circle this year. Observer turnout wasn’t great for a few reasons, including the fresh dump of deep heavy snow that made travel difficult. Altogether, we identified four species that are new to this count, for a total of 25 species. A Harris’s Sparrow was seen at a feeder along Bowron River, where it had been hanging out for a couple weeks before count day. A Merlin was seen in New Barkerville being chased away by a smaller bird. A flock of 28 Bohemian Waxwings was seen feasting on a large ash tree in Wells, and also saw a Northern Flicker. This year was a big Crossbill year. Almost everywhere we went, we were greeted with an eager “Veeet” from another flock of White-Winged Crossbills and 132 were counted. They were so vocal it was sometimes hard to hear the other birds mixed in. Birch Kuch, compiler |
| Whistler | Dec 14 | The day the skies opened and delivered a full atmospheric river will be remembered as one of the wettest counts in our history. Even so, a record turnout of 20 hardy participants braved the relentless rain and tested their resolve to capture passerines were scarce, but the waterfowl more than made up for it. A total species count of 42. Ducks appeared in impressive numbers, offering welcome motivation through the downpour. A highlight: a pair of Surf Scoters on a small lake—an unexpected sighting. The mountain skiers were able to spot the white-tailed ptarmigans for us. Meanwhile, the local Northern Goshawk kept busy surveying neighbourhood bird feeders during count week. Shawn Mason, compiler |
| White Rock-Surrey-Langley | Dec 27 | We had 135 species on count day with an additional 6 species for count week. The overall count species of 141 is the highest species count ever. Count day species second highest ever. 108 field counters and 19 feeder counters. Highest official participation ever for our count area! Highlights were: * Black necked Stilt * Scrub Jay * Whimbrel * Long-billed Curlew * Yellow-billed Loon * Red-breasted Sapsucker (overall 5! ) * Barn Swallow (Count Week) The Barn Swallow and the Black-necked Stilt are the first ever recordings for the White Rock Count area. High count species: * Double-crested Cormorants (there was some fish run or hatching, Cormorants were in high numbers in several areas) * Pelagic Cormorant * White-throated Sparrow (4 in one flock!) * Common Raven * American Kestrel (15!) * Mute Swan (32) Low count species: * Redpoll * Siskin * Cedar Waxwing Kristina Breit, compiler |
| Williams Lake | Dec | |
| Yalakom Valley | Jan 3 | This count takes place in the edge of the Coast Mountains North west of Lillooet and in the Camelsfoot Range of the Interior Plateau. Centered in the Yalakom Valley at Fred Creek, the count circle includes parts of the Bridge River from Applespring Creek to below Terzaghi Dam and even part of N-E end of Carpenter Reservoir, as well as up the Yalakom River almost to Junction Creek. On Solstice it began to snow and by our Count week, trees and shrubs as well as the ground had been covered with up to 30 centimeters of snow in the Count area, which greatly reduced the visible presence of birds. Seventeen participants in 8 teams saw 220 birds (+4 Count week), an unusually low number (average over 20 years is 350), and reported 28 species. (average over 20 years is 29). One new species for count week was a Wilson’s Snipe, usually seen outside of winter here. It was peaking out from under a very snow-covered shrub at the photographer. In spite of the low numbers of birds, we all enjoyed our time in the bush and on the road! Eleanor Wright, compiler |
| Yoho National Park | Dec |
Updated Feb 16, 2026