The Christmas Bird Count is a principal means for monitoring winter bird populations in North America. In the State College region, counts have been conducted at three locations: at State College beginning in 1940, at Bald Eagle State Park beginning in 1980, and at Huntingdon beginning in 1984. Local observers report all individual birds that they see within a single day and count areas are circles 15 miles in diameter.

The yearly incidence of a species, or percent of years in which it occurred, can give you an idea of its relative abundance. Comparing the incidence among sites can give an indication of the preference of sites for a species. Although these count areas are not far apart, there are some species that tend to be reported from just one area or not in one area. For example, Huntingdon observers find Black Vulture regularly; State College observers have never reported Bald Eagle but tend to find more uncommon land birds; Bald Eagle State Park (BESP) observers sometimes find Northern Shrike and often see many diving ducks not seen on the other counts.

The numbers below are the species incidence for the BESP and State College sites for the years 1980-1997 and for the Huntingdon site for the years 1984-1997. The Christmas Bird Count takes place during a two week period at the end of December and the beginning of January; the "year" as used here is the year in which Christmas occurs. The State College incidence data was calculated from 1980-1997 only, so that the period being compared is the same. In addition, if the 1980-97 percentage for a species was zero for these years of the State College count but had been seen in an earlier year, look in the last column to see the number of years (not percentage) during that 40 earlier years of 1940-79 for that species being seen (e.g. 1+ means 1 additional year). This illustrates the rare to uncommon species that have been found during the State College count, due partly to its longevity.

Note that if a species was seen only 1 year, the rounded percentage given below would be 100*(1/18)=6 to BESP and State College and it would be 100*(1/14)=7 for Huntingdon.

Nicholas Bolgiano, State College Bird Club, 1998

(144 total species) 

SPECIES

BALD EAGLE SP

HUNT.

ST COLL

 

Loon, Common

6

7

11

 

Grebe, Pied-billed

6

0

11

 

Grebe, Horned

11

0

0

1+

Bittern, American

0

0

0

2+

Heron, Great Blue

100

100

94

 

Swan, Tundra

6

0

39

 

Swan, Mute

0

0

22

 

Goose, Canada

44

50

61

 

Duck, Wood

11

0

39

 

Teal, Green-winged

17

7

83

 

Duck, Black

100

93

94

 

Mallard

100

100

100

 

Pintail, Northern

33

7

11

 

Teal, Blue-winged

0

0

0

1+

Shoveler, Northern

0

0

11

 

Gadwall

28

21

11

 

Widgeon, American

6

7

6

 

Canvasback

0

0

0

1+

Redhead

0

7

0

5+

Duck, Ringed-necked

0

14

0

6+

Scaup, Greater

0

0

0

6+

Scaup, Lesser

0

7

6

 

Oldsquaw

6

14

11

 

Scoter, White-winged

0

0

0

2+

Goldeneye, Common

78

14

17

 

Bufflehead

22

36

17

 

Merganser, Hooded

83

36

0

1+

Merganser, Common

94

7

0

1+

Merganser, Red-breasted

28

0

0

 

Duck, Ruddy

22

0

17

 

Vulture, Black

6

71

0

 

Vulture, Turkey

0

36

6

 

Osprey

0

7

0

 

Eagle, Bald

44

14

0

 

Harrier, Northern

61

64

78

 

Hawk, Sharp-shinned

61

71

94

 

Hawk, Cooper's

67

71

100

 

Goshawk, Northern

6

7

11

 

Hawk, Red-shouldered

17

86

17

 

Hawk, Red-tailed

100

100

100

 

Hawk, Rough-legged

72

86

100

 

Kestrel, American

100

100

100

 

Merlin

0

0

11

 

Falcon, Peregrine

0

0

0

1+

Pheasant, Ring-necked

61

71

83

 

Grouse, Ruffed

83

100

100

 

Turkey, Wild

39

86

61

 

Bobwhite, Northern

0

0

0

2+

Moorhen, Common

0

0

0

1+

Coot, American

11

7

6

 

Killdeer

50

50

67

 

Dunlin

6

0

0

 

Snipe, Common

11

21

89

 

