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