Woodcock, American

0

14

0

4+

Gull, Bonaparte's

0

7

6

 

Gull, Ring-billed

67

36

28

 

Gull, Herring

56

7

0

 

Gull, Greater Black-backed

17

0

0

 

Dove, Rock

100

100

100

 

Dove, Mourning

94

100

100

 

Owl, Barn

6

7

0

6+

Owl, Screech

94

100

94

 

Owl, Great Horned

94

100

100

 

Owl, Snowy

0

0

0

2+

Owl, Barred

28

79

33

 

Owl, Long-eared

0

0

11

 

Owl, Short-eared

6

7

0

6+

Owl, Northern Saw-whet

39

0

28

 

Kingfisher, Belted

100

100

100

 

Woodpecker, Red-headed

28

71

39

 

Woodpecker, Red-bellied

94

100

100

 

Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied

39

79

61

 

Woodpecker, Downy

100

100

100

 

Woodpecker, Hairy

94

100

100

 

Woodpecker, Black-backed

0

0

6

 

Flicker, Northern

100

100

100

 

Woodpecker, Pileated

100

100

100

 

Phoebe, Eastern

0

7

6

 

Lark, Horned

56

43

94

 

Jay, Blue

100

100

100

 

Crow, American

100

100

100

 

Crow, Fish

0

0

39

 

Raven, Common

56

100

100

 

Chickadee, Black-capped

100

100

100

 

Chickadee, Boreal

0

0

0

1+

Titmouse, Tufted

100

100

100

 

Nuthatch, Red-breasted

61

100

100

 

Nuthatch, White-breasted

100

100

100

 

Creeper, Brown

100

100

100

 

Wren, Carolina

94

100

100

 

Wren, House

0

0

0

1+

Wren, Winter

44

50

94

 

Kinglet, Golden-crowned

100

100

100

 

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned

39

50

50

 

Bluebird, Eastern

100

100

94

 

Thrush, Swainson's

0

0

0

1+

Thrush, Hermit

72

57

94

 

Robin, American

72

93

94

 

Catbird, Gray

6

14

50

 

Mockingbird, Northern

100

100

100

 

Pipit, American

0

7

0

1+

Waxwing, Cedar

89

93

100

 

Shrike, Northern

28

0

6

 

Shrike, Loggerhead

0

0

0

2+

Starling, European

100

100

100

 

Warbler, Orange-crowned

0

0

0

1+

Warbler, Nashville

0

0

0

1+

Warbler, Yellow-rumped

67

29

78

 

Warbler, Pine

0

0

6

 

Warbler, Palm

0

0

6

 

Yellowthroat, Common

17

0

22

 

Redstart, American

0

0

6

 

Cardinal, Northern

100

100

100

 

Towhee, Eastern

22

14

50

 

Sparrow, American Tree

100

100

100

 

Sparrow, Chipping

0

7

17

 

Sparrow, Field

56

86

83

 

Sparrow, Vesper

0

0

6

 

Sparrow, Savannah

0

0

0

2+

Sparrow, Fox

11

29

22

 

Sparrow, Song

100

100

100

 

Sparrow, Swamp

78

79

89

 

Sparrow, White-throated

100

100

100

 

Sparrow, White-crowned

22

57

72

 

Junco, Dark-eyed (Slate-colored)

100

100

100

 

Junco, Dark-eyed (Oregon)

0

0

0

2+

Longspur, Lapland

6

0

0

4+

Bunting, Snow

11

0

11

 

Blackbird, Red-winged

44

14

89

 

Meadowlark, Eastern

6

21

22

 

Blackbird, Rusty

22

21

50

 

Blackbird, Brewer's

0

0

6

 

Grackle, Common

39

7

67

 

Cowbird, Brown-headed

50

36

89

 

Grosbeak, Pine

0

0

6

 

Finch, Purple

67

86

89

 

Finch, House

100

100

100

 

Crossbill, Red

0

7

11

 

Crossbill, White-winged

0

0

17

 

Redpoll, Common

17

0

33

 

Siskin, Pine

44

79

61

 

Goldfinch, American

100

100

100

 

Grosbeak, Evening

67

64

72

 

Sparrow, House

100

100

